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- 1. BLACK WALL STREET America’s Untold Story
- 2. WHY THIS IS RELEVANT Racial tensions Truthful narratives Media as a tool
- 3. WHAT IS BLACK WALL STREET? Who: Black people in Greenwood neighborhood Where: Tulsa, Oklahoma When: May 13, 1921 What: Holocaust Why: Racial tensions, assault
- 4. A PROMINENT COMMUNITY (Montford, 2014)
- 5. THE FALL OF BLACK WALL STREET: THE FACTS A black man accused of assaulting a white woman White citizens enraged Enlist help of politicians and KKK Distribute guns Shoot into homes and business of Black Wall Street Drop a bomb on the neighborhood Detain all blacks who survive Loot the neighborhood
- 6. THE FALL OF BLACK WALL STREET: MACRO FACTORS Segregation Jim Crow Laws Dominant narrative of the majority
- 7. THE FALL OF BLACK WALL STREET: MICRO FACTORS Inequity between black and white neighborhoods Strong KKK presence Biased local politics
- 9. A FORGOTTEN HISTORY Exclusion from school curriculum Recent efforts to commemorate
- 10. RESTORATIVE EFFORTS (“Remaking Black Wall Street, 2016)
Editor's Notes
- I’ll bet you didn’t know there was something called Black Wall Street. Don’t feel out of the loop, it’s not a story America likes to tell. Unless you go looking, there’s a good chance you won’t find much on Black Wall Street or what happened there, but look just hard enough, and you’ll uncover America’s very own holocaust. I’m going to take a little time to give you a history lesson, and just maybe you’ll thank me for it.
- You’d be surprised to learn how relevant the story of Black Wall Street is today. It resembles some current attitudes about race and the media. There is a history in America to acknowledge past tragedies, recognize the impact they had, and foster a healthy environment in order to move on and heal. Although that’s how many national tragedies have been handled, this one was ignored altogether. Dominant narratives told by the media subverted the truth and chose not to shed light on this horrific event. Even today, we see the media play an integral part in what news is spread and what information is known or unknown.
- To set the scene, there are some facts I should mention. Black Wall Street refers to an all-black neighborhood in Greenwood community, which is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event that annihilated the community occurred on May 13, 1921. In effect, there was a holocaust fueled by racial tensions in the neighborhood.
- This particular neighborhood was very prosperous and even more prosperous than neighboring white neighborhoods. To give an idea of how successful they were, the black dollar circulated through this town 36 to 100 times! On average, a family could afford to care for at least 5 children. What did they do to earn this money? There were all-black businesses like nightclubs, restaurants, movie theatres, hospitals, hotels, drug stores, and a banking system and bus line. So you see, this was a bustling city for the early 20th century.
- They say that all good things come to an end. On May 31, 1921 Black Wall Street was as foggy and dilapidated as Hiroshima after World War II. Solemn tone The demise would come after a black man was accused of assaulting a white woman. White citizens of Tulsa became furious, and formed a plan to wipe out the entire black community. With the help of politicians and the Ku Klux Klan, guns were distributed and bombs were dropped. This essentially wiped out all homes and businesses, and killed around 300 people. The neighborhood was decimated in less than 12 hours. Afterwards, over 4,000 blacks were detained as whites looted homes and stores. This incident is what defined Black Wall Street as an important moment in African American history.
- Why did this happen? Well there were several factors. First hold up 1 finger, the racial climate at that time was hostile, and although blacks were legally free, segregation still existed. Jim Crow laws forced blacks to develop their own sources of revenue, separate from whites. Because of this there were no consequences for those who incited and contributed to the massacre, and no memorial for those who died.
- There were distinct issues in Tulsa as well. Ed Wheeler, who photographed the devastation as it happened, “blamed the ‘hate, discrimination and arrogance’ festering in white supremacist organizations like the Ku Klux Klan. Southern accent ‘The environment is what caused it,’ he said. ‘There were 5 million card-carrying KKK in this country. An awful lot of people were willing to hate blacks because they represented something they wished they had.’”
- The result had a lasting impact on Tulsa, and black Americans around the country, who felt that the political and justice systems would never provide retribution or justice.
- So the question is, if this was so important, why don’t more people know? Well, one good thing about writing the history books, is that you can choose the dominant narrative. Younger generations of Americans have no idea that there were many Black Wall Streets around the country, and that black people were able to thrive without the help of others. What would this narrative change, and why is it being kept hidden? Those are questions that stir much debate, but are essential to understanding the importance of Black Wall Street.
- There has been a conscious effort to exclude this narrative from media, academia, and other social forums, but that hasn’t stopped some communities from recognizing Black Wall Street. Around the country, towns that once had prosperous all-black communities are creating visuals that celebrate their past.
- To conclude, you now have an idea of what Black Wall Street was, why it happened, and the impact it has today. My goal was only to inform you of an event in American history that is often swept under the rug like crumbs or dust, so that you can formulate your own opinions and beliefs on this topic, and perhaps spread that knowledge to others. Thank you.