In 1913, 11-year-old Sarah Rector’s federally allotted land proved oil-rich, making her the wealthiest Black girl in the country. Her story has been told in numerous forms, most recently in a 2025 feature film, Sarah’s Oil.

Local historian Diane Euston began researching Rector’s life in 2019, which evolved into a deep journey into Rector’s family history, a search for the truth, and correcting decades of misinformation. Euston talks about how after hours of conversation, research, and personal memories shared by Rector’s descendants, she understood that many widely circulated stories about Sarah were incorrect. One widely circulated photograph labeled with her name was really of another girl.

In a discussion with four of Rector’s nieces, Euston explores her life, from her upbringing in Oklahoma to her adult years in Kansas City, placing her story in the broader context of Black history, federal land allotments, sensationalist journalism, and generational resilience.

They talk about the Rector family’s efforts to reclaim their narrative and how renewed interest — sparked by recent scholarship and media attention — has brought the famous girl’s legacy back into public view.

This program is co-presented by the Kansas City Athenaeum as a celebration of Women’s History Month.