1921 Tulsa Race Riot

I've been in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the last month getting teacher training and teaching summer school. One of the things I've been able to do is get to know Tulsa and learn about it's history. That is when I found out about a crucial part of history that has been hidden, denied to me by our white centric history books and media. The 1921 Greenwood race riots, the biggest race riot in American history.

In the earlier part of the 1900's Greenwood was the Black Wall street. A vibrant and financially powerful community that boasted having two newspapers, more than have a dozen hotels, two theaters, 15 churches and dozens of restaurants and grocery stores- not to mention the thousands and thousands of homes all black owned. This was a time when segregation ruled the land, black folks made their own piece of the state, they forged their way and created a place of their own. It was amazing for me to know what these folks accomplished in such difficult moment in history and it pains me that It took me being 28 and randomly coming to Tulsa to learn about this. The reality is that the accomplishments of folks of color are not recognized, and celebrated in this country and it makes me feel like an outsider.

Well in 1921 we had one of the most terrible terrorist attacks in Tulsa that destroyed the Greenwood community within hours. A young african american shoeshiner was accused of allegedly sexually abusing a white woman on an elevator, though there was no evidence this was the beginning of a terrorist racist act, that plagues the Greenwood community and which it's impact is still felt today. A group of white people went into the Greenwood community with guns and fire and burned down the Greenwood community as retaliation. Over 800 people were hospitalized, 6,000 Greenwood residents were arrested, 10,000 black folks homeless, over a 1,200 homes burned down, 191 business burned down, schools, hospitals, and homes were looted but burned as well. Millions lost in property and personal valuables. Black folks were defenseless against not only the over 2000 rioters but the support from local authorities who gave weapons and arrested Greenwood residents who tried to defend themselves.

Of course the elevator "incident" was just an excuse that the white residents of Tulsa used to destroyed Greenwood out of hate, jealousy and ignorance. We have a justice system to persecute any crime, we don't take up arms and burn down a community over it. Tulsa white owned businesses wanted revenue that Greenwood was making and so they supported this terrible act. They wanted to let black folks know that they didn't deserve to live with pride and wealth but rather in poverty and struggle all their lives. they couldn't bare the fact that all their racist conceptions about black folks being inferior were not true because here they had prospered in a magnificent way and their power in spirit, brains, community, wealth were astounding. The anger, the rage I felt, the shock was overwhelming. Those days were painful to breathe I just couldn't believe that people could be so destructive but worse that we haven't learned from it, that these things are still happening today and racist, evil people are still getting away with doing these things. The Greenwood community sued for damages and got to work the next day rebuilding their community and even though they never reached the level of wealth they had when Black wall street was at it's peak they didn't moved, they rebuilt and fought for justice. Yet the Greenwood community today struggling to have thriving businesses and poverty is an issue. The city of Tulsa continues to be plagued by racism as we see the blatant segregation of the city. The most impoverished communities are those where folks of color live. Students are not learning about the Tulsa race riot in their history books and that is a big shame. We are depriving our children of their history because what those in power fear most is knowledge, that's how they keep us oppressed, but keeping us ignorant about our history. That is the reason why I am writing about this event, I don't want this to be forgotten. Specially when folks in Ferguson, Baltimore are getting shit for rioting because black men,children,women and transgendered folks are being murdered by the police when they are innocent.I want you to remember what happened in Tulsa and realize that white folks have done many terrorist acts against black American citizens in the name of white privilege,and it continues today with mass shooting at AME Church in South Carolina and the subsequent church burnings after protests over the confederate flags. Black folks can't even pray in peace. We need to realize that the fight to end racism and get equality continues today and we have to fight it in full awareness of our past, our present and our future as a nation when it comes to this issue that is the sickness that doesn't let us move forward.