The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 was one of the worst instances of mass racial violence in American history. The violence was driven largely by White hostility toward African-American economic prosperity, and it centered on Tulsa’s Greenwood District (also known as Black Wall Street), a commercial area with many successful Black-owned businesses. In 24 hours, hundreds were killed, thousands displaced, and 35 city blocks were burned to ruins. The attack on Black Wall Street included the first aerial bombing of a U.S. city.
The Tulsa Chapter of the American Red Cross aided many victims and compiled reports, including this photo album showing riot scenes, devastated areas, National Guard troops, destroyed homes, dead victims, and massacre survivors in temporary housing.
Select pages are shown. Find the full photo album in the National Archives Catalog. Please note that some images are graphic and viewers might find them disturbing for racial violence.
