The term “race riot” is used a lot — to mask the history of black Americans being massacred by rampaging whites. The “Tulsa race riot” as it is most often referred to is no exception.
Ebony magazine gave a more accurate depiction in “The Destruction of Black Wall Street" written in 2013. Subtitled “The events that destroyed a thriving Black Oklahoma community 92 years ago were much more than a 'race riot’.”
Today marks ninety-two years since as many as 300 African Americans lost their lives and more than 9,000 were left homeless when the small town was attacked, looted and literally burned to the ground beginning in 1921. It’s impossible, however, to realize what was lost in Greenwood, which was affectionately known as “Black Wall Street.”
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It was pure envy, and a vow to put progressive, high achieving African Americans in their place that would cause the demise of the Black Mecca many called “Little Africa”, and its destruction began the way much terrorism, violence and dispossession against African Americans did during that era. A young White woman accused a young Black man of attempted sexual assault, which gave local mobs and White men acting as police just cause to invade the unsuspecting community. On the malevolent and horrifying attack, Linda Christenson writes the following:
“The term “race riot” does not adequately describe the events of May 31—June 1, 1921 in Greenwood… In fact, the term itself implies that both blacks and whites might be equally to blame for the lawlessness and violence. The historical record documents a sustained and murderous assault on black lives and property. This assault was met by a brave but unsuccessful armed defense of their community by some black World War I veterans and others.
During the night and day of the riot, deputized whites killed more than 300 African Americans. They looted and burned to the ground 40 square blocks of 1,265 African American homes, including hospitals, schools, and churches, and destroyed 150 businesses. White deputies and members of the National Guard arrested and detained 6,000 black Tulsans who were released only upon being vouched for by a white employer or other white citizen. Nine thousand African Americans were left homeless and lived in tents well into the winter of 1921.”
In 2011 — I wrote about this for Black Kos. One of the first posts I made here, in 2008 was “NYTimes, "Uppity Nig**rs" and the destruction of Black Wall Street”
Given the uptick in racist violence under Trump and the Republicans, this is a reminder that racist violence in the U.S. is not new. When people refer to “poor blacks” one must examine what happens to black people when we succeed,—against the odds.
When people assume that economic equality will wipe out racism — I point to
this history.
Thousands of whites rampaged through the black community that night and the next day, killing men and women, burning and looting stores and homes. About 10,000 blacks were left homeless, and property damage amounted to more than $1.5 million in real estate and $750,000 in personal property ($30 million in 2017)
Some blacks claimed that policemen had joined the mob; others said that National Guardsmen fired a machine gun into the black community and a plane dropped sticks of dynamite. In an eyewitness account discovered in 2015, Greenwood attorney Buck Colbert Franklin described watching a dozen or more private planes drop burning balls of turpentine on Greenwood's rooftops
This spoken word piece by Brother Arthur says it all.
Remember. Resist.