Boeing is donating half a million dollars to the Greenwood Rising History Center being built in downtown Tulsa.

The company hopes the money will help the museum contribute to important discussions about race for years to come. The funds will go directly to two key programs at the Greenwood Rising History Center.

"We really wanted to make sure that our investment allowed the stories and the lessons learned from what happened in Greenwood to continue to be told,” Kristin Holland, Boeing's Community Investor said.

Now that Greenwood Rising landed the donation, two of the center's primary programs can take off.

"We knew that we wanted to make sure that students across the globe would have an opportunity to continue learning," Holland said.

The first program, Greenwood Rising XR Learning, makes that possible through virtual reality. It allows anyone with a smartphone to see what Greenwood was like before the 1921 race massacre.

The second program is the annual Youth Race & Leadership Forum which teaches students about race - and how they can advocate for change.

The funding will also expand the program internationally and help bring students to Tulsa for the event.

"It's about that larger conversation around racial equity and social justice. And making sure that we are a part of continuing that conversation," Holland said.

Project Director for the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission Phill Armstrong said in a statement, "Our goal is that Greenwood Rising becomes more than a place for historical reflection, but a home for personal and community transformation."

Boeing's investment will support both programs through 2026.