Sarah Rector was conceived in 1902 in Taft, Oklahoma. She originated from humble beginnings, yet later turned into the wealthiest Black young lady in the nation at the youthful age of 11. Her family were African American individuals from the Muscogee Creek Nation in Indian Territory.

Her grandparents had been oppressed by Creek Tribe individuals, yet after the Civil War, they were qualified for land distributions under the Dawes Allotment Act of 1887. At the point when Indian domain coordinated with Oklahoma region to frame the province of Oklahoma in 1907, several Black youngsters alluded to in those days as “Rivulet Freedmen minors,” were each conceded 160 sections of land of land.

Minister’s designation was situated in the Glenn Pool oil field and was at first esteemed at about $550. In 1911, her dad chose to rent his girl’s real estate parcel to a significant oil organization to help pay for the property charges. And afterward in 1913, everything changed.

According to Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America by Tonya Bolden, an independent driller struck oil that started bringing in 2,500 barrels or 105,000 gallons per day. Rector, still being the owner of the land, began earning more than $300 a day (the equivalent of about $7,500 a day in our time).

Suddenly, she began getting a lot of national attention from newspapers all over the country. For example, The Kansas City Star published the headline, “Millions to a Negro Girl – Sarah Rector, 10-Year Old, Has Income of $300 A Day From Oil.” Meanwhile, another newspaper, The Savannah Tribune, published the headline, “Oil Well Produces Neat Income – Negro Girl’s $112,000 A Year.”

Rector quickly became famous and naturally started receiving all kinds of request for loans, donations, and even marriage proposals.

Sadly though, there was a law at the time that required wealthy Native Americans and African Americans who were citizens of Indian Territory to be assigned a “well-respected” white guardian. As a result, Rector’s guardianship was turned over to a white man named T.J. Porter.

But reportedly W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP got involved to protect her wealth and well-being, and were able to successfully do so. She later went on to own one of the first Black-owned auto dealerships in the country, and reportedly enjoyed her wealth until the day she died!

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