Many people know the story of THE Rosewood Massacre, but do you know the story about Black Wall Street?
During the oil boom of the 1910s, the area of northeast Oklahoma flourished -— including the Greenwood neighborhood, which came to be known as “the Negro Wall Street” (now commonly referred to as “the Black Wall Street”). The area was home to several prominent black businessmen and families, many of them multimillionaires.
Due to the success of the Greenwood district, many whites in the Tulsa area became resentful and on June 1, 1921, after a series of race riots, “Black Wall Street” was bombed and burned to the ground.
In a period spanning fewer than 12 hours, a once thriving black business district lay in ruins. 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 many as 3,000 people were killed, and the property damage totaled $1.5 million. Despite the devastation, the community mobilized its resources and rebuilt the Greenwood area within the next five years, but the town never fully recovered.
Make sure you view both video clips for more information and check out the links provided below.
PART II OF THE VIDEO
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Starting this month, Concrete Loop will post ‘Black History Spotlights’ featuring Black people & events that have made an impact on history. These features aren’t exclusive to ‘Black History Month,’ I just thought it was the perfect time to put them in rotation. Submissions are welcomed.
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I get so sad n angry when i hear about stuff like dis …….but im happy dat strong racism like dis has stopped…..well kinda
The country’s dark history should be uncovered like this. Its funny how easy people ‘forget’ or brush these tragic moments under the carpet.
this is good for black history month keep doing it!!!
Thank you so much for this post! Our people need to learn about “our”people!
~Stay Blessed~
This is horrible Thanks for telling us.
There are sooo many stories just like this that don’t get the recognition they deserve. Kudo’s to CL, it’s a good look and we need to educate each other because we will NOT be taught this in school.
Thanks CL.
I did some research on Black WallStreet a couple of years ago and I honestly have to say, I was happy and sad at the same time.
Happy to see what these black people were able to accomplish. Their self-sufficiency, economic and social viability.
I was sad to see how once again…it was so easily destroyed by false accusations. The research I did showed how jealous the white people were and how quickly they moved to destroy the evidence and reminder that black people, if given the chance, can and will thrive on their own.
Thanks again for posting, CL.
I agree, We as a people need to know about both the achievements of our people and the times when we hit rock bottom. This is something I haven’t heard about. Thnx C-loop!
3,000 lives.
In 1921.
Wow, white people…
Thanks for posting.
The past is especially important to learn about in these days and times.
I wish I could see the videos, but the story speaks for itself. That is so depressing and disturbing. Another reason WE have to do better, because THEY are always going to try and make us do worse. So sad. Don’t think because it’s not out in the open now it’s over. So many little things going on that you don’t even realize. Be mindful, stay strong, and continue to pray, educate, and prosper.
wow… Ive never heard of this b4..i’ve heard of todays black wall street but never heard of this ..or this tragedy///….
Thanks again for another amazing black history post Angel. My parents told me the story about Black wall street when I was younger but I have never seen a documentary on the events. Thanks for this post!
I feel so bad when I saw da video. Dis is a tragedy and a sad story but it’s also a interesting documentry 4 black history month!
It amazes me when people act like we never did anything of importance or we could not built/establish fine communities on our own. It’s a shame though, that the community was never the same again but I guess how could it be.
Thanks for posting it CL! I think that these posting will enhance education of ourselves & worth.
Just a suggestion, but maybe we could do postings of books/ black authors and have discussions for a future post.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson (The MisEducation of a Negro), or Mr. Randall Robbinson (The Debt) or perhaps Dr. W.E.B. DuBois (The Souls of Black Folk)…great books by the way!
Mlps & Chi Towns finest!
thanx for educating he visitors cl I’ve just recently read about black wallstreet mysef(sadly) I was in disbelief this was the only time the government has allowed an authorized attack on its own “citizens”
of America
this is definatley an important part of american history that we’ll most will never read about in High School
Thanx so much for posting this. I had never heard of this before. I’m glad that someone is going to finally put this into the history books. Great Post!!
Very Good Post… Thank You.
Each One, Teach One.
No words.
Thanks for posting this.
Never heard of this story but thank you so much for the information~We need it!
These kids we got today just don’t understand the struggle black folk went through just to get where we are today and we STILL fighting for our rights! Black people stand up and UNITE! We could sooooo get this back if we’d love n respect each other
BLACK POWER!
O yeah and I was raising my fist while saying that..lol!
Right on my brothas and sistas!
I thank you CL for posting this. I think it is important for us to see things like this. This story is very special. It points out that before this incident and in many cases. Blacks were able to come together and have thriving commuities despite the atrocities of slavery and discrimination that we tend to blame others for our current condition. Education and equality are not priviliges they are our rights.
That white guy at the end, closed with a beautiful statement. It also reminded me wholeheartedly that there is no such thing as African-American history, it is part of AMERICAN history period. It does not need to be seperated. But until then…….
wow, this was a nice video
recognise
I did my final history report on Black Wall Street for my senior year in high school and most were shocked even the history teacher to learn that this was actually one of the worst attacks in America they never heard about it because its hidden and left out of history books because they wanna pretend like it never happened because Americans did it and you know it was only recently that they unearthed mass graves and determined that 3,000 people died because they initially only recorded 300 died. Though brought to such a horrible end Black Wall Street stands as a testament of what black people have achieved and can achieve again and not just a few of us all of us if we could just get it together and unite again like our people have done in the past….
wow i feel like what they taught us in school about black history was only what “they” wanted us to know. I have never heard of anything like this before. Just goes to show you we are onlt tolerated not appreciated as a people and here we are so ready willing and able to call ourselves b*tches and whores and bob our head to a song with a hot beat that repeatedly calls us NIGGAS. SMDH its a shame
BTW angel the music blog is fiayah and the selections are whats up I had to plug in the earphones at work :O)
*only
love it CL!
