On July 6, President of the Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce Sherry Yvonne Smith and her husband Martin Everett Smith were found dead in their home just outside Tulsa, near 6th Street and Mingo Road.
According to Tulsa World, Bixby police responded to a 911 call early at 8 AM. Sherry, 55, was found dead upon arrival, and her one-year younger husband passed away after being taken into the hospital. The specifics of the married couple’s injuries were not disclosed to the public.
However, a press statement released later the same day revealed that “the incident ‘appears to be domestic in nature, but the investigation is still underway to determine the timeline and what [led] to this tragedy,’”
“Things like this don’t usually happen (here),” Bixby Police said to KOCO news station.
The executive director of Tulsa’s George Kaiser Family Foundation, Ken Levit, posted a tribute to the Smith on Twitter after the news broke.
He wrote, “My heart is very heavy over the death of Sherry Gamble Smith, visionary leader of the Black Wall Street Chamber in Tulsa.” Attached to the post, he added a link to an article detailing the tragedy, “She was a warm and wonderful human being full of generosity in spirit and a conviction to do justice and act with decency always.” The comments were flooded with community members offering condolences.
My heart is very heavy over the death of Sherry Gamble Smith, visionary leader of the Black Wall Street Chamber in Tulsa. She was a warm and wonderful human being full of generosity in spirit and a conviction to do justice and act with decency always. https://t.co/saBRjU37EU
— Ken Levit (@kenlevit) July 6, 2022
“Thank you, Ken, for your perfect description of Sherry. She was an incredible human being and leader. We just enjoyed each other having fun and taking strategy at Juneteenth. Her legacy will be missed.” one user added.
Thank you Ken for your perfect description of Sherry. She was an incredible human being and leader. We just enjoyed each other having fun and taking strategy at Juneteenth. Her legacy will be missed.
— Karen Pennington (@Kpenn_tulsa) July 7, 2022
Sherry’s legacy encompasses the ideas of the Black Wall Street. Smith was CEO of a non-profit dedicated to “the sound economic well-being of African American-owned businesses” and “developing [the] community one business at a time,” as described by the organization’s website.
