"Black Wall Street" Burning: The Tulsa Race Massacre

 

Target: I can explain the impact of the Tulsa Race Massacre by comparing an eyewitness account of the violence to a photograph of the destruction.

Key Vocabulary

• Greenwood District ("Black Wall Street"): A very wealthy African American neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It had Black-owned banks, hotels, theaters, and luxury homes.

• The Tulsa Race Massacre (1921): A violent attack where a white mob destroyed Greenwood, burning over 1,200 homes and killing hundreds of Black citizens. For years, it was called a "riot" to blame the victims.

• Martial Law: When the military takes control of a city. In Tulsa, the National Guard arrested Black residents instead of protecting them.

• Systemic Racism: Racism that is part of how society runs (laws, economy), not just individual mean acts. The destruction of Black wealth in Tulsa is an example.

Part 1: Do Now (5 minutes)

Directions: Read the prompt below and write a 5-8 sentence response.

Prompt: Imagine you and your neighbors worked for 20 years to build the nicest, richest neighborhood in the city. You have your own businesses and safe homes. Suddenly, a jealous mob from the next town comes in, burns every single house to the ground, steals your money, and the police help them do it. How would this affect your family's future? Would it be possible to "just get over it" and start again from zero?

Sentence Starter: If my family lost everything we built, it would affect our future because... It would be impossible to "just get over it" because...

Part 2: Analyzing the Sources

Directions: Analyze the two documents below and then answer the questions that follow.

Source 1: Eyewitness Account by Buck Colbert Franklin (1921)

Context: Buck Colbert Franklin was a Black lawyer living in Greenwood. He wrote this account describing the morning the mob attacked. He watched his own office burn down.

Original Text

Simplified Text

"I could see planes circling in mid-air. They grew in number and hummed, darted and dipped low. I could hear something like hail falling upon the top of my office building. Down East Archer, I saw the old Mid-Way Hotel on fire, burning from its top, and then another and another and another building began to burn from their top. The side-walks were literally covered with burning turpentine balls. I knew all too well where they came from, and I knew all too well why every burning building first caught from the top."

"I could see airplanes flying in the air. There were more and more of them, flying low. I heard something hitting the roof of my office building like hail. I looked down the street and saw the hotel on fire, starting from the roof. Then another building, and another, started burning from the top. The sidewalks were covered with burning balls of turpentine (chemical firebombs). I knew exactly where they came from (the planes), and I knew why every building was catching fire from the roof first."

Source 2: Photograph - "Running for Safety" (June 1, 1921)

Context: This photograph was taken during the massacre. It shows the smoke from the burning Greenwood district filling the sky.

Description: The image shows a street in Tulsa filled with thick, black smoke blocking out the sun. In the distance, the entire horizon is on fire. People are seen running or walking away from the smoke, carrying the few belongings they managed to save. The prosperous "Black Wall Street" is being turned into ash.

Analysis Questions

Directions: Answer the writing questions and the two Multiple Choice questions.

1. According to Source 1, what does Buck Colbert Franklin see that proves this was a planned attack and not just a random "riot"?

Sentence Starter: He proves it was a planned attack because he saw... dropping... on the roofs of the buildings.

2. Look at Source 2. How does the image of the "Black Wall Street" burning help explain why African Americans in Tulsa lost their "generational wealth"?

Sentence Starter: The image shows the complete destruction of... This destroyed "generational wealth" because all the money and property they had built was...

Regents-Style Multiple Choice

3. The events described in these documents (The Tulsa Race Massacre) are an example of:

(1) The success of the Freedman's Bureau during Reconstruction

(2) Racially motivated violence caused by resentment of Black economic success

(3) The peaceful protests of the Civil Rights Movement

(4) The impact of the Harlem Renaissance on Southern cities

4. For many decades, the Tulsa Race Massacre was left out of history textbooks and called a "riot." This is an example of:

(1) Yellow Journalism

(2) The suppression of historical evidence to hide injustice

(3) The "Separate but Equal" doctrine

(4) Affirmative Action

Part 3: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Directions: Answer the following prompt in a complete paragraph (5-8 sentences).

Prompt: Using evidence from both sources, explain what happened to "Black Wall Street." Why is the account of B.C. Franklin (Source 1) important for understanding the truth about the "Massacre"?

Sentence Starter: "Black Wall Street" was destroyed because... As shown in Source 2, the entire neighborhood was... B.C. Franklin's account (Source 1) is important because he reveals that the mob used... This proves that the event was not a "riot" caused by Black people, but a...