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The 1921 Tulsa Race Riot

Little Africa on fire, Tulsa Race Riot June 1st 1921
Photo: Library of Congress, American National Red Cross Photograph Collection

On May 31, 1921, hundreds of whites attacked a thriving Black neighborhood known as Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over the course of two days, 35 blocks of the neighborhood were razed and more than 1,400 homes and businesses were destroyed. 300 people—mostly Black Americans—were killed and nearly 10,000 residents were left homeless.

It is one of the most severe incidents of racial violence in U.S. history.

Learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre: