The Memoir of John Baptiste Stradford

<p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Born free in 1861 to an enslaved father and a free mother John J.B. Baptiste Stradford rose to become a teacher lawyer and one of the wealthiest Black entrepreneurs on Tulsa's Black Wall Street. In 1918 he built the elegant Stradford Hotel a symbol of Black achievement and pride. During the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre white rioters destroyed Greenwood and forced Stradford to flee under false indictment.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>In this powerful memoir Stradford recounts his extraordinary journey from freedom to prosperity his philosophy of dignified defiance and his unbroken spirit in the face of violent oppression. Nearly a century later his legacy was vindicated when Oklahoma's governor officially exonerated him proclaiming Stradford Family Day.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Curated by his great-granddaughters Laurel Stradford and Dr. Leslee Stradford this is a gripping story of courage resilience and hard-won triumph. Stradford's life remains a timeless testament to Black achievement and the enduring fight for equality.</span></p>