The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921
It was once known as “Black Wall Street.” Just north of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, stood the thriving Greenwood District, home to some of the most successful African American businesses and professionals in the country. Black-owned grocery stores, clothing shops, theaters, restaurants, hotels, newspapers, and medical offices filled the streets. Greenwood’s economic success and strong sense of community earned it the nickname “Negro Wall Street of America.”
By 1921, Tulsa had become a wealthy city due to the booming oil industry. African Americans made up approximately 12% of the city’s population, and many Black residents in Greenwood had built prosperous businesses despite the racial discrimination of the era. However, resentment and racism among many white citizens grew alongside Greenwood’s success. White mobs frequently harassed and assaulted Black residents, and racial tensions increased throughout the city.
Tulsa was also a stronghold for the Ku Klux Klan, and lynching had occurred in the surrounding areas. Because of these dangers, many African Americans armed themselves for protection. These growing racial tensions eventually erupted into one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history: the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.
The Incident That Sparked the Violence
On May 30, 1921, a 19-year-old Black shoe shiner named Dick Rowland entered an elevator operated by a 17-year-old white girl named Sarah Page. It was later believed that Rowland may have stumbled and accidentally grabbed Page’s arm as he exited the elevator. However, rumors quickly spread that Rowland had assaulted her.
The following day, Rowland was arrested and taken to the Tulsa courthouse. Before any real investigation had taken place, the Tulsa Tribune published a sensationalized article claiming that Rowland had attacked Sarah Page. The article fueled public outrage and suggested that Rowland could be lynched.
By the evening of May 31, a large crowd of armed white citizens gathered outside the courthouse. The sheriff attempted to prevent a lynching and tried to disperse the crowd, but tensions continued to rise. Concerned for Rowland’s safety, a group of armed Black men—many of them veterans of World War I—went to the courthouse to help protect him. After initially leaving, they returned later as the white mob grew larger.
During the confrontation, a white man attempted to disarm one of the Black men. A shot was fired, and chaos erupted. Gunfire broke out between the two groups, and the heavily outnumbered Black residents retreated toward Greenwood.
The Destruction of Greenwood
What followed was devastating. White mobs invaded Greenwood, looting and burning homes and businesses. Some reports even stated that private airplanes were used to drop incendiary devices and fire upon residents from above. Over the course of less than 24 hours, approximately 40 city blocks were destroyed.
According to records from the American Red Cross:
More than 1,100 homes and businesses owned by Black residents were burned.Hundreds more were looted.
Thousands of African Americans were left homeless.
An estimated 300 people were killed, though the exact number remains unknown.
The once-thriving Greenwood District was reduced to ashes.
The Truth Revealed
In the aftermath, Sarah Page declined to prosecute Dick Rowland. Further investigation revealed there was no evidence of assault. Historians later concluded that the incident was likely an accident. All charges against Rowland were dropped.
The tragedy of the Tulsa Race Massacre is made even more painful by the fact that so many lives, homes, and businesses were destroyed because of a false accusation and racial hatred. For decades, this event was omitted from many history books and rarely discussed publicly.
Today, the Tulsa Race Massacre is recognized as a painful but important part of American history. The story of Greenwood and its destruction must continue to be told so future generations understand both the achievements of Black Wall Street and the devastating consequences of racism and misinformation.
— Mr. Philly Librarian
Bibliography
- Scott Ellsworth, Death in a Promised Land: The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1982).
- John Hope Franklin and Scott Ellsworth, eds., The Tulsa Race Riot: A Scientific, Historical and Legal Analysis (Oklahoma City: Tulsa Race Riot Commission, 2000).
- Eddie Faye Gates, They Came Searching: How Blacks Sought the Promised Land in Tulsa (Austin, Tex.: Eakin Press, 1997).
- Loren L. Gill, “The Tulsa Race Riot” (M.A. thesis, University of Tulsa, 1946).
- Robert N. Hower, Angels of Mercy: The American Red Cross and the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot (Tulsa, Okla.: Homestead Press, 1993).
- Mary E. Jones Parrish, Events of the Tulsa Disaster (Tulsa, Okla.: Out on a Limb Publishing, 1998).