Thanks.
angel I put you and your site on a higher level because of posts like this, what other site does this? Another part of history added to my mind. Thank you!
Thank You CL for helping to educate our community! I was so excited to read about this…I never heard the in depth story.
Angel, Thanks for the great post!
I really enjoyed that.
I was just talking about Black Wall Street last week. This story is so interesting and sad that blacks lost their lives because they were trying to be successful.
Yeah, I saw this on BET a few days ago. This is horrible, but don’t sleep, my people. The struggle is FAR from over.
Thanks a million CL!
Thanks Angel, I heard of this story before (somebody brought it up in a previous post before in spring ’07) and I was blown away, it was unbelievable. EVERYONE NEEDS TO HEAR THIS STORY!!!!
Thank you for posting this story.
If y’all want to make some Black history, make sure you vote tomorrow on super Tuesday…..if you don’t, don’t complain.
I had no idea about this. I am deeply saddened.
thank you thank you CL for introducing this story…I am an HBCU student and never have i heard of this story. thought provoking history…why am I the 39th comment. COME ON CONTRETE LOOP READERS..LIFE IS MORE THAN WHAT KIND OF SHOES BEYONCE HAS ON!!!
Yeah, I heard this story many years ago.
CL, please don’t have the majority of these spotlights focus on some type of tragic or negative event in black history. I’m not saying that everything is happy-go-lucky, but we also don’t have to be showered with stories of how things went wrong or someone did us wrong in the past. Keep up the good work.
YESSS, thank you for this. I’ve wanted to see something about this on TV and I’m glad I did. Thank you concreteloops. This is a very good site for blacks.
Concrete Loop you have again showed me why your website is the only one I visit. The website is so much more than ‘celebrities’ (which is cool of course) but it’s nice to read about our hisorical events.
Knowledge + Power = Freedom
@ 15, the books you mention are very educational & fundamental for African Americans. Nice to know someone from this post has read those books too.
Thanks for posting this. I’ve heard about Black Wallstreet, but not in this context. I’m glad I learned something new about my history today!
It’s amazing how you can go through 12 years of school, then attend 4 year college, and even pursue your master’s degree, and still not know half of the things that are highlighted in black history month….things that make you go hmmmmm!
@ 40
America was built on murder,rape,and lies. So, in return you’ll probably have more negative than positive about our history. But that’s not to say that there isn’t positive images of our history.
Why don’t you suggest some African Americans to discuss. A closed mouth don’t get fed. No disrespect intended.
Knowledge + Power = Freedom
Thanks so much for the post! I am actually from this area and I’ve seen the area myself and its crazy what it used to be and what it is now…
Thanks to the Loop for posting such a video!
There are so many events and incidents that were left out or distorted pertaining to the history of black americans. That is why it is called ………… HIS- STORY!
LOL #9. I agree with the rest, great post. I’m a teacher and I taught this in school acouple of years ago, my students were equally sad and proud of African-American accomplishments. Keep it up CL!
I think a movie was made about this event. I heard about this when I lived in Oklahoma.
God bless you for putting this out there in a forum that people [who otherwise wouldn't be interested] will see.
Stories like these are a reminder of what we have worked for in this country, what we have achieved, what has been taken from us and how we are viewed.
They are still relevant and people still need to hear them.
BIG UPS TO CONCRETELOOP!! I NEVER WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS IF YOU ALL WOULD NOT HAVE PUT IT UP. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. some black people think its all good in the hood when it comes to white people and how they treat us now as oppose to back then. and frankly in my opinion it ain’t. what a lot of us experience now is subtle racism… you know that racism you don’t catch until after the fact… and that is as detrimental as a mob coming to burn an all black town down. it always gets swept under the rug. then white people trick you into thinking that they are sorry about what happened in the past and now they know what’s best for black people now. wake up brothers and sisters. so damn ironic…hint,hint,… hillary…
This is an important post. I’ve never even heard of the Black Wall Street. Its a sad story but I think it gives us hope as a people: we can always rebuild and recover, and they can never break our spirit.
I’ve always wanted them (Denzel etc) to make a movie about this historical event. I would have prefered it to ‘the great debaters’.
Good lookin CL…
I’m from a town not far from tulsa..my
pops brought this to my attention back in my earlier years. Would really like to see BET do a lengthy documentary on this…thanks for getting this out there.
Thanks for this reminder. Our people are stronger than we sometimes believe. Keep up the good work
Thanks for sharing this information.I never knew about this particular accident (you really have to search for it, they don’t teach it).
Damn! Seeing that makes me so angry…But hopefully a new day is here. Get out and vote. OBAMA 2008!!!!
great post CL! Stuff like this is NOT taught in school. Just like Rosewood, it’s just not taught in schools. I commend you for these spotlights–educate and expand the mind is always a great thing–especially for the youngins that read this site. Just wonderful that you guys are doing this. CL is much more than a gossip site….keep doing your thing!
Thanks for the love….I AM a Tulsa, OK native, and was made aware
of Black Wall Street at a very early age…it is good to see this get some MAJOR recognition for this historical event…our people NEED to be made aware of OUR
history. T-TOWN BABY!!!!! LOL