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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Over a hundred years of white greed and race hatred led to what is often referred to as the bloodiest and most horrendous race riot ever experienced in America.
On June 1, 1921, white vigilantes attacked and looted Greenwood, Oklahoma, one of the most affluent Black communities in America. Blacks had experienced great economic wealth in farming and the oil booms of early 1900's. White hostility led to segregation and the development of Greenwood in the northern part of Tulsa. Here the community built an impressive economic business center called "the Black Wall Street" and sometimes "Little Africa". This community had many luxuries and amenities, such as indoor plumbing and a superior school system that much of white Tulsa did not have. |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:03 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The origin of the animosity began i the 1830's with President Andrew Jackson's forced relocation of over 125,000 Native Americans from their tribal lands in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida. While key U,S. Supreme Court judgements (Cherokee nation vs Georgia & Worcester vs Georgia) affirmed the concept of the Native American nations as "sovereign nations" The rulings affirmed that the laws of Georgia and other states can have no force.
President Andrew Jackson announced in 1832 that if no one intended to enforce the Supreme Court rulings, then the decision was "still born". With threats of invasion, Jackson used troops for forced vacation of the lands whites wanted for cotton farming. Whites burned homes and looted native settlements . The forced march of thousands of miles on foot, with some in chains and with few provisions to a newly created "Indian and black territory" across the Mississippi. The genocidal march brought many deaths and was called "The Trail of Tears". |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:22 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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When George Washington was President, he had implemented policies to civilize the tribes. There was forced conversion to Christianity, they were taught to speak and read English and to adopt European lifestyles which included individual land ownership and slaves. The five "civilized" tribes included the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminoles, Creek, and Cherokee nations.
There is a lot of controversy over the relationship between the tribes and slaves. They were known to intermarry. Some historians have put forth the theory they were called slaves by the natives to prevent the slave hunters from taking them. If they were a spouse they were taken. It has been said the slaves and natives worked side-by-side in the fields. It has been estimated that one -third of those who made the trek were black.
Oklahoma was part of the 180 Louisiana Purchase. The 1834 Indian Intercourse Act authorized this Indian territory. Land grants were issued. Later, Congress opened up land seized from the Indian Territory to homestead settlement. As Indian Territory continues to shrink, Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:21 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:41 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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By that time, Oklahoma had 28 Black townships. With statehood,the electorate selected a Treasurer from Kansas named McDade to be their Governor. However, the Ku Klux Klan threatened to kill him within 48 hours if he assumed the office.
Black farmers and others developed wealth and conducted commerce on a global level. The oil boom of 1910 had many of these farmers discovering oil on their land. Oklahoma had two airports , but six black entrepreneurs owned their own planes. Greenwood had two newspapers, the Tulsa Star and the Oklahoma Sun which covered state and national news and politics.
Tulsa was divided by the Frisco railroad tracks. On August 6, 1916, the white city leaders passed segregationist laws forbidding whites or blacks from living in a neighborhood that was composed of 75% of the other race. Although the Supreme Court ruled the law was unconstitutional in 1917, it stayed on the books. |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:54 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Because blacks could often not shop in the areas that were predominately white, their money was reinvested back into the neighborhood.
Estimates of the number of KKK in the Tulsa and surrounding area number between 2,000 to 3,200. Many white veterans of World war I were coming to the area and were poor. The job market was lean and there was a great deal of envy and racial tension.
There is a strong belief by many that the massacre was planned. Memorial day , May 30, 1921 when most buildings were closed, a young shoe shine black youth, Dick Rowland, and a young white elevator operator, Sarah Page, were working in the Drexel Building on Third and main. Allegedly Sarah screamed and Rowland was seen running away. While she told police nothing happened, the next day a newspaper printed a highly inflammatory story about a sexual assault and carried a cryptic message regarding lynching. Some reports now state that all copies of that newspaper were destroyed.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:24 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:14 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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White mobs began to gather around the Courthouse where the Sheriff and his deputies had barricaded themselves in the top floor with Rowland to prevent a lynching. Some black defenders, which included black war vets tried to intercede. It has been said one of the whites tried to take a gun away from a vet and shots rang out. The violence escalated and the defender, being seriously outnumbered, retreated to Greenwood.
