This is a MUST read: Black Wall Street on June 1, 1921

[sheshe2]

Last edited Mon Jun 3, 2013, 01:28 AM - Edit history (1)

What happened to Black Wall Street on June 1, 1921?

http://vimeo.com/9888796
JOIN THE MOVEMENT To Get Justice for the Survivors
It was the worst race riot in the history of the United States; however, most people have never heard of it. Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1921, in less than 24 hours the prosperous African-American section of Greenwood, also known as “Black Wall Street,” was completely destroyed. An estimated 300 were killed and over 10,000 people displaced, as a 42 square block area of their homes and businesses were burned to the ground by a white mob that had been deputized by the sheriff.
This documentary is the story of the survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot and their quest for justice. There are only 45 survivors still alive today.
This is a story about the struggle for the soul of America and efforts to right a wrong that is long past due.

http://www.beforetheydiemovie.com/

Found on the Obama Diary
This is a MUST read because this is what hate looks like and this is what we must fight against everyday.
http://theobamadiary.com/


So determined were whites in Tulsa to wipe out all evidence of Blacks’ prosperity and achievement despite impossible odds, they used airplanes to firebomb Black Wall Street from the air.

SNIP:

The night’s carnage left some 3,000 African Americans dead and over 600 successful businesses lost. Among these were 21 churches, 21 restaurants, 30 grocery stores and two movie theaters, plus a hospital, a bank, a post office, libraries, schools, law offices, a half dozen private airplanes and even a bus system. As could have been expected, the impetus behind it all was the infamous Ku Klux Klan, working in consort with ranking city officials and many other sympathizers.


Black America’s most prosperous community, Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, went up in flames June 1, 1921, in the KKK-led Tulsa Race Riot. According to Wikipedia, “During the 16 hours of the assault, over 800 people were admitted to local hospitals with injuries, an estimated 10,000 were left homeless, and 35 city blocks composed of 1,256 residences were destroyed by fire caused by bombing.”
The best description of Black Wall Street, or Little Africa as it was also known, would be to compare it to a mini Beverly Hills. It was the golden door of the Black community during the early 1900s, and it proved that African Americans could create a successful infrastructure. That’s what Black Wall Street was all about.

Snip:
A lot of White folks had come back from World War I and they were poor. When they looked over into the Black communities and realized that Black men who fought in the war had come home heroes, that helped trigger the destruction. It cost the Black community everything, and not a single dime of restitution – no insurance claims – has been awarded the victims to this day. Nonetheless, they rebuilt.

http://sfbayview.com/2011/what-happened-to-black-wall-street-on-june-1-1921/#.UaqNmVp8ynw.twitter

Oklahoma had been set aside as an Indian and Black State.That however, did not save them from the jealousy and hate that was to follow. It was a blight on America's soul.

Edit to Add~







The state motto of Oklahoma is "Labour Conquers All Things" (Labor Omnia Vincit in Latin).
The Oklahoma state motto was adopted in 1907 but the inspiration for the Latin motto itself dates back 2000 years to Virgil, a Roman poet.

In his book "Georgics", Virgil wrote the inspiration for the Oklahoma motto "Labor omnia uicit improbus" meaning Uphill work overcomes all things.

In his work, Virgil was describing how to make agriculture grow in a "Back to the Land" policy introduced by Augustus Caesar. The goal was to inspire more Romans to engage in farming and agriculture.

Other mottos and slogans of Oklahoma:

Oklahoma is OK
Native America

[TxDemChem]

1. I'm originally from Tulsa - and June 1st is my birthday

Nearly every year, I think back on what it must have been like for my great grandparents and their siblings during those terrible times. The neighborhood had never returned to its previous grandeur. But outside of Oklahoma, most people have no idea that these riots and killings even occurred. Thank you for sharing this. If anyone is interested, a wonderful documentary was made. I can't recall the name of it, but it was on the Documentary Channel last year shortly after the anniversary.

[sheshe2]

2. Is it this one,

Or is this just one on the survivors.

It was a sad day in Americas History. I knew of it, however not the full history. I will try to find the documentory. Thank you for that info.

