Quick Summary
- Sarah’s Oil tells the real-life story of Sarah Rector, who became one of America’s first Black female millionaires at age 11 after oil was found on her Oklahoma land.
- Her sudden wealth drew national attention, racial injustice, and intervention from civil rights leaders.
- The 2025 Amazon MGM Studios film retells her journey of faith, resilience, and legacy.
In 1913, an 11-year-old girl from Oklahoma became one of the wealthiest children in America and one of the first Black female millionaires in history. Her name was Sarah Rector. A descendant of Creek Freedmen, Sarah’s story began with an unpromising plot of land that turned out to sit atop a gusher of oil. More than a century later, her extraordinary life has been brought to the screen in Sarah’s Oil (2025), a powerful retelling of wealth, injustice, and perseverance.
Who Was Sarah Rector and How Did Her Fortune Begin?
Born on March 3, 1902, in Indian Territory (what’s now Oklahoma), Sarah Rector was the daughter of Joe and Rose Rector, descendants of African Americans once enslaved by the Muscogee Creek Nation. Under the Treaty of 1866, Creek Freedmen were granted citizenship rights and eligibility for land allotments. Sarah received 160 acres of rocky, barren land, which initially seemed worthless.
By 1911, the Rector family was struggling to pay the annual $30 property tax(nearly $1,000 today). To offset the cost, Sarah’s father leased the land to the Standard Oil Company, unaware it would change their lives forever. Two years later, independent driller B.B. Jones struck oil on Sarah’s allotment, hitting a gusher that produced roughly 2,500 barrels a day.
Almost overnight, the 11-year-old was earning $300 a day (equivalent to about $8,000–$10,000 in modern value). Within months, her royalties exceeded $11,000, and her property became part of the Cushing-Drumright Oil Field, one of the richest oil regions in Oklahoma. Newspapers around the country dubbed her “the richest colored girl in the world.”
How Did Racism and Guardianship Laws Shape Sarah’s Life?
As Per New Santa Fe Trailers, While Sarah’s new wealth made headlines, it also placed her under the harsh racial hierarchy of early 20th-century America. Oklahoma’s laws required that “well-respected” white guardians be appointed to manage the estates of wealthy Black and Native American minors. Despite her parents being alive and capable, Sarah’s finances were placed under the control of T.J. Porter, a white family acquaintance.
Though the Rector family later described Porter as “fair,” the arrangement reflected systemic racism as it denied Black families autonomy over their own wealth. Porter took a 2% fee for his guardianship but used part of Sarah’s earnings to improve the family’s living conditions, building them a larger home and providing amenities like a piano and phonograph.
However, the Black press grew increasingly critical. The Chicago Defender ran front-page stories questioning whether Sarah’s wealth was being exploited, publishing the headline, “Richest Colored Girl Forced to Live in Shack.” The controversy caught the attention of W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP, who launched an investigation to ensure her estate was being managed responsibly.
Their involvement led to Sarah being sent to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama for her education, accompanied by her sister Becky. There, she was mentored under Booker T. Washington’s institution, which aimed to protect and guide young Black students of promise.
Sarah’s case stood out, but she was not alone. Dozens of other Black and Native American children who inherited oil-rich lands during this era faced fraud, exploitation, or even murder. Two of her neighbors, Herbert and Stella Sells, were killed for their oil allotments, a chilling reminder of how fragile Sarah’s fortune could have been without public scrutiny.
What Happened After Sarah Rector Gained Control of Her Fortune?
According to Kansas City Yesterday, When Sarah turned 18 in 1920, her estate was worth over $1 million(more than $16 million today). Two years later, she was released from guardianship by Judge Jules Guinotte and took full control of her finances. Seeking safety and a fresh start, Sarah and her family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where she purchased a grand mansion at 2000 East 12th Street, later known as the Rector Mansion.
The home became a symbol of Black prosperity during segregation. It featured a carriage house, servants’ quarters, and a fleet of luxury cars including a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. Sarah became a central figure in Kansas City’s Black elite, hosting gatherings attended by jazz greats like Duke Ellington and Count Basie.
In 1922, she married Kenneth Campbell, a businessman with whom she had three sons before divorcing in 1930. She later remarried William Crawford, a restaurant owner, in 1934. During her time in Kansas City, Sarah and her family enjoyed privileges rare for African Americans under Jim Crow.
What Is the Legacy of Sarah Rector and How Does Sarah’s Oil Retell It?
Despite her early wealth, Sarah’s fortune declined during the Great Depression. She eventually sold the Rector Mansion but continued to live comfortably through wise real estate investments in Kansas City and Oklahoma. When she died in 1967 at age 65, she still owned oil wells and several properties. She was buried beside her parents in Blackjack Cemetery, near her childhood home in Taft, Oklahoma.
More than half a century later, her story has returned to public attention through Sarah’s Oil – a biographical drama released on November 7, 2025, by Amazon MGM Studios. The film stars Naya Desir-Johnson as Sarah, alongside Zachary Levi, Sonequa Martin-Green, Kenric Green, and Garret Dillahunt, with direction and screenplay by Cyrus Nowrasteh.
Based on Tonya Bolden’s book Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America, the movie chronicles her journey from obscurity to wealth, the injustice she faced, and her enduring faith. The film premiered in Kansas City, attended by members of the Rector family, and received an 83% Rotten Tomatoes rating and an A+ CinemaScore from audiences.
Critics have praised Sarah’s Oil as both an educational and emotional experience. The film focuses on the Rector family’s belief and perseverance amid systemic racism, emphasizing Sarah’s conviction that her land—though barren—held promise. It portrays not just a story of oil and money, but one of faith, family, and resilience.
READ MORE: Isla Fisher Returns as Henley Reeves in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t
Sarah Rector’s life stands as a remarkable intersection of race, wealth, and history. Her story captures the contradictions of early 20th-century America—a child who achieved unimaginable success but faced discrimination for simply being Black and rich.
Sarah’s Oil brings this long-overlooked chapter of history back into the spotlight, honoring her as more than a figure of fortune. She was a trailblazer who turned adversity into legacy, proving that even in an unjust system, resilience could shine brighter than oil.
Source – Business Insider and KGOU
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