The now deputized white vigilantes began their assault on Greenwood where black defenders had taken sniper positions on high buildings. An attempt by the white groups to raid the armory failed. For a time the defenders were able to block some intrusions. The white vigilantes started burning some of the buildings.
Survivors base their belief that the KKK planned the assault because buses and trucks carried in more white assailants. In addition about six small airplanes were said to throw incendiary devices while gunmen on board shot at anyone on the ground. It is not known whether these devices were dynamite, Molotov Cocktails or containers of flaming turpentine. |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:33 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Firefighters were prevented from their jobs. In less than twelve (12) hours, the white mobs had destroyed 35 to 40 blocks of Greenwood, 1,256 to 1, 400 homes, and over 150 businesses. Gone were 21 churches, 21 restaurants, 30 grocery stores, 2 movie theaters, libraries a hospital, schools, law offices, a hospital, a bank and a post office.
Oklahoma Governor Robertson declared martial law and brought in the National Guard to help put out the fires. Over 6,000 black men were arrested and placed in the convention center and fairgrounds for up to 8 days. Reports indicate the could only be released upon being vouched for by a white citizen.
Over 9,000 were left homeless and were forced to live in tents, even in the winter months.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:48 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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This incident went ignored by the history books for years. The figures of the dead originally 39, were later revised to 300, and 800 injured. However, some interviews of survivors tell a different story. The survivors tell of mass graves, bodies stacked up like cord wood, and bodies dumped into an old coal mine in what is now a Sears parking lot in downtown Tulsa. New estimates now claim as many as 3,000 blacks were killed. Since the black hospital was burned, who treated the injured blacks?
Fear remained while racial hostility and violence continued. The white Tulsa leaders passed ordinances to prevent Greenwood from rebuilding.Allegedly this was part of an attempt to turn this site into an industrial center and force black residents to move further north. A black attorney successfully fought the ordinance and won an injunction. However, there was only limited rebuilding as insurance companies refused to pay on claims and reparations were never made.
However, in the 1950's an urban renewal project and the construction of 2 major interstate highways pushed the black population further north.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:26 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:08 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The best source for The Massacre of 1921 is the with the San Francisco Bay view, a national Black newspaper. Their 2-9-2011 edition featured the event "What happened to Black wall Street on June 1, 1921?"
SF Bay View Editor’s note: The Tulsa Race Riot Commission, formed in 1997 to determine exactly what happened and what should be done now, delivered its final report in 2001, calling for substantial restitution. “In June 2001,” , “the Oklahoma state legislature passed the ‘1921 Tulsa Race Riot Reconciliation Act.’ While falling short of the commission’s recommendations, it provided for more than 300 college scholarships for descendants of Greenwood residents, mandated the creation of a memorial to those who died in the riot, and called for new efforts to promote economic development in Greenwood. A documentary, “Before They Die!” has been made about the survivors and their quest for justice. It chronicles efforts in Oklahoma to gain reparations for the survivors. And watch the video “One Day in May!” at www.BeforeTheyDieMovie.com.
This story comes from the Ujamaa Network, which can be reached at mikehouse@ujamaanetwork.biz. They add these words of wisdom: “We must buy from ourselves in order to re-circulate Black dollars. If we want our dollars to return, we must spend them within our own community. 2011 will be our year if we decide it will be. Make a commitment to yourself to do as much of your spending within our community as possible.” |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:27 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Can flint develop a new "Black Wall Street? Some of the infrastructure is in place. Under Stanley, when streets were rebuilt,the utilities were upgraded and that continued through at least some of the mayors that followed. Pierson Road was rebuilt throughout the city limits and I believe everything was upgraded.
It is becoming very obvious hat the white bureaucracy and leaders have no intention of developing much if anything in the black neighborhoods. The Sasaki plans and the chambers press releases indicate everything is geared to downtown, the new urbanism concept and encouraging the "right kind" of residents. I have wondered if some of the programs in place are a form of creating an acceptable culture .
When criticism arose about no minority members in the downtown revival efforts, one name came up. I can't remember the last time he was mentioned.
When the city planners told the north end they were not to receive any rehabilitation until 20 to 30 years from the new city master plan, that was a wake up call. The new master plan is only to be in place for 20 years. It is no wonder our planner returned to California. |
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Wed Mar 22, 2017 1:03 pm |
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