"Blacks Attack New Ordinance Passed by City"
9/1/1921
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This article from The Tulsa Tribune discusses a fire ordinance passed by the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, after the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.
The massacre was one of the worst instances of mass racial violence in American history. The violence was driven largely by White hostility toward African-American economic prosperity, and it centered on Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District (also known as Black Wall Street), a commercial area with many successful Black-owned businesses. In 24 hours, hundreds were killed, thousands displaced, and 35 city blocks were burned to ruins. The attack on Black Wall Street included the first aerial bombing of a U.S. city.
The Mayor of Tulsa placed the blame for the massacre on the Black population. He proposed reconstructing Greenwood as a railroad station and industrial park, preventing those displaced by the massacre from rebuilding where their former homes and businesses once stood. The city passed a fire ordinance preventing the rebuilding of "frame structures" in the burned areas of the city. Land owners filed suit, charging that the ordinance was unconstitutional as it attempted to confiscate property without due process.
The article says:
The American National Red Cross provided relief to many victims of this massacre. The Tulsa Chapter compiled reports and a photo album relating to their management of the disaster relief effort. This article was included in one of their reports.
This article uses the term "negro" to refer to Black people, which was commonly accepted in that era, but is outdated and inappropriate today. The document comes from a larger file of Red Cross reports about the Tulsa Massacre. See the full file in the National Archives Catalog.
The massacre was one of the worst instances of mass racial violence in American history. The violence was driven largely by White hostility toward African-American economic prosperity, and it centered on Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District (also known as Black Wall Street), a commercial area with many successful Black-owned businesses. In 24 hours, hundreds were killed, thousands displaced, and 35 city blocks were burned to ruins. The attack on Black Wall Street included the first