BTW TxDEmChem, Happy belated birthday.

[TxDemChem]

27. I think that may be the documentary

There were interviews with a few survivors who were children at the time. There was also a panel hosted at the Greenwood Cultural Center with various activists and students.

And thanks for the happy birthday!

[CatWoman]

3. back to the top

I became aware of this story some years ago (I think about the time the movie "'Rosewood" came out).

Makes me sick to my stomach.

[sheshe2]

4. As it does me, Catwoman.

a model community destroyed and a major African-American economic movement resoundingly defused.

No wonder that the GOP fears the first African American President.

[freshwest]

17. Worse than the WTC. The character of blacks in this country has been maligned forever. This should

be in every American history text and taught to every student. Yes, they fear the success of Obama and those he is leading to a better future - what they fail to see is that it benefits all.

[sheshe2]

18. I hope that it does become a part of our History books, a sad part.

The Tulsa Race Riot was a large-scale, racially motivated conflict on May 31 and June 1, 1921, in which whites attacked the black community of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It resulted in the Greenwood District, also known as 'the Black Wall Street'[1] and the wealthiest black community in the United States, being burned to the ground. During the 16 hours of the assault, more than 800 whites were admitted to local white hospitals with injuries (the black hospital was burned down), and police arrested and detained more than 6,000 black Greenwood residents at three local facilities, in part for their protection.[2] An estimated 10,000 blacks were left homeless, and 35 city blocks composed of 1,256 residences were destroyed by fire. The official count of the dead by the Oklahoma Department of Vital Statistics was 39, but other estimates of black fatalities have been up to about 300.


The events of the riot were long omitted from local and state histories. "The Tulsa race riot of 1921 was rarely mentioned in history books, classrooms or even in private. Blacks and whites alike grew into middle age unaware of what had taken place." With the number of survivors declining, in 1996, the state legislature commissioned a report to establish the historical record of the events, and acknowledge the victims and damages to the black community. Released in 2001, the report included the commission's recommendations for some compensatory actions. The state has passed legislation to establish some scholarships for descendants of survivors, economic development of Greenwood, and a memorial park to the victims in Tulsa. The latter was dedicated in 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_race_riot

Since I found this on TOD I have been doing a lot of reading on it tonight.

Think about Tulsa, Black and White fought a war together. Blacks came home with an idea for a community and growth. They were already segregated. They built a community that worked together, promoted fair trade and a priority was education. If they worked together they thrived together. Sound anything like our President?!

Whites jealous of their success sought to destroy their work and take over the established thriving businesses. Sound anything like the GOP today?!

Yes, it sure does.

It is making my blood boil tonight, freshwest.

[steve2470]

5. k&r nt

[mckara]

6. Very Cool!

[Unknown Beatle]

7. Before They Die is available on YouTube.

Running Time 1:33:21

[sheshe2]

8. Thank you, I want to watch this.

I believe their is also a documentory called Greenwood. I need to watch both.

Thanks again, Unknown Beatle.

[freshwest]

19. Thanks for finding this one.

[arthritisR_US]

9. Sorry for my ignorance but this is the first I am

hearing of this. It makes me so sad and angry and then ashamed. I just can't understand the abject ugliness that existed in some and unfortunately continues,in some, to this day.

[sheshe2]

11. I knew of it, but not the whole sordid history.

I have been digging deeper tonight.

"The mainstay of the community was to educate every child." Isn't this, education, starting at Pre-K a huge issue for our First African American President Telling is it not.

Thanks arthritusR_US.

[arthritisR_US]

26. No, thank you. It's important to know these things,

the autrocities done mustn't be cast aside like yesterday's garbage. I'm going to watch the documentaries and do some reading. The south really does have some deplorable history

[SunSeeker]

10. Horrifying history...that hardly anyone knows about. nt

[sheshe2]

12. More from wiki'

Many African Americans moved to Oklahoma in the years before and after 1907, which is the year Oklahoma became a state. Oklahoma represented change and provided a chance for African Americans to get away from slavery and the harsh racism of their previous homes.[1] Most of them traveled from other states in the south where racism was very prevalent, and Oklahoma offered hope and provided all people with a chance to start over. They traveled to Oklahoma by wagons, horses, trains, and even on foot.

