Black Wall Street: 105 Years Ago This Weekend

One hundred five years ago this weekend, one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in American history unfolded in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma—an area so prosperous it became known as "Black Wall Street."

What began with an accusation against Dick Rowland, a young Black man, quickly escalated into catastrophe. White mobs descended upon Greenwood. Businesses, churches, schools, homes, and dreams were burned to the ground. According to TIME Magazine, historians estimate that as many as 300 people were killed, more than 10,000 were left homeless, and over 1,200 homes and countless businesses were destroyed.

PBS’s American Experience noted that American scholar and philanthropist Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois understood what many Americans still struggle to acknowledge. He observed that Greenwood's success itself had become inflammatory to those who could not tolerate Black independence and prosperity.

Tulsa was not an isolated event.
The Greenwood massacre occurred just two years after the Red Summer of 1919, when racial violence erupted across the nation. Nor was Greenwood the only Black community to suffer destruction, displacement, or economic sabotage. Across America, Black communities built businesses, banks, newspapers, churches, schools, and professional networks—only to face violence, discriminatory policies, urban renewal projects, eminent domain seizures, segregation, or economic exclusion.

The question America still has not adequately answered is simple:

Why was Black success so often treated as a threat?

Scripture reminds us of our obligation when communities suffer injustice. Isaiah 1:17 commands believers to "Learn to do good; seek justice. Help the oppressed.

Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows." Proverbs 31:8-9 instructs us to "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves." Micah 6:8 reminds us to "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God."

Those principles apply to Greenwood as much today as they did in 1921.

What makes Tulsa particularly painful is not only the destruction but also the aftermath. Survivors rebuilt. Black entrepreneurs reopened businesses. Greenwood experienced a remarkable comeback during the 1930s and 1940s. Yet many historians argue that later urban renewal (negro removal plan) projects, highway construction, and redevelopment efforts fractured the district again, reducing much of what had been rebuilt.

Tulsa's story is therefore not merely about fire. It is about resilience. It is about the recurring struggle between opportunity and obstruction.

The same pattern appeared in communities throughout the United States, including West Ninth Street in Little Rock, Arkansas; Wilmington, North Carolina; Rosewood, Florida; Elaine, Arkansas; and numerous other Black business districts and neighborhoods whose histories remain largely absent from textbooks.

One difficult question remains: Where were the people willing to speak out?

History records courageous Americans of every race who opposed racial terror—people such as John Brown, Thaddeus Stevens, Viola Liuzzo, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, James Reeb, and countless others whose names are less known. Yet the historical record often leaves us wondering why more voices did not rise when entire communities were being destroyed.

Silence, too, becomes part of history.
And yet, despite every setback, Black Wall Street never truly died.

It evolved.
Today, echoes of Greenwood can be found in thriving Black business districts, entrepreneurship initiatives, HBCU partnerships, investment networks, and economic development movements throughout the country. Whether through the annual commemorations in Tulsa, emerging Black-owned business ecosystems in Atlanta and elsewhere, or initiatives like the National HBCU Black Wall Street Career Fest in Little Rock, Arkansas, the spirit of Greenwood continues to speak. The streets are still talking.

What are they whispering to you?
If we listen carefully, perhaps we will finally hear what Greenwood has been trying to teach America for 105 years: prosperity should never be punished, justice delayed is not justice denied forever, and communities built through sacrifice deserve remembrance, restoration, and opportunity.

See you at the next Black Wall Street experience.

Other communities frequently discussed in histories of Black dispossession, racial violence, or forced removal, and it's strongly recommended to enter any of them into a search engine, are:

1. Lake Lanier, Georgia
2. Rosewood, Florida
3. Wilmington, North Carolina
4. Elaine, Arkansas
5. Slocum, Texas
6. Forsyth County, Georgia
7. Ocoee, Florida
8. East St. Louis, Illinois
9. Springfield, Illinois
10. Colfax, Louisiana
11. Hamburg, South Carolina
12. New Orleans (Reconstruction-era violence)
13. Memphis, Tennessee (1866 riots)
14. Atlanta, Georgia (1906 riot)
15. Chicago, Illinois (1919 violence)
16. Omaha, Nebraska (1919 riot)
17. Knoxville, Tennessee (1919 riot)
18. Tulsa, Oklahoma (1921 massacre)
19. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
20. Seneca Village (New York City)

Suggested Resources

1. The Souls of Black Folk
2. Equal Justice Initiative
3. Zinn Education Project
4. Black Wall Street 100

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Edmond W. Davis is an American celebrity journalist, social historian, culture commentator, documentary host, and public intellectual. Davis is the founder of the National HBCU Black Wall Street Career Fest. This native of Philadelphia, PA, his wife, and his son currently live in the Little Rock, Arkansas, area. Davis is committed to cultural empowerment and educational equity through storytelling and civic engagement. In 2026, Davis was a grand marshal at the 38th Annual African American History Month Celebration Parade, the largest in the U.S. during Black History Month.

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