The Tulsa Race Massacre, also known as the Tulsa Race Riot, took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 31 and June 1, 1921. The massacre was one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 300 African American residents, the displacement of thousands, and the destruction of the thriving Greenwood District, also known as “Black Wall Street.”
The massacre began after a confrontation between a black man named Dick Rowland and a white woman in an elevator. Rumors of Rowland’s arrest led to a white mob gathering outside the jail where he was being held, and tensions between white and black residents quickly escalated. The white mob attacked Greenwood, looting and burning homes and businesses and shooting and killing African American residents.
The Tulsa Race Massacre was a significant event in American history, as it highlighted the deep-seated racial tensions and violence that existed in the country at the time. The massacre had a lasting impact on the African American community in Tulsa, as many residents were displaced, and the Greenwood District, which had been a thriving center of African American commerce and culture, was destroyed.
The Tulsa Race Massacre was not widely acknowledged or taught in American history until recent decades. It remains an important and often overlooked chapter in the country’s racial violence and discrimination history. In recent years, there have been efforts to acknowledge and commemorate the massacre, including establishing the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission and creating the Greenwood Cultural Center. The massacre continues to be the subject of ongoing discussions about racial justice and the legacy of violence against African Americans in the United States.