She threw lavish parties and entertained celebrities such as Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Shes Not Madeleine: Scotland Yard Refutes Julias Allegations of Being Madeleine McCann. Sarah Rector died in 1967 from a stroke at the age of 65. How better to impress White Southerners than to become slaveholders themselves? We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. At the height of her wealth, Sarah owned Rector Mansion, a large stone house on East 12th Street in Kansas City, and the entire block surrounding it. Sarah Rector was buried in Taft Cemetery, Oklahoma. 1901), Sarah (b. Rector began to receive a daily income of $300 from this strike. Sarahs parents had selected a white guardian for her Thomas Jefferson Porter. Forbes magazine estimated the Queens net worth at around $500 million (about 325 million) in 2011, while an analysis by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index put it at $425 million (about 275 million) in 2015. Economic Equity & Racial Justice Townhall Series, Elevate Black Podcast sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 100 Founders of Change by American Express, Chasing Success Podcast by JP Morgan Chase, Black Business Month Sponsored by Nationwide, 2022 Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, 2021 BE Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing. Her grandparents had been enslaved by Creek Indians and freed after the Civil War. Connecting oklahoma's electric cooperative communities. Sarah and her mother were known for their fancy Cadillacs, Lincolns and a Rolls Royce limo they raced around town. The entire frontage of 12th St. from Euclid to Garfield was bought by Rector money and rented out to people for additional income. [4] In June of that year, a special agent for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), James C. Waters Jr., sent a memo to Du Bois regarding her situation. But unbeknownst to anyone else at the time, Sarahs land had a wealth of oil sitting just below the surface. Rectors lost most of her wealth during The Great Depression. This prompted Du Bois to establish the Children's Department of the NAACP, which would investigate claims of white guardians who were suspected of depriving black children of their land and wealth. Who was the first richest black woman in America? They drive by the abandoned Rector Mansion, boarded up and falling into disrepair, wishing that they could find a way to buy it back and bring it to its former glory. Sarah Rector wasnt living near Taft, or in Tuskegee, Bolden concluded. But Rectors first guardian, a rancher named T.J. Porter, invested her earnings judiciously in rich river bottom land, business properties and lucrative mortgages. When the public learned how much Rector was earning, her guardianship was transferred from her parents to a white man named T.J. Porter. Each freedman was given 160 acres of land. The newspaper published an article claiming that her estate was being mismanaged by her family and that she was uneducated, and had a poor quality of life. Certainly, the spending coupled with what Brown believes was little understanding of managing money didnt help. Im not going to leave them so they can sit on someones desk, Brown said. [16], Rector died on July 22, 1967, at the age of 65. She divorced Campbell and married restaurant owner To raise enough money to pay the $30 annual tax bill, Sarahs father, Joseph Rector, leased her allotment to the Devonian Oil Company of Pittsburg in 1911. Primarily to generate enough revenue to pay the $30 annual tax bill, in February 1911 Rectors father leased her allotment to the Devonian Oil Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Most of the fancy parties that Sarah had where celebrities such as Duke Ellington would attend werent at the Rector mansion- they were at her home at 2600 Lockridge where she had purchased several homes on the block. The couple had three children and though over a decade of marriage enjoyed the status of being local royalty. A typical cabin for Creek Freedmen on Muscogee (Creek) Nation land in Oklahoma, similar to where Sarah Rector would have been born. Jerome Kerviel is the poorest person on the planet. At 18, Rector came fully into her wealth, free now of guardians. For their part, Black-owned newspapers, including the influential Chicago Defender, speculated anxiously that Rectors White guardian was taking advantage of her and shortchanging her education. The most important part of this saga is the simple fact that her family got lost within the tabloids tabloids worldwide that painted a picture of a poor little black girl from Oklahoma who slept on dirt floors, struck it rich, was taken advantage of and lived frivolously. WebWhen 11-year-old Sarah Rector in Jim Crow America discovers a seemingly worthless plot of land she has inherited is worth millions, everything in her life changes and the walls begin to close in. There were the fancy limos and Cadillacs that ferried young relatives to school and out for barbecue, the White-owned department store that opened its doors just so Sarah Rector could shop; the rolling farmland where Rector would invite Browns mother and the children for family gatherings. Aboriginal American member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, "Remembering