Forgotten American History: Black Wall Street

by Lia World Traveler

By now most of us should have heard about the history of “Black Wall Street”, yet it never ceases to amaze me that so many of us don’t know about this important period of American history.  Truth be told I wasn’t aware of it until I went to college and became an African-American studies major that the incredible story of “Black Wall Street” was revealed to me.  Today I want to share the story during this Black History Month as a cautionary tale and an aspirational one.

What was Black Wall Street?

“Black Wall Street” was a freedom colony located in the Greenwood section, of Tulsa, Oklahoma during the early 20^th century.  Between the years of 1889 and 1891 continuing through 1907, when Oklahoma became a state, many African-Americans began seeking opportunities to better their lives and improve their circumstances.

Moving to new locations from southern states, for many was an escape from the oppression of Jim Crow law that in many ways was akin to a continued form of slavery in terms of the segregation and repression it enforced.  For many, this journey to true “freedom” and opportunity led them to Oklahoma. 

As more and more people arrived in Tulsa, they would settle around the Greenwood avenue section of Tulsa because it was predominantly Black and located on a street that happened to be one of the few that did not cross into both the Black and White neighborhoods remaining exclusive to the Black part of town. This led to Greenwood Ave becoming the Black commercial center of Tulsa.

Everything on Greenwood Ave was Black-owned and everything you needed in daily life was available. Black dollars stayed in Black businesses and moved within an all-Black community resulting in thriving businesses and the creation of Black affluence.

Imagine a street full of grocery stores, banks, libraries, doctors, lawyers, and at least two newspapers the most popular were the “Tulsa Star” and the “Oklahoma Sun” and all of them Black owned. The community flourished for a couple of decades before the unthinkable happened.

What Happened?

Unfortunately, the growth and development of Greenwood happened during one of the most racially fraught periods in American history.  As a byproduct of the times, members of the White community were enraged at the reality of Black wealth and relative independence from “the system” and they began looking for a way to tear it all down. 

Right before Memorial Day weekend 1921, a 17-year-old White female elevator operator alleged assault claims against a 19-year-old Black shoe shine boy who was immediately imprisoned awaiting investigation.  His incarceration was cause for concern in the Black community who believed he might be lynched. 

A group of armed Black men went to the prison to protect the boy and encountered a large crowd of White people already there.  A confrontation occurred and shots were fired resulting in the deaths of 12 people (10 White people, 2 Black people).  This led to what became known as the “Tulsa Race Riot” or the “Tulsa Race Massacre” which started what would be the end of Black Wall Street as we knew it. 

Over the course of two days, May 31 and June 1, 1921, citizens squared off against each other to a disastrous outcome.  At the end of the two days, 35 square blocks of homes and businesses were destroyed by angry White mobs.  Reports of the incident indicate the attacks killed hundreds, left over 10,000 homeless, and after White mob leaders, many of whom were openly affiliated with hate groups specifically the KKK, conspired with city government officials, the arrest of over 6000 black citizens without guarantee of protection. 

According to these same reports, law enforcement officials used airplanes to drop firebombs on businesses, homes, buildings, and even Black families as they fled to safety to quell the “negro uprising”. 

How Did it End?

After the massacre many Greenwood residents were left with nothing and left Tulsa and even the state to try and start over.  However, for those who remained they pulled together and organized their resources to rebuild Greenwood in less than five years after the massacre, despite political opposition and active efforts to prevent reconstruction. 

Greenwood was able to recapture a modicum of its former glory but never flourished the same way again. With the onset of the Great Depression and in subsequent years, economic downturns, urban revitalization and renewal efforts there isn’t much of the original “Black Wall Street” left. 

What is it Like Today?

The massacre was largely omitted from state and local records and doesn’t appear in most school curriculum or history books leading to the knowledge void that exists around the incident today.

There are people working to change this omission and to keep this history very much alive.  The parts of Greenwood that still exists today have been named the “Greenwood Historic District”. The Greenwood Cultural Center was established on October 22, 1995 as a tribute to Greenwood’s past and a promise of hope for the community’s future.  The John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park established in 2008, according to the website states the vision is “to transform the bitterness and mistrust caused by years of racial division, even violence, into a hopeful future of reconciliation and cooperation for Tulsa and the nation.”

There is A LOT more to this story and in the spirit of Black History Month and knowing your history, I encourage you to learn more.  This isn’t the happiest of stories, but it is a story we all need to know about and learn from.

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