Black Wall Street: The History of the Greenwood District Before the Tulsa Race Riot

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents In the wake of the Civil War, African Americans attained freedom from chattel slavery, but continued to suffer discrimination both legal in the form of Jim Crow laws and de facto in the continued perception among the vast majority of white Americans that African Americans were at the very least inferior and at the most a constant dangerous presence in their communities who must be carefully controlled. In this way, Tulsa was no different than most cities in the region in the 1920s. Overall, Tulsa in 1921 was considered a modern, vibrant city. What had fueled this remarkable growth was oil, specifically the discovery of the Glenn Pool oil field in 1905. Within five years, Tulsa had grown from a rural crossroads town in the former Indian Territory into a boomtown with more than 10,000 citizens, and as word spread of the fortunes that could be made in Tulsa, people of all races poured into the city. By 1920, the greater Tulsa area boasted a population of over 100,000. In turn, Tulsa’s residential neighborhoods were some of the most modern and stylish in the country, and the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce produced postcards and literature boasting of the virtues of life in their modern oil city. However, as a commission report about the Tulsa Riot later pointed out, “What the pamphlets and the picture postcards did not reveal was that, despite of its impressive new architecture and its increasingly urbane affectations, Tulsa was a deeply troubled town. As 1920 turned into 1921, the city would soon face a crossroads that, in the end, would change it forever...Tulsa was, in some ways, not one city but two.” When they came to Tulsa, many blacks settled in the Greenwood area and established a thriving commercial, cultural, and residential area. Of course, the segregation was forced on these residents, and while they had fled the worst conditions of the Jim Crow South in other areas, they were not able to escape it completely. But in one way, Tulsa was different for African Americans, as black citizens of the city shared in the city’s wealth, albeit not as equally as their white neighbors. The Greenwood district, a 36 square block section of northern Tulsa, was considered the wealthiest African American neighborhood in the country, called the “Black Wall Street” because of the large number of affluent and professional residents. In the 2001 final report of the Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, historians John Hope Franklin and Scott Ellsworth described the Greenwood area that would be all but destroyed in one of America’s most notorious “In less than twenty-four hours, nearly all of Tulsa’s African-American residential district--some forty-square-blocks in all--had been laid to waste..." Tragically, the decades following the riot saw the memory of it recede into the background. The Tulsa Tribune did not recognize the riot in its “Fifteen Years Ago Today” or “Twenty-five Years Ago Today” features. In 1971, the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce decided to commemorate the riot, but when they read the materials gathered by Ed Wheeler about the riot, they refused to publish any of it, and the Tulsa papers also refused to run Wheeler’s story. He finally published an article in a black magazine, Impact Magazine; but most of Tulsa’s white citizens never knew about it. It would not be until recently that a true accounting of the riot and its damage have been conducted, and as the 100th anniversary of the massacre approaches in 2021, the city of Tulsa is still working to complete the historical record.

Genres: History, Audiobook

80 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 13, 2020

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Provin Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading about the Tulsa Race Massacre I wanted to learn what the town was like before the massacre. This book does an excellent job of explaining what businesses were in downtown Tulsas Greenwood district and how the area was thriving. The community had everything it needed to be self sufficient. One of my favorite facts was how a single dollar would stay in the community for 100 transactions before being spent outside Greenwood. This shows how much it’s residents supported their neighborhood businesses. The story provides the details the reader needs to see how this area was a ticking time bomb due to jealous people who wanted the lives Greenwood residents had built for themselves. It is hard not to think of how amazing it would have been had the massacre not occurred.

[Adrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great insight into a story of American History that is not taught enough (if at all) in schools. I read this knowing my father was born in Tulsa after the massacre. He seldom spoke about his young life, but did tell me in his later years about his family that lived and thrived in this very time and place, prior to its devastation. My heart breaks at the history, but at the same time I am filled with pride to have such a connection to this place.

[Kimisha Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind blowing

I loved the book for The fact I learned about history that is of course not taught in School. History that this country and it's leaders don't want known, so they've tried to erase it. History of my African American history at a point of greatness and what the jealousy monster can do! How racism and ignorance and fear of The Successful African American bothered people to the point of ANNIHILATION AND DESTRUCTION! This needs to be taught in schools! We need our history to succeed and rise and to make sure that HIS STORY and OUR HISTORY DO NOT REPEAT THEMSELVES!

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the edge of what used to be known as Black Wall Street sits a baseball field for amateur players. Blacks who once owned businesses such as doctors, lawyers, grocers and other successful shop owners had their property taken from them because they had the audacity to have something that whites could not. Memorial Day weekend 1921 a white girl lied and said a black boy assaulted her when he touched her because the elevator jolted causing them collide into each other. How dare gravity making his body to move toward hers. She screamed and he not knowing what else to do, ran. This instigated every white man around to want to lynch the black man and tear up Black Wall Street.

[Jeroen Berndsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given 3.5 stars if possible, but I’d rather round up than settle for a measly 3. Greenwood and the Tulsa riots make for exceptionally interesting history that deserves more attention. I do lament the lack of a clear author with Charles River Editors, but this short book did finally get me interested in learning more about the topic—after (shamefully) first discovering it through the HBO Watchmen series when it aired.

[Emily Pomeroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why the app is only letting me give this one star or no stars. I don't know if this is a new feature. I would give this at least 4 stars. I really enjoyed learning about the kind of community that was built before the tulsa massacre. I wish I could live in a world where the riots didn't happen, to see what would have come of such creativity and innovation.

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short but informative audiobook about the Greenwood area before the Tulsa massacre. I knew none of this, and enjoyed learning about it. This provides an overview and not a lot of detail, and it makes me want to learn more.

[Book Goblin, Page Devourer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know about Greenwood or what happened there 100 years ago until circumstances brought it to my attention. It was incredible reading about these people, and also realizing just how recent all of these events have been. Excellent and well-sourced read.

[Antonietta tesfaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important informational book. It’s very interesting that Oklahoma chose hate and now they are a welfare state. Perhaps if they embraced the enrichment of these very successful black individuals, they would have a state that is sovereign.

[Red · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very little knowledge about the Tulsa Race Riot, so as it stands this seems like a basic introduction to the subject of "Black Wall Street", with focus antebellum America up until the end of WWI. A short but informative read. May change my rating later based on further reading.

[Bennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and interesting book on the Tulsa commerce area known as Black Wall Street. Already facing discrimination and racial obstacles, many members of the community built their fortunes in the Tulsa boom only to lose them as a result of the Tulsa Race riots. A dark time in American history.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and informative history of Tulsa. I enjoyed learning and it makes me understand the question of reparations. This is a quick way to understand how horrible Black Americans were treated even when they tried to rise up.

[Tara Newone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the Audible edition. Encourage all to read or listen to this important piece of history.

[Esther Dushinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Philip Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read, but essential American history.