Sarah Rector, Creek Freedwoman", "The African-Native American Genealogy Blog", "Sarah Rector The Richest Black Girl In The World", "The Unlikely Baroness | This Land Press - Made by You and Me", "United Inner City Services Hope Murals Bring Attention to the Rector House", "Black History Month From the Archives Sarah Rector: The Richest Colored Girl in the World", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sarah_Rector&oldid=1142217379, American businesspeople in the oil industry, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 04:11. There, the Rectors eventually moved into a home that was a far cry from that weather-whipped two-room cabin in which Sarah began life. Porter, an individual known to the family. [11], To help cover this expense, in February 1911, Joseph Rector leased Sarah's parcel to the Standard Oil Company. Missing endangered juvenile from Red Bridge area, Ruskin High School novelist has six books on Amazon, Florist discusses the future of Fiddly Fig and Teefey Flowers, Medical marijuana grow farms approved for south KC, How Angolas Warrior Queen Nzinga Fought Against Colonial Forces In Africa & Other History Lessons I Learned In Lockdown The Witty Poet, Learning from the Unspeakable: Teaching Ideas Centered on the Tulsa Race Massacre - The Classroom Bookshelf, A garotinha negra e pobre que virou branca e rica antes do Michael Jackson | Contraditorium, America's First Black Millionaires - Grunge - Wealth Santa, America's First Black Millionaires Grunge Financial Consultant, America's First Black Millionaires - Black Source Media, Food Pantry on Wheels @ Marlborough Community Ctr, Hedwig and the Angry Inch @ The Arts Asylum. Her mother, Rosa Rector, would simply say, Aunt Sister can afford to do that, Brown said. The land became part of the famous Cushing-Drumright Oil Field and it propelled Rector into both spotlight and scandal. Her maternal great-great-grandmother had been enslaved by Creek Chief Opothle Yoholo in Alabama during the first half of the 19th century, according to Tonya Bolden, author of Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America published in 2014. The White-owned newspapers, seemingly unconstrained by facts and at times human decency, were openly racist in their coverage. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Sarah Rector was born in 1902 in what is today Taft, Oklahoma. Of course, there was a trick in this Act, and black children were simply granted the worst parts of the land; generally rocky and infertile soil so the good allotments could be granted to white settlers and distinctive members of the Indian tribe as it had been agreed upon. He had lived in the home for over 17 years. Black Men XCEL In turn, Joe was able to talk his wife (allegedly) into paying his $8,000 bond plus $2,000 in expenses to go to Tampico, Mexico and get his half. Details of the life of the person: Sarah Rector was born in 1902 in Oklahoma in Indian Territory. Her sudden wealth became the object of racist news coverage. 1878) met and married Rose Jackson (b. At some point, the mansion was sold and Rector moved into a more modest house. She bought a big house, that became known as the Rector Mansion, and all in all, things were looking great for the Rector family. But she had also intentionally chosen to omit Pope-Turnbos role.. Worlds Richest Negro Girl inspired media ridicule, fascination, alarm, For Ovechkin in winter, a deadline sell-off makes sense this spring, Commanders cut Carson Wentz and Bobby McCain, clearing cap space, The NFL deserves every bit of its raging Daniel Snyder headache, Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America. I was lucky that a line of the Rectors Sarahs nieces- were willing to talk to me and share their stories. They have sat back quietly as the rumors about their family recirculate every so often, as that false photo of Sarah is placed at the top of newspaper headlines and social media posts. Kansas City Around the same time, two children of Freedmen whose allotments had spouted oil were murdered by dynamite as they slept. After Oklahoma earned statehood in 1907, the new state continued to draw drillers to the area hoping to get lucky. Newspaper articles reporting Sarahs rags to riches story and the NAACP investigation sparked a number of international marriage proposals when Sarah was just 13, some from white men seeking to control her growing oil empire. Due to her newfound wealth, publications across America wrote of marriage proposals, especially those that came from four white men from Germany. At age 20, Rector married Kansas City businessman Kenneth Campbell and had three sons. B. Jones produced a gusher that brought in 2500 barrels a day. Joe Rectors attempts to lease it for oil and natural gas exploration at first netted little. Spain 's Unfortunately, Rector lost a majority of her wealth during The Great Depression and moved out of her mansion on 12th Street to 2440 Brooklyn Avenue. [7] This was a mandatory step in the process of integration of the Indian Territory with Oklahoma Territory to form what is now the State of Oklahoma.[8][9]. Then, in the fall of 1913, an independent driller struck liquid gold on Sarah Rectors land, bringing the family royalties of $300 per day, about $8,000 today. