Bryan Stalder
Contributor

A new feature film, Sarah’s Oil, will open in theaters on November 7, starring Naya Desir-Johnson, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Zachary Levi. The film tells the story of Sarah Rector, who became America’s first Black female millionaire after oil was discovered on her land in Oklahoma in the early 1900s.

Born in 1902 in what was then Twine, Indian Territory, Rector was a member of the Creek Freedmen community. At just 11 years old, her family’s land began producing oil, generating a fortune that made national headlines and brought her financial independence few African Americans of her era could dream of.

In the 1920s, Rector moved to Kansas City and purchased the home now known as the Rector Mansion, located at 12th and Euclid. The property sits in the Forgotten Homes neighborhood, just a block west of Independence Plaza, and has since been recognized for its historical significance.This month, the Kansas City Council voted to designate the block of Euclid Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets as “Sarah Rector Way,” an honorary street name that commemorates her life and lasting legacy. The new designation coincides with ongoing preservation efforts at the Rector Mansion and the upcoming premiere of Sarah’s Oil, which will bring renewed attention to one of the city’s most remarkable residents.