Remembering The Tulsa Massacre; Another Kind Of Memorial Day

OneEyedDiva

OneEyedDiva

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Today is the 100th anniversary of the massacre in Tulsa Oklahoma. The economically prosperous Black community of Greenwood was known as the Black Wall Street. After accusations that a Black man had assaulted a White woman vigilantes set out on a two day reign of terror.
"By some estimates, a white mob killed up to 300 Black residents and destroyed more than 1,000 homes, businesses, churches and schools in the so-called Black Wall Street. Some experts say about 10,000 people were left homeless after the massacre."
107 year old survivor Viola Fletcher says:
"I will never forget the violence of the White mob when we left our home," she told a House subcommittee. "I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams."
A similar incident happened in the upscale, thriving Black town of Rosewood under similar circumstances but more on that later.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/05/31/Tulsa-Race-Massacre-anniversary/8381622474170/
@Pecos
 

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Some white folk still harbor hatred or jealousy when black folk do well or better than they are
able to do. It was much worse back in that day. Accusing a black man of assaulting a white
woman seems to have been a common accusation leading to extreme violence through out
our sorted, sorry history between black and white people. White conduct was shameful but
condoned by the law who mostly turned their heads or brought out the dogs making it all the worse.
 
It's really horrible that I never even heard of this until probably over a year ago. Seriously this is suppressing history.

We learned about the Missions in California and even took field trips to some in the 4th grade. They have historical significance but what really happened to the Native peoples, I don't remember learning about.

I do think American history needs to be revamped in schools. I don't want kids today blamed for what happened in the past. This would be very hard on abused children who are usually invisible anyway, but people need to know about it.

I think there are a couple of TV specials on this devastating subject.
 
It's so horrific I can only gasp, not speak. Not that this lessens the horror, but this is a provable case for reparations.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Today is the 100th anniversary of the massacre in Tulsa Oklahoma. The economically prosperous Black community of Greenwood was known as the Black Wall Street. After accusations that a Black man had assaulted a White woman vigilantes set out on a two day reign of terror.
"By some estimates, a white mob killed up to 300 Black residents and destroyed more than 1,000 homes, businesses, churches and schools in the so-called Black Wall Street. Some experts say about 10,000 people were left homeless after the massacre."
107 year old survivor Viola Fletcher says:
"I will never forget the violence of the White mob when we left our home," she told a House subcommittee. "I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams."
A similar incident happened in the upscale, thriving Black town of Rosewood under similar circumstances but more on that later.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/05/31/Tulsa-Race-Massacre-anniversary/8381622474170/
@Pecos
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That history reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Billie Holiday; Strange Fruit. Made my eyes water the first few times I heard it. It's still tough to listen to.
 
Murrmurr said:
That history reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Billie Holiday; Strange Fruit. Made my eyes water the first few times I heard it. It's still tough to listen to.
Click to expand...
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin' eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather
For the wind to suck
For the sun to rot
For the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop.


I remember it, it still brings tears to my eyes. Billie Holliday is an old time favorite of mine. My favorite is God Bless The Child.
 
Becky1951 said:
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin' eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather
For the wind to suck
For the sun to rot
For the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop.


I remember it, it still brings tears to my eyes. Billie Holliday is an old time favorite of mine. My favorite is God Bless The Child.
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And it's not just the lyrics, it's the way she sang it. She felt it, and you could feel it. It's heart-wrenching. Gut-turning.
 
**off topic, but kinda not**
When I visited my aunt & uncle in South Carolina- got in a conversation on genealogy, which was both my hobby and my aunts.
She made the statement: "you never know what you'll find hangin' in your family tree". That gave me an eerie feeling. In the passing years, the more I learned of my family history, the more that statement came back as ringing true.
 
Nathan said:
I have pro-slavery ancestors and also relatives that were held as slaves. A lot of stories, some clearly established, some still intriguing mysteries.
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Same here, so I know the feeling. I also have ancestors who came here as indentured slaves, but at least there was a light at the end of the long tunnel for them.

