Our Biggest Dreams Will Always Require A Huge Leap Of Faith

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” – Romans 8:25.

Ottawa W. Gurley was getting tired of Jim Crow telling him what he couldn’t do. Then one day he saw an advertisement about land for sale. 

Taking a huge leap of faith, in 1906 Gurley bought 40 acres of land in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

It was rare for a Black man to own property, let alone 40 acres. 

He mapped out plans for an entirely Black-owned town. He knew if he patiently worked, word would spread, and Black people would come.

Sure enough, Black families began moving to his community. To meet the demands of a quickly growing population, Gurley subdivided his land into housing zones, retail lots, alleys, and streets, establishing the bustling town of Greenwood or “Black Wall Street.” 

Unfortunately the town was destroyed in 1921’s horrific Tulsa Race Massacre. The destruction of Greenwood will never erase the history of the prosperous Black community that was Gurley’s dream. 

If anything, it proves that there’s nothing that anti-Blackness fears more than a thriving Black community. 

Gurley reminds us that building strong Black communities requires faith, fearlessness, and extreme patience. 

What dreams are you patiently manifesting? It’s time to take your leap of faith and make them come true.