BLACK WALL STREET TULSA OKLAHOMA THE MOST DEVASTATING MASSACRE IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
Greenwood is a neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As one of the most prominent concentrations of African-American businesses in the United States during the early 20th century, it was popularly known as America’s “Black Wall Street” until the Tulsa race riot of 1921, in which the Oklahoma state government with the assistance of Tulsa’s white residents massacred hundreds of black residents and razed the neighborhood within hours. The riot was one of the most devastating massacres in the history of U.S. race relations, ALLEGEDLY destroying 2,000 BUSINESSES INCLUDING CHURCHES, KILLING OVER 300 PEOPLE INCLUDING LYNCHING ( HANGING ), AND DISLODGING 6,000 RESIDENTS OF the once thriving Greenwood community.
Within five years after the massacre, surviving residents who chose to remain in Tulsa rebuilt much of the district. They accomplished this despite the opposition of many white Tulsa political and business leaders and punitive rezoning laws enacted to prevent reconstruction. It resumed being a vital black community until segregation was overturned by the Federal Government during the 1950s and 1960s. Desegregation encouraged blacks to live and shop elsewhere in the city, causing Greenwood to lose much of its original vitality. Since then, city leaders have attempted to encourage other economic development activity.