What Happened in Tulsa?
On May 31 and June 1, 1921, a white mob attacked residents, homes and businesses in the predominantly Black Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event remains one of the worst incidents of racial violence in U.S. history.
Key Facts
- 35 City blocks burned and destroyed
- 1,256 Homes destroyed
- ~300 Estimated lives lost (exact count unknown)
- 10,000+ Black residents left homeless
- 191 Businesses destroyed, including hotels, restaurants, and theaters
Historical Context
Black Wall Street
Prior to the massacre, the Greenwood District was one of the most prominent concentrations of African-American businesses in the United States, known as "Black Wall Street." Founded in 1906, Greenwood was a thriving community with a robust economy that circulated dollars within the community 36 to 100 times before leaving.
Post-World War I America
The massacre occurred during a period of heightened racial tensions throughout the United States. Following World War I, Black veterans returned home expecting equal rights and opportunities but instead faced increased discrimination and violence. The early 1920s saw numerous race riots across the country.
The Great Migration
During this period, the Great Migration was underway, with millions of African Americans leaving the rural South for urban centers. This demographic shift created tension as Black communities established themselves in new areas and sought economic opportunities previously denied to them.
Tulsa's Oil Boom
Tulsa was experiencing an oil boom that had transformed it from a small town to a major city. This created both opportunities and tensions as different groups competed for economic and social standing in the rapidly changing environment.
What Triggered the Massacre?
On May 30, 1921, a young Black man named Dick Rowland, a shoeshiner, entered an elevator in the Drexel Building operated by a young white woman named Sarah Page. What happened next remains unclear, but Rowland was accused of assaulting Page.
The next day, the Tulsa Tribune ran a sensationalized story about the incident with the headline "Nab Negro for Attacking Girl in Elevator," and an inflammatory editorial titled "To Lynch Negro Tonight." These publications inflamed tensions and sparked rumors throughout the white community.
When Rowland was arrested, a group of armed Black men, many of them World War I veterans, went to the courthouse to prevent a lynching. They were met by a larger group of armed white men. After a confrontation where a gun discharged, the violence escalated into the massacre.
It should be noted that charges against Rowland were later dismissed, as Page declined to press charges.
Aftermath and Erasure
In the aftermath of the massacre, no white individuals were prosecuted or punished for the violence, looting, and arson. Insurance companies denied claims from Black property owners, citing "riot exclusion clauses."
Perhaps most significantly, the massacre was deliberately erased from local and national historical narratives. For decades:
- The event was not taught in Oklahoma schools
- It was rarely mentioned in history books
- Official records disappeared from archives
- Newspapers avoided mentioning the incident in subsequent reporting
This systematic erasure meant that many Oklahomans and Americans were unaware of the massacre until historical investigations began bringing it to light in the late 20th century.