1921: The Tulsa Riot
“Nab Negro for Attacking Girl in an Elevator,” Tulsa Tribune (Tulsa, OK), June 1, 1921, State Edition.
Source: Library of Congress.
The use of lynching, rioting, and violence to “control” the Black population hit a new low in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Also known as “Black Wall Street,” the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Oklahoma housed most of the black city’s population. On May 30th, Dick Rowland, a 19 year old shoe-shiner, was accused of attempting to rape a 17 year old white elevator operator, Sarah Page (Astor, 2020). The police arrested Rowland and imprisoned him at the local jail. A rumor created by the Tulsa Tribune spread throughout the city that Rowland were to be lynched that night. Around 75 Black men arrived at the jail to defend him (Greenwood Rising, 2021). A white mob numbering in the hundreds arrived with the intent of lynching Rowland. A standoff between the white mob and Black residents held until the morning of May 31st. More people arrived to bolster the number of whites. As the group of Black men departed the jail at the sheriff’s request, the white mob attacked (Tulsa Race Riot, 2001). The Black residents that came to Rowland’s defense found themselves outnumbered in the hundreds.
The white mob rolled through Greenwood setting fires to businesses and homes, dropping bombs from planes, and killing Black residents that attempted to flee.
The local police deputized ordinary citizens with the intent to roundup Black residents. When the fire department arrived members of the mob held them at gunpoint (Tulsa Race Riot, 2001). White gunmen invaded homes and killed people in their sleep. The National Guard arrived the morning of June 1st.
“Tulsa’s Terrible Tale Is Told,” The Chicago Whip (Chicago, IL), June 11, 1921, p. 1.
Source: Library of Congress
The final death toll ranges from 50 to 300.
Investigators have found mass graves of Black victims and unidentifiable remains. The mob destroyed 35 blocks of homes and businesses and caused $1.5 million in damages. The riots displaced around 10,000 Black residents. The local government in charge of rebuilding the neighborhood took time to destroy evidence of the attack (Tulsa Race Riot, 2001). The Tulsa Race Massacre fits into the greater problem of white mob justice that controlled America in the early 20th century.