Many of the African Americans who traveled to Oklahoma had ancestors who could be traced back to Oklahoma. A lot of the settlers were relatives of African American slaves who had traveled on foot with the Five Civilized Tribes along the Trail of Tears. Others were the descendants of runaway slaves who had fled to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) in an effort to escape lives of oppression. The Emancipation Proclamation freed all of these former slaves in 1863. Many who had been owned by the Creeks and Seminoles were adopted into those tribes. They were thus able to live freely in the Oklahoma Territory.[2]
When Tulsa became a booming and rather well noted town in the United States, the residents and government attempted to leave out important aspects of the city. Many people considered Tulsa to be two separate cities rather than one city of united communities. The white residents of Tulsa referred to the area north of the Frisco railroad tracks as “Little Africa” and other derogatory names. This community later acquired the name Greenwood and by 1921 it was home to about 10,000 African American men, women, and children.[1]

From one form of segregation to another, SunSeeker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwood,_Tulsa,_Oklahoma

[csziggy]

13. The Rosewood Florida Massacre happened less than two years later

At least Florida finally approved some compensation to the descendants of the Rosewood residents who were killed and burned out.

I

n 1994, the state legislature held a hearing to discuss the merits of bill. Lee Ruth Davis died a few months before testimony began, but Minnie Lee Langley, Arnett Goins, Wilson Hall, Willie Evans, and several descendants testified, as did a clinical psychologist from the University of Florida, and experts who offered testimony about property damages.[35] Langley's testimony was first; the hearing room was packed with journalists and onlookers who were reportedly mesmerized by her statement.[56] Ernest Parham also testified about what he saw. When asked specifically when he was contacted by law enforcement regarding the death of Sam Carter, Parham replied that he had been contacted for the first time two weeks before testifying. The coroner's inquest for Sam Carter had taken place the day after he was shot, and concluded that he had been killed "by Unknown Party".[57] After hearing all the evidence, the Special Master Richard Hixson, who presided over the testimony for the Florida Legislature, declared that the state had a "moral obligation" to make restitution to the former residents of Rosewood. He stated, "I truly don't think they cared about compensation. I think they simply wanted the truth to be known about what happened to them ... whether they got fifty cents or a hundred and fifty million dollars. It didn't matter."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosewood_massacre

[Cha]

15. I just refered to the Rosewood Massacre on my post below,

csziggy.

My family use to live in Levy County, Florida for while.

[Cha]

14. I had no knowledge of this heinous history in

Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma, she.

Thank you for posting it. It's important to know what terrible injustices have gone on before.

Sad and pathetic that there are those who are so consumed by hate that they destroy lives including their own.

The Black people were Heroes and successful.. that was their "crime".. And, before that.. in the eyes of people who resented them.. they were freed from Slavery. What the hell does that say about those participating in this Murderous Rampage?

And, every other massacre of African Americans in the early 20th Century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosewood_massacre

[sheshe2]

16. Interesting tidbit, both were started with the accusation of rape of a White Woman, by a Black Man.

A handy excuse to squash a thriving Black Community in Tulsa and Rosewood. Very handy.

Sometime around or after 4 p.m. nineteen-year-old Dick Rowland, a black shoeshiner employed at a Main Street shine parlor, entered the only elevator of the nearby Drexel Building, at 319 South Main Street, to use the top floor restroom, which was restricted to blacks. He encountered Sarah Page, the 17-year-old white elevator operator who was on duty. The two likely knew each other at least by sight, as this building was the only one nearby with a washroom which Rowland had express permission to use, and the elevator operated by Page was the only one in the building. A clerk at Renberg's, a clothing store located on the first floor of the Drexel, heard what sounded like a woman's scream and saw a young black man rushing from the building. The clerk went to the elevator and found Page in what he said was a distraught state. Thinking she had been assaulted, he summoned the authorities.[8]
The 2000 official commission report notes that it was unusual for both Rowland and Page to be working downtown on Memorial Day, when most stores and businesses were closed. It suggests that Rowland had a simple accident, such as tripping and steadying himself against the girl, or perhaps they were lovers and had a quarrel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_race_riot

[freshwest]

20. The racist uproar over the Cheerios commercial is the same thinking. These folks need to GROW UP!

[sheshe2]

21. So simple if they would, freshwest!~

“The first time I was ever called ugly, I was thirteen. It was a rich friend of my brother Carlton's over to shoot guns in the field.

