By Alisha R. Bell, Chair, Wayne County Commission
On May 31 and June 1, the City of Tulsa will observe the 100th anniversary of one of the most destructive and deadliest racial events our nation has ever experienced.
Known as the Tulsa Race Massacre, or the Greenwood Massacre, the two-day conflict destroyed a vibrant African American business district, which the legendary Booker T. Washington had dubbed the “Negro Wall Street.”
Tulsa was an extremely segregated city. Its Greenwood neighborhood was the envy of other sections of the city with its great Black-generated prosperity. The success of so many Black businessmen contributed to the racial tension.
While racial turmoil was boiling, the tipping point was when a Black teen shoeshiner was accused on May 30, 1921, of allegedly assaulting a young White woman elevator operator. Large mobs of Blacks and Whites descended upon the jail the next day when word spread that a lynching was about to take place.
Gun violence, looting and arson ensued through June 1. The Greenwood neighborhood was set afire by White rioters while White vigilantes – many of whom were just deputized by the Sheriff – detained 6,000 Black residents at the State Fair Grounds. The National Guard was called in, the Governor declared martial law and order eventually was restored.
The number of deaths ranged from 150-300, the majority of whom were Black, with more than 800 injuries and more than $200 million in property damage in today’s dollars.
The City of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma and others succeeded in covering up the Massacre throughout the 20th century.
It wasn’t until the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 when the Massacre drew the attention of out-of-state reporters who had converged on Oklahoma and began telling the story of this American tragedy.
In recent years, a public and private partnership has brought new-found awareness and interest about the Massacre and the history of what is now called the Black Wall Street. The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission has scheduled several special events and symposiums and has designated June 1 as Economic Empowerment Day.
On behalf of the National Association of Counties (NACo), I will be representing Detroit and Wayne County in Tulsa and will take part in Economic Empowerment Day activities. The virtual event will include a national conversation with renowned speakers and celebrities about the racial wealth gap and the inequality in access to capital. Visit Tulsa2021.org for more details on how you can participate.
Why are such commemorations so important? Because we must never forget our history, lest we repeat it.
I am hopeful that the 100th anniversary of the Massacre will result in positive action that will prevent such senseless violence and destruction from ever happening again.
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