Justice Department Issues Landmark Report on 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Revealing the Extent of Coordinated Racial Violence Against Black Wall Street

Tulsa, Oklahoma – A comprehensive federal report released by the Justice Department on Friday has officially acknowledged the systematic destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, a flourishing Black community, by an organized white mob in 1921. The event, historically termed as the Tulsa Race Massacre, left an estimated 300 Black residents dead and thousands homeless, effectively erasing a vibrant economic hub.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke characterized the massacre as a unique civil rights crime in its “magnitude, barbarity, racist hostility, and utter annihilation of a thriving Black community.” The report follows an extensive investigation by the DOJ’s Cold Case Unit, which involved interviews with survivors and scholars, and a review of primary source materials and legal documents.

The Greenwood District, known as Black Wall Street for its prosperity, was targeted by an assembly of up to 10,000 white Tulsans spurred by a racially charged allegation against 19-year-old Dick Rowland. Accused of assaulting Sarah Page, a white elevator operator, in a downtown Tulsa building, Rowland’s arrest ignited rumors that escalated tensions, setting the stage for the devastating events between May 31 and June 1, 1921.

Instead of uncontrolled rioting, the report describes the violence as a coordinated attack, executed with military precision. Authorities at the time, including local police and National Guard members, were found to have participated actively. They not only failed to prevent the massacre but were documented as contributors, disarming Black residents and detaining them in internment camps.

The DOJ report provides new insights into the orchestration of the attack, revealing that local law enforcement deputized hundreds of white residents, forming a pseudo-military force that invaded Greenwood at dawn. Followed by mass arson and looting, the destruction was so thorough that it left a once-thriving district in ruins and its residents in despair.

Legal barriers and regulatory tactics employed post-massacre by city officials further hindered reconstruction efforts in Greenwood. “The city government put up obstacles to residential reconstruction and imposed harsh new fire codes to prevent residents from rebuilding,” the report notes, adding to the adversity faced by survivors in reviving their community.

Even a century later, the massacre’s repercussions are profound. In recent congressional testimonies, survivors such as 110-year-old Viola Fletcher recalled the haunting memories of violence and loss. “I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot,” she stated, painting a vivid picture of the day’s terror.

Despite the lengthy period since the tragedy, the path to justice remains fraught. The report acknowledges the impossibility of prosecuting any living perpetrators today, pointing to historical injustices that allowed offenders to escape accountability. Moreover, efforts by survivors and their descendants to seek reparative measures have seen limited success, with local courts dismissing lawsuits aimed at addressing the historical cover-up and restitution.

The DOJ report marks a pivotal moment in acknowledging and documenting one of the darkest chapters in American history. It not only breaks a long-held silence over the federal government’s role in addressing racial violence but also reinforces the ongoing need to confront historical injustices and heal a community still bearing the legacy of its past.