I don't allow myself to feel responsible for my slave-owning ancestor's deplorable ignorance, but it probably does effect my social outlook; how I treat everyone.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Today is the 100th anniversary of the massacre in Tulsa Oklahoma. The economically prosperous Black community of Greenwood was known as the Black Wall Street. After accusations that a Black man had assaulted a White woman vigilantes set out on a two day reign of terror.
"By some estimates, a white mob killed up to 300 Black residents and destroyed more than 1,000 homes, businesses, churches and schools in the so-called Black Wall Street. Some experts say about 10,000 people were left homeless after the massacre."
107 year old survivor Viola Fletcher says:
"I will never forget the violence of the White mob when we left our home," she told a House subcommittee. "I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams."
A similar incident happened in the upscale, thriving Black town of Rosewood under similar circumstances but more on that later.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/05/31/Tulsa-Race-Massacre-anniversary/8381622474170/
@Pecos
Click to expand...
These are two more frightening episodes in our National Hall of Shame.
The senselessness of these incidents and the nonsense that continues to happen is simply astounding.
I continue to be utterly amazed by the resilience of our black citizens.
 
drifter said:
Some white folk still harbor hatred or jealousy when black folk do well or better than they are
able to do. It was much worse back in that day. Accusing a black man of assaulting a white
woman seems to have been a common accusation leading to extreme violence through out
our sorted, sorry history between black and white people. White conduct was shameful but
condoned by the law who mostly turned their heads or brought out the dogs making it all the worse.
Click to expand...
Brings to mind Emmett Till's brutal murder in 1955 for supposedly whistling at a white woman. Lots of downright evil events have occurred in US history.

There should have been county government property records on ownership for the Greenwood community. But maybe the county workers were in cahoots with the killers who were allowed to confiscate stolen property.

The 1997 Tulsa Riot Commission:

"In its preliminary recommendations, the commission suggested that the state of Oklahoma pay $33 million in restitution, some of it to the 121 surviving victims who had been located. However, no legislative action was ever taken on the recommendation, and the commission had no power to force legislation. The commission’s final report was published on February 28, 2001. In April 2002 a private religious charity, the Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry, paid a total of $28,000 to the survivors, a little more than $200 each."

https://www.britannica.com/event/Tulsa-race-massacre-of-1921
 
The winner gets to write its history and when has the country paid more than lip service.
The way the world turns. Most don’t think about it unless it comes up in conversation or
is on the news for a few days running.
 
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terry123 said:
I was very upset that I had never heard that until now. There is a show tonight hosted by Gayle King that covers it. I have it set to tape in case I get distracted by something else.
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Terry, so much of America's shameful history has been covered up and is so slanted. To add insult to injury, many accomplishments by my people have also been hidden and/or credited to others. I have a Jewish friend who said she was astounded when she started reading Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. She actually had to read passages more than once for the truth about historical events to register (and she's a smart woman).
@Nosy Bee-54 "That's because our history books have been whitewashed to some degree. Only events to make us exceptional are to be taught in schools." That's exactly right. That was one of the reasons the originators of Black History Month felt it was much needed.
 
"You can't just choose to learn what we want to know and not what we should know. We should know the good, the bad, everything," Biden said. "That's what great nations do. They come to terms with their dark sides ..."

"The history of what took place here was told in silence, cloaked in darkness. But just because history is silent, that doesn't mean that it did not take place," Biden said. "While darkness can hide much, it erases nothing."

-- President Joseph R Biden
06/01/2021

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/jo...sa-s-race-massacre-100th-anniversary-n1269193
 
Horrific. I was shocked to first hear of the Tulsa Massacre several years ago ...and shocked that so few others had either. But then I didn't know about Emmett Till until my 20s and I'm a native of Tallahatchie County MS (both parents as well) though I grew up several counties over.
 
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I watched the CNN special on this Dreamland. I was listening to news talk this week also and someone mentioned something that was not in the movie. They stated that there were journalists and other's who wanted to investigate and write about what happened. These people were severely threatened enough that they dropped it. This was so suppressed.
 

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