The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: Images of A Community In Terror

Photos provided by the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum.

Detention - The Tulsa Race Massacre focused the racist anger of whites who lived in the area around Tulsa, Okla., on the prosperous Greenwood District and a mob treated the community like criminals. In this image a group of African American men being marched down a street toward a detention center.
Street Scene - A white man looks around an intersection during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Blacks were targeted during the violence, forcing many to flee their communities and hide from their assailants. 
Under Siege - A postcard shows Black Tulsans being marched to the city's convention Hall during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. A Dream Destroyed - One of the most popular prominent Black-owned businesses was the Williams Dreamland Theatre in the Greenwood District. It was opened in 1914 by John Wesley Williams and his wife Loula Thomas Cotten Williams. The upper story of the building contained the Alexander Hotel operated by Alexander Carr. But it was destroyed along with many blocks of other residences and businesses in the massacre. 

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Detention - The Tulsa Race Massacre focused the racist anger of whites who lived in the area around Tulsa, Okla., on the prosperous Greenwood District and a mob treated the community like criminals. In this image a group of African American men being marched down a street toward a detention center.

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