Home to over 10,000 Black residents, Black Wall Street, also known as the Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was one of the most prominent concentrations of African-American businesses in the United States during the early 20th century.
That is until the massacre. Later called the Tulsa race riot of 1921, white residents massacred hundreds of black residents and torched the neighborhood within hours. The riot was one of the most devastating massacres in the history of U.S. race relations, destroying the once thriving Greenwood community.
Many say the massacre started when a young, Black man, who was getting off the elevator, tripped and grabbed hold of a white woman to keep his balance.
Back in those days it was understood that Black men couldn’t even look at a white woman in the eye, let alone touch her in any way. Rumors spread and white supremacists attacked.
About 10,000 blacks were left homeless, and property damage amounted to more than $1.5 million in real estate and $750,000 in personal property ($30 million in 2017).