Sarah Rector was an 11-year-old girl who made history in 1913 by becoming the wealthiest black girl in the United States.
Born in Oklahoma’s Indian Territory, Rector was a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, which had been forcibly robbed off their lands by the federal government.
Despite the injustices her family faced, Rector’s life took a remarkable turn when it was discovered that the land allotted to her family was rich in oil.
With the discovery of oil on her land, Rector became an instant millionaire, garnering national media attention and making headlines as one of the youngest and wealthiest black Americans at the time.
Her remarkable story of resilience, hard work, and perseverance in the face of adversity is an inspiration to many.
As a young black girl growing up in a time when racial discrimination was rampant, the story of Sarah Rector is a powerful reminder of the strong spirit of black Americans.
Her success is a testament to the power of education and community, and the importance of working hard to achieve one’s dreams.
Rector’s story has been celebrated as a symbol of hope and progress for black Americans, and her legacy continues to inspire generations of young people to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact in their communities.
From her family humble beginnings to their incredible rise to success, Sarah Rector’s life is a shining example of the resilience and strength of the human spirit.
Early Life of Sarah Rector
Sarah Rector was an African American member of the Muscogee Nation who rose to fame in the early 20th century as the wealthiest black girl in America.
Sarah Rector was born on March 3, 1902, in Indian Territory, which is now part of the state of Oklahoma. Her parents, Joseph and Rose Rector, were members of the Muscogee Creek Nation, and their family had a long history of land ownership in the area.
Her father, Joseph, was the son of John Rector, who was a Creek Freedman. John’s mother, Mollie McQueen, was a Muscogee Opothleyahola, who fought in the Seminole Wars and moved her followers to Kansas after splitting with the tribe. John’s father, Benjamin McQueen, was enslaved by a Creek Indian named Reilly Grayson.
In 1907, the federal government passed the Dawes Act, which aimed to break up the communal land ownership of Native American tribes and distribute the land to individual tribal members.
Under the Dawes Act, Sarah and her family were allotted a 160-acre parcel of land, which they were forced to accept as part of the government’s efforts to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American culture.
The Rector family’s land was located in the heart of Oklahoma’s oil-producing region, and it wasn’t long before oil was discovered on their property.
Rector’s allotment, however, was located in the middle of the Glenn Pool oil field, an area rich in oil deposits.
In 1911, Rector’s father leased her land to a major oil company to help him pay the $30 annual property tax.
Two years later, B.B. Jones, an independent oil driller, struck oil on Rector’s land, and it turned out to be a gusher that produced 2,500 gallons of oil per day.
In 1913, Rector began earning more than $300 a day, which was equivalent to $7,000 – $8,000 in today’s currency. She even generated $11,567 in October of that year.
At just 11 years old, Sarah Rector became the richest black girl in America.
Life as a Millionaire
Sarah Rector’s newfound wealth made her the subject of national media attention, and she quickly became a symbol of black success in a country that was still grappling with issues of segregation and racism.
News of Rector’s sudden wealth spread rapidly, and she soon became a media sensation. Requests for loans, money gifts, and marriage proposals flooded in, despite the fact that Rector was only 12 years old at the time.
Given her wealth, the Oklahoma Legislature declared her to be a white person, so that she would be allowed to travel in first-class accommodations on the railroad, as befitted her position.
But life as a millionaire wasn’t always easy for Sarah. She was still a child, and she struggled to adjust to her new life of privilege and wealth. In an interview with the Kansas City Star in 1914, she said:
“I’m glad I’m colored, and I’d be glad to be known as a Negro in the future. I’ve heard of cases where the whites had to help the colored people, but I’ve never heard of any case where the colored people had to help the whites.”
Despite her struggles, Sarah Rector was determined to use her wealth to make a difference in the world. She donated generously to her church and to various charities, and she also used her wealth to fund her education.
As rumors circulated that she was a white immigrant being kept in poverty, concerns began to arise about the management of her estate by white guardians.
National African American leaders, including Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, became involved in her case.
In June of 1914, James C. Waters Jr., a special agent for the NAACP, sent a memo to Du Bois detailing the concerns raised by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the United States Children’s Bureau over the mismanagement of Sarah Rector’s estate.
Waters questioned whether it was possible for her to be cared for by people of her own race, rather than by a white guardian who would deny her and her kind the treatment accorded a good yard dog.
In response to these concerns, Du Bois established the Children’s Department of the NAACP, which investigated claims of white guardians suspected of depriving black children of their land and wealth.
Meanwhile, Booker T. Washington intervened on behalf of the Rector family, helping to ensure that their financial interests were properly protected.
However, the law required Native Americans, black adults, and children who were citizens of Indian Territory with significant property and money to be assigned “well-respected” white guardians.
As a result, Rector’s guardianship switched from her parents to a white man named T.J. Porter. Early leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) fought to protect Rector and her fortune, given the history of exploitation of wealthy black people at the time.
Education and Legacy
By the time she turned 18, Rector was worth an estimated $1 million. She owned stocks and bonds, a boarding house, a bakery, and a restaurant in Muskogee, Oklahoma, as well as 2,000 acres of land.
She eventually left Tuskegee with her family and moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where she purchased a grand home that still stands today.
Sarah Rector’s story is a testament to the importance of education and hard work. Despite her wealth, she understood the value of education and was determined to use her resources to further her own learning and the education of others.
In 1920, when she was just 18 years old, Sarah Rector enrolled in Tuskegee Institute, a historically black college in Alabama founded by Booker T. Washington. She studied nursing and business administration, and she also took courses in agriculture and home economics.
After completing her studies at Tuskegee, Sarah returned to Oklahoma and began using her wealth to support black-owned businesses and other community initiatives.
She was also an advocate for civil rights, and she used her platform to speak out against racism and discrimination.
In 1922, Rector married Kenneth Campbell, the second African American to own an auto dealership. The couple had three sons and were recognized as local royalty, driving expensive cars and entertaining elites like Joe Louis, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie at their home. However, they divorced in 1930, and Rector remarried in 1934.
Unfortunately, Rector’s wealth dwindled during The Great Depression, and she lost most of it. When she died at the age of 65 on July 22, 1967, she only had a few working oil wells and some real estate holdings.
Though her name has largely been forgotten by history, her story serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience and strength of black Americans in the face of adversity.
Moreover, Rector’s story highlights the ongoing struggles of indigenous peoples and the systemic racism that has long plagued the United States. It underscores the need for greater awareness, understanding, and action to address these issues and ensure that all people have equal opportunities to succeed.
In summary, Sarah Rector was a remarkable young girl who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the wealthiest people in the United States in the early 20th century.
Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, hard work, and good fortune. Despite her financial setbacks later in life, Sarah Rector’s story remains an inspiring testament to perseverance and the power of opportunity.
Also read: The Story Of Jack Arthur Johnson, The First Black Heavyweight Champion Of The World
Today, Sarah Rector’s legacy lives on as a symbol of hope and progress for black Americans and all marginalized communities.
Source
https://www.blackenterprise.com/sarah-rector-11-year-old-richest-black-girl/
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