Jon Pierre is always ready to captivate his audience with his creative vision as a designer, and he’s prepared to do that in a city looking to return to its old ways. Pierre is the design expert for OWN Network’s “Rebuilding Black Wall Street,” a series that dives into the impact of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre and shows the community’s resilience as it rebuilds over a century.
Pierre spoke with rolling out about being a part of the docuseries and being able to help the Black Wall Street descendants rebuild the city.
What inspired you to be a part of this docuseries?
I loved the idea. You’re talking about rebuilding Black Wall Street, and some people don’t even know about the Tulsa Massacre and what occurred there. What’s cool about this show is it’s bringing in the idea of letting people know about the history of Greenwood and Black Wall Street, and then also talking about what’s happening now and what’s going to be happening in the future, in terms of the people who were there that are trying to rebuild and bring back community to a space that was once the hub of a thriving African American community.
What do you feel when listening to and hearing the stories of the descendants trying to rebuild the city?
The overall feeling that I get from them is one of perseverance. I personally feel a tremendous amount of humility and humbleness being in their presence, because they’re working so hard to achieve goals that their ancestors either had. They’re moving with a purpose, and they’re moving in a direction that’s not just about themselves but it’s also about their community, kids, and descendants, as well. There are so many people out there, not just in Tulsa, Greenwood, or Black Wall Street, but they’re out there trying to overcome obstacles and things in their way to follow a purpose, and that was what was really, really cool and meaningful to me about that experience.
How does it feel to be able to use design to tell the story of the Black Wall Street descendants?
There’s no better way to express oneself. There are very few people in the world who are lucky enough to do what they love. Number two, it’s even fewer that get to do what they love and put it on display for the world to see, so we’re extremely humbled and grateful for those kinds of opportunities. It’s even more meaningful when it’s a project like this because this is a story that needs to be told, not just the history but of the people who are trying to make a change on a small scale in terms of being loyal to one city. Being able to put that on the national map in terms of it being on TV and on the OWN Network, it’s a blessing. I feel grateful for the opportunity.
