Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, Explained
In the summer of 1921, one of the worst episodes of racist violence in American history erupted in the heart of one of the most prosperous Black communities in the nation.
Dubbed “Black Wall Street” due its affluent black residents, the Greenwood neighborhood of Oklahoma, where the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre took place, was a hub of Black success featuring Black-owned homes and establishments, including banks, restaurants, and hotels, in a community that included accomplished lawyers, doctors, and dentists. It was one of a few predominantly Black areas that thrived economically after the end of the Civil War and into the 20th century, when racial discrimination was the order of the day. The residents of Greenwood faced racism from those in neighboring white communities, and the tension hit a fever pitch on May 31, when 19-year-old Dick Rowland, who was Black, was apprehended by police for allegedly assaulting a 17-year-old white elevator operator, Sarah Page, inside an office building on South Main Street. Accounts differ as to what occurred between the two — some say he accidentally stepped on her foot when entering the elevator, causing her to scream — but the encounter sparked widespread outrage among white people, who rioted through Black Wall Street. The neighborhood never fully recovered from the incident.
After Rowland was arrested, an armed white mob spent 24 hours looting and burning homes, schools, libraries, movie theaters, and other businesses. Eyewitnesses reported seeing planes hovering overhead as buildings burned from the top down on the streets below. Scores of Black people were shot and killed by white people, many of whom were given weapons by police. Historians believe as many as 300 people were murdered, but there will probably never be an accurate death toll. According to The Ringer, eyewitnesses say they saw bodies piled onto trucks and dumped in unmarked graves.
In the massacre’s aftermath, 35 city blocks were left in charred ruins and 10,000 people were homeless. After the rampage, many Black Tulsans left the city in fear for their safety. And many Black and white residents who remained in Tulsa stayed silent about the tragedy for decades. As time passed, vivid details about the massacre faded. No one was convicted for the incident, including Rowland. To this day, questions about the scope of the attack, including how many people carried out the violence and the degree of government involvement, remain unanswered.
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https://www.teenvogue.com/story/black-wall-street-and-the-tulsa-race-massacre?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=biz&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_mailing=thematic_business_060120&utm_medium=email&bxid=5be9f8cb24c17c6adf0e5d24&cndid=25394153&utm_content=A&utm_term=Thematic_Business