'Why you crying, girl?' Constantine asked me in the kitchen.
I told her what the boy had called me, tears streaming down my face.
'Well? Is you?'

I blinked, paused my crying. 'Is I what?'

'Now you look a here, Egenia'-because constantien was the only one who'd occasionally follow Mama's rule. 'Ugly live up on the inside. Ugly be a hurtful, mean person. Is you one a them peoples?'
'I don't know. I don't think so,' I sobbed.

Constantine sat down next to me, at the kitchen table. I heard the cracking of her swollen joints. She pressed her thumb hard in the palm of my hand, somthing we both knew meant Listen. Listen to me.
'Ever morning, until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision.' Constantine was so close, I could see the blackness of her gums. 'You gone have to ask yourself, Am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?'

She kept her thumb pressed hard in my hand. I nodded that I understood. I was just smart enough to realize she meant white people. And even though I still felt miserable, and knew that I was, most likely, ugly, it was the first time she ever talked to me like I was something besides my mother's white child. All my life I'd been told what to believe about politics, coloreds, being a girl. But with Constantine's thumb pressed in my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe.”

― Kathryn Stockett, The Help

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1943477.Kathryn_Stockett

[freshwest]

25. I am going to buy that book!

[Number23]

22. This has happened more times that we'd care to think about. Great post

Kick and REc

[undergroundpanther]

23. when will the plantation owner mentalitiy die

I am saddened by this.The old stale mentality of rich whites are somehow entitled to destroy others needs to wither and die.I hate the colonial mindset, racism gives excuses to thieves and liars and murderers,I am ashamed of this country for it is built on racism,genocide,murder,theft,death and abuse,this same culture is still here in the right wing and the rich where all the worst aspects are personified and it is STILL abusive and has power. When will we stop the racist white rich assholes and amputate the diseased right wing from this country? I hate fascists,I hate psychopaths,I hate the right wing.I'd love it to wither and die because it is at it's core socio-political evil.

I hope one day people say enough of this racist bullshit and chase the scumbags spouting it into hell on Earth.

[sheshe2]

24. You posted my feelings, exactly.

I am upset and angry after reading, then researching this tonight.

This is so far removed from my upbringing. I was raised in tolerance and love for everyone. I was first introduced to a gay couple in my early years by my parents. I was born in the 50's.

I remember an argument my dad had with my grandmother, who was, sigh, a racist. She asked him if he would let his daughter marry a "Black Man". He said hell yes, better than some of the white trash that walked around. Thought she was going to have a fit.

Sure we are born and bred in Massachusetts...we were liberal before the labels.

[JordanSW225]

28. Upcoming Project..

Hi everyone! I am a sophomore in high school. I have an upcoming long-term project that I would like to get a lot of research on.

I would like to know if anyone could help me contact anyone who is still living who has lived through this as I will be traveling to Tulsa soon, to visit the memorial.

Please contact me here if you have any information.

The project is called National History Day and the theme this year is Exploration, Encounter, Exchange.

Thank you soooooooo much!

[sheshe2]

29. Hi Jordan,

Welcome to DU. I think you would get more responses if you posted your request in the OK group. You are more than welcome to link to my thread. I know you have to make a # of posts before you can write one yourself.

Sounds like an exciting project. Good luck to you.

~sheshe2

[mrmpa]

30. May I make a suggestion?

If at all possible if you can find out who the insurers were, you might attempt to contact them & see what their reasons were for not paying out claims.

You might also want to find out what businesses were in this area at the time, and find out if they were able to rebuild.

Also try to find out where the survivors moved to (did they create another community or were they spread out into other districts).

That's all I have right now.

Let me know if you want me to cross post your request in the Oklahoma site.