On May 31, 1921, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma was demolished by white rioters. Many historians believe it was known as “Black Wall Street.” More importantly, it is often regarded as the most heinous act of racial terrorism in American history. Unfortunately, many people in the United States are uninformed of Greenwood’s history and the tragedy that occurred there.
The following are seven facts that are critical to comprehending the events of that day.
A fake claim of a White woman being assaulted on an elevator triggered the massacre: According to reports, a lady named Sarah Page was operating an elevator in Tulsa’s Drexel Building. Dick Rowland, a 19-year-old man, had attempted to assault her, she told police. She eventually revised her tale to say that the young black man grabbed her arm as he walked into the elevator. The truth was that he trod on her foot by accident, as authorities discovered.
The claims were fuelled by a phony report in the Tulsa Tribune: The Tulsa Tribune published the tale of the alleged attack on May 31, 1921. The sheriff and the commissioner of police had been warned that White males in the community were discussing lynching Rowland. He was captured and placed into custody after that.
The Greenwood District: At the time of the massacre, the Greenwood district was home to between 10,000 and 15,000 Black people. There were at least 191 Black-owned enterprises in Greenwood, including the Williams Dreamland Theatre and the Stradford Hotel, according to estimates. It was often referred to as “Little Africa.” Greenwood’s economic progress and achievements set an example for Black communities across the country.
After learning of the plot to lynch Rowland, a gang of armed Black men from the district called the sheriff and pledged to defend the jail. When word got out in the Black community that Whites were storming the jail, a group of around 25 armed men hurried to the scene to safeguard the facility, where the sheriff encouraged them to return to their homes.
The same group of individuals returned after receiving another bogus report, according to reports of the first exchange of gunfire. They came home once more, thanks to the sheriff’s support. When a White man attempted to grab one of the Black men’s guns, the first known gunfight between Blacks and Whites erupted. Two Blacks and ten Whites were killed as a result of the incident.
Whites pinned in the Greenwood neighborhood: According to news accounts, whites in 60 to 80 cars formed a circle around the Little Africa neighborhood. They also employed eight planes to track people’s movements while dropping bombs on homes and businesses in the district.
Death Toll and Destruction: It has been estimated that as many as 300 Black residents of the Greenwood district were slaughtered by mobs of Whites. In addition, hundreds of homes and businesses were looted and burned, resulting in the entirety of the 35-square-block section of the city being reduced to ash. Around 1,200 homes were destroyed. Estimates on the property damage suffered by residents of the Greenwood district are upwards of $100 million in today’s currency.
