The 1921 Destruction of Black Wall Street

The Tragedy of Greenwood: The 1921 Destruction of Black Wall Street

​The story of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of both immense achievement and profound tragedy. Known in the early 20th century as “Black Wall Street,” it was the wealthiest African American community in the United States. However, on May 31, 1921, this beacon of economic success became the site of one of the deadliest episodes of racial violence in American history.

​The Rise of an Economic Powerhouse

​By 1921, the Greenwood District had blossomed into a self-sufficient hub of entrepreneurship. It boasted luxury hotels, banks, indoor plumbing, and a thriving professional class of doctors, lawyers, and bankers. This prosperity was achieved despite the oppressive Jim Crow laws of the era, making its success a point of immense pride for the Black community and a target for racial resentment.

​Sixteen Hours of Devastation

​The conflict began on the evening of May 31, 1921, and escalated into a full-scale assault that lasted 16 hours. A white mob, fueled by reports of an alleged encounter between a Black teenager and a white elevator operator, descended upon Greenwood. The attack was systematic and brutal, involving ground-level looting and, uniquely, aerial assaults from private aircraft that dropped incendiary devices on buildings.

​To ensure the total destruction of the district, members of the mob held local firemen at gunpoint, preventing them from extinguishing the growing inferno. By the time the violence subsided, 35 city blocks comprising 1,256 residences and hundreds of businesses had been burned to the ground.

​The Human and Economic Toll

​The casualties were staggering. While the official state count at the time recorded only 39 deaths, modern historians estimate that up to 300 people lost their lives. The aftermath saw a massive humanitarian crisis:

• ​800+ injuries: Black residents were forced to seek care in white hospitals because their own medical facilities were destroyed.

• ​6,000 detainees: Thousands of Black residents were arrested and held in internment camps under the guise of “protection.”

• ​10,000 homeless: Nearly the entire population of Greenwood was left without shelter or resources.

​Breaking the Silence

​For decades, the events in Tulsa were scrubbed from history books and omitted from public discourse. A “conspiracy of silence” prevented generations from learning about the massacre. It wasn’t until 1996, 75 years later, that the Oklahoma state legislature commissioned a formal report to document the facts and acknowledge the victims. Today, remembering Black Wall Street is a vital part of acknowledging the resilience of the Black community and the systemic forces that sought to dismantle their progress.