Fire on the Land: The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921

The Tulsa Massacre occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma from May 31st to June 1st. A white mob attacked the affluent African American business district in Greenwood known as the Black Wall Street. White citizens were deputized as a local militia and airplanes were deployed to drop bombs on the community, More than 300 African Americans lost their lives and more than 1,200 Black businesses, churches and homes were destroyed as a result of the violence.

Background

Remembering Tulsa (Smithsonian Magazine, 4/2021)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tulsa-race-massacre-century-later-180977145/

Whitewashing of American Racism: Interactive (CNN, 5/2021)

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/05/us/whitewashing-of-america-racism/

Race Massacre

His arrest sparked the Tulsa Race Massacre. Then Dick Rowland disappeared (The Washington Post, 5/30/2021)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/05/30/dick-rowland-tulsa-massacre-sarah-page/

‘Black Wall Street:” Before, During and After the Tulsa Race Massacre: Photos (2021)

https://www.history.com/news/tulsa-massacre-black-wall-street-before-and-after-photos

Skewed view of Tulsa Race Massacre started on Day 1 with ‘The Story That Set Tulsa Ablaze’ (The Oklahoman, 5/29/2021)

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/05/26/oklahoma-history-dick-rowland-newspaper-tulsa-race-massacre/4879077001/

What Role Did Airplanes Play in the Tulsa Race Massacre (History Channel, 5/13/2021)

https://www.history.com/news/1921-tulsa-race-massacre-planes-aerial-attack

This day in history, May 31: Race Riots erupts in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as white mobs loot and level affluent Black district of Greenwood (Chicago Tribune, 5/31/2021)

https://www.chicagotribune.com/history/ct-aud-today-history-almanac-may-31-20210531-oklzgkc3brfjfhjgya6eflck4q-story.html

The Tulsa massacre wasn’t a ‘race riot’- it was a pogrom (Forward, 5/31/2021)

https://forward.com/culture/470529/the-tulsa-massacre-wasnt-a-race-riot-it-was-a-pogrom/

Eyewitness Accounts

Survivors of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Share Eyewitness Accounts (NPR, 5/19/2021)

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/19/998225207/survivors-of-1921-tulsa-race-massacre-share-eyewitness-accounts

Survivors of Tulsa Race Massacre Testify in Congress (New York Times, 5/19/2021)

https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000007771821/tulsa-race-massacre-survivor.html

100 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, lessons from my grandfather (Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, 5/27/2021)

https://spokesman-recorder.com/2021/05/27/100-years-after-the-tulsa-race-massacre-lessons-from-my-grandfather/

Aftermath and Historical Memory

WEAA Remembers: 100 Years Since the Tulsa Race Massacre (WEAA 88.9 FM, 4/26/2021)

https://www.weaa.org/post/weaa-remembers-100-years-tulsa-race-massacre#stream/0

Tulsa’s Offcials are Whitewashing Legacy of Black Wall Street (Black News, 5/1/2021)

https://www.blackstarnews.com/us-politics/justice/tulsas-officials-are-whitewashing-legacy-of-black-wall-street

Unity Over Violence Prayer March to Be Held in Tulsa in commemoration of Tulsa Race Massacre’s centennial year (Oklahoma News 4, 5/5/2021)

https://kfor.com/news/local/unity-over-violence-prayer-march-to-be-held-in-tulsa-in-commemoration-of-tulsa-race-massacres-centennial-year/

Oklahoma education standards label 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre a “riot’ (Black Wall Street Times, 5/6/2021

https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2021/05/06/oklahoma-education-standards-label-1921-tulsa-race-massacre-a-riot/

Reparations a part of difficult discussion surrounding Tulsa Race Massacre centennial (Oklahoma KOCO News 5, 5/10/2021)

https://www.koco.com/article/reparations-a-part-of-difficult-discussion-surrounding-tulsa-race-massacre-centennial/36369508

Remembering the Tulsa Riot 100 Years Later (War History Online, 5/10/2021)

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/tulsa-riots.html

Remembering Black Wall Street: Ways to Invest in Tulsa and champion Black businesses (CNN, 5/20/2021)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/20/us/iyw-dreamland-the-burning-of-black-wall-street-hth/index.html

Educators: Why don’t people know about the Tulsa Massacre (The Daily Item, 5/29/2021)

https://www.dailyitem.com/news/educators-why-dont-people-know-about-the-tulsa-massacre/article_44f9a54e-be4f-11eb-994f-cfd79cfa9335.html

Why it took 100 years for America to learn about the Tulsa massacre (VOX. 5/30/2021)

https://www.vox.com/22456481/tulsa-race-massacre

‘The loss is incalculable’: descendants of the Tulsa massacre on what was stolen from them (The Guardian, 5/31/2020)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/31/tulsa-massacre-descendants-callout-stories

Resources about the Massacre

Fire in Little Africa explores 1921 Tulsa race riot (The Miami Times, 4/21/2021)

https://www.miamitimesonline.com/lifestyles/fire-in-little-africa-explores-1921-tulsa-race-riots/article_dcc1faee-a2c4-11eb-9407-9f08ca60a347.html

‘Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten ‘Documentary Film Official Trailer (First Showing. Net, 5/4/2021)

https://www.firstshowing.net/2021/tulsa-the-fire-and-the-forgotten-documentary-film-official-trailer/

15 books to help you learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre as the 100- year anniversary approaches (The Oklahoman. 5/18/2021)

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/entertainment/2021/05/02/tulsa-race-massacre-centennial-15-books-to-help-oklahomans-learn/7385373002/

Motown releases ‘Fire in Little Africa’ from Tulsa hip hop collective to commemorate race riot centennial (Yahoo News, 5/28/2021)

https://news.yahoo.com/motown-releases-fire-little-africa-201000100.html

3 Documentaries You Should Watch About the Tulsa Race Massacre (NPR,5/30/2021)

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/30/1000923192/3-documentaries-you-should-watch-about-the-tulsa-race-massacre