They Gave Her Barren Land for being COLORED (BLACK) In 1913, a 10-year-old girl named Sarah Rector was awarded a 160-acre parcel in Oklahoma as part of a land allotment program.
Since the best fertile farmland are exclusive preserve for the wh!te people, she was allocated a plot of land that was considered unproductive. However, oil was later discovered on that land, leading her to become one of the country’s first African-American millionaires.
Due to her wealth, in 1913, the Oklahoma Legislature made an effort to have her declared an honorary white, allowing her the benefits of elevated social standing, such as riding in a first-class car on the trains.
Rector’s newfound wealth made her the target of marriage proposals and suspected schemes.
Sarah Rector was dubbed by newspapers as ‘the richest Black girl in America’ after oil was discovered under her land.
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