Volume 9 , Issue 20

Tulsa Race Riot of 1921

From May 30 to June 1, 1921, 35 blocks of the black Greenwood district in Tulsa burned in what many regard as America's worst race riot. A black shoe shiner stepped on the shoe of a white girl who operated an elevator in the Drexel building. Exaggerated rumors about the incident led to violence. Homes, restaurants, groceries and medical offices were destroyed. It is estimated that as many as 200-300 blacks were killed and many of the survivors left the district. Governor James Robertson called out the National Guard and declared martial law. The alleged victim did not press charges. The Tulsa Race Riot commission was created to conduct an official study to determine what actually happened. You can research Oklahoma Supreme court cases, records from the Attorney General's Office, and Governor James Robertson's administrative papers.
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