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. She drove a green and black Cadillac, later adding a silver-plated Lincoln and a chauffer-driven Rolls Royce. As a result, hundreds of black children, or Creek Freedmen minors, were each granted 160 acres of land as Indian Territory integrated with Oklahoma Territory to form the State of Oklahoma in 1907. Still, Sarahs case was so big that it inspired the creation of the Childrens Department of the NAACP to investigate and protect children from white guardians being ripped off their land and wealth. On Browns visit to the D.C. area, she set out with Riffle for the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture bearing the faded photographs of Rector as a woman. But her relatives say those images are fake. When Rector died at age 65 on July 22, 1967, her wealth was diminished, but she still had some working oil wells and Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. Sarah Rector was buried in Taft Cemetery, Oklahoma. She wasnt sleeping on a dirt floor as had been reported, but the NAACP was more than concerned. Freedmen like Sarahs relatives born into slavery were eligible for land allotments according to a treaty reached in 1866. Thank you for subscribing! The investments and payments to Sarah were overseen by Judge Thomas Leahy, who, by accounts of the time, was one of Muskogee Countys most honorable men. Oprah Winfrey. She owned stocks, bonds, a boarding house, businesses, and a 2,000-acre piece of prime river bottomland. Sarah Rector was born in 1902 to a freed black couple, Rose McQueen and Joseph Rector. When Sarahs popularity grew, her parents were forced to give up their guardianship status to a white man named T.J. Porter. Born as the daughter of freedmen in 1902, Sarah Rector rose from humble beginnings to reportedly become the wealthiest black girl in the nation at the age of 11. Although the image can be traced to the 1915 issue of the The American magazine, a now-defunct White-owned publication, Brown insists it is not her aunt. Pastor Imitates Jesus Christ and Tries to Fast for 40 Days; He Passed of Malnutrition, Shelley, Woolf, and Maas: Three Feminist Writers that Turned Pain into Masterpieces. In 1913, an independent driller, B.B. That same year, Rector enrolled in the childrens house, a boarding school for teenagers at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. They had a lavish life and were part of the elite of the time. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? When Sarah was 18 years old, she had a fortune estimated at $1 million, the equivalent of $11 million today. Upon graduation, she attended the Institute. Of course, Brown has no memory of Rector spending anything. The devastation of the Tulsa Race Massacre. She purchased a house on 12th Street, known as the Rector House, which is currently owned by a local nonprofit, with the intention of restoration and historical and cultural preservation. John Rector's mother Mollie McQueen was the Muscogee Opothleyahola, who fought in the Seminole Wars and split with the tribe, moving his followers to Kansas. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. When she died at age 65 on July 22, 1967, she only One newspaper dubbed her the richest negro in the world.. Two years after Sarahs piece of land was leased to the oil company an independent driller hit a massive reserve of oil capable of producing 2,500 barrels of oil and todays equivalent of $7,000 for Sarahs pockets every day. The Smithsonian can count on it, she said: Shell be back in touch. Euston published her myth-busting piece about Rector in 2019 on her history blog, The New Santa Fe Trailer. Who was the real Sarah Rector, The Richest Black Girl in America?, Missing in Action: Local artists painting of Patrick Mahomes stolen, UPDATE: Shakir is safe. She married her second husband, William Crawford, and lived a relatively quiet life. Selena Hill is the Digital Editor at Black Enterprise and an award-winning multi-media journalist. Oil Made Pickaninny Rich blared a headline in The Washington Post, which described Rector in 1914 as an orphan, crude, Black and uneducated, yet worth more than $4,000,000.. Played by Blair Underwood opposite Octavia Spencers Walker, C.J. In 1913, a speculator produced a gusher on Sarahs land. According to Tonya Bolden, author of Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America (Harry N. Abrams; $21.95), Rector began earning more than $300 a day in 1913. The NAACP was able to convince the Rectors to send Sarah to the Tuskegee Institutes elementary school called the Childrens Home. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Later, Sarah received a phonograph, a piano and a Premier motor car, Bolden writes. Her and her familys net worth was estimated at 73.6 billion U.S. dollars. In September 1913, The Kansas City Star local newspaper published the headline, Millions to a Negro Girl Sarah Rector, 10-Year Old, Has Income of $300 A Day From Oil, reports Face 2 Face Africa. Registry of Corporate Directors. Rectors spending was legendary, and she routinely drove around town in one of her expensive vehicles. The Smithsonian can Count on it, she said: Shell be back in touch for their fancy,. 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