The Story Of How An 11-Year-Old Girl Became America’s Youngest Ever Black Millionaire

 We’ve all heard of the term “rags to riches”. So much so, that they’ve often been incorporated into tales passed down through generations. Sarah, an African-American was born on March 3, 1902 in Oklahoma. Her family used to be slaves, but the Treaty of 1866 helped them gain freedom from their past. During 1907, when the U.S. government was building the state of Oklahoma, Sarah and her family members were allocated a piece of land for each member. There was an agreement where the administration was obliged to amalgamate Indian lands into their plan of creating a new territory. Even though the plan seems to be a profitable one, but in reality, it was not. Sarah received a 160-acre plot, whose value was $550, but the land was 60 miles away from their present home. Moreover, the tax of $30 per year was too much for the family. Her father, Joseph, thought that the best option was to sell off the property, but he was denied permission. Therefore, he rented it out to a Devonian Oil Company based in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Two years into the deal, something happened that changed the whole scenario of the land. It was in 1913, when B.B. Jones, an oiler, dug a well on the land. It was a profuse source of crude oil and it used to fill up 2500 barrels every day. Soon Sarah was making $300 per day, but she was not allowed to enjoy the fortune alone by the prejudiced law. A white guardian was allocated to oversee her wealth. One after the other, numbers of wells were drilled to produce more oil and adding to Sarah’s fortune. Her plot became a part of the Cushing-Drumright Oil Field that is in use till date. At the age of 11, she became a sensation all over the world and people started asking her for help. Back then, she received a payment of $11,567 and the word spread like wildfire. Due to that kind of wealth, despite being of African American decent, she was given special treatment and was allowed to enjoy all of the first-class amenities and luxuries that were generally restricted to the whites. Certain sections of the press said that she was actually a white and was forced to live a lie; it was also said that her parents mistreated her and mismanaged her wealth. Some prominent members of the black community were happy with the fact that she was being taken care of by a white guardian and not someone from their own race. In the midst of all these controversies and arguments, Sarah was seen enjoying her wealth to the fullest by buying expensive clothes, cars, and getting herself educated from elite institutions. She got married twice and apart from enjoying her wealth, she made sure that she gave back to her community by serving their needs. Her fortune soon started receding due to her gambling; and very soon she was back to Oklahoma where she died in 1967. An equally swift fall to her rise of wealth. A lesson we can all learn from; to appreciate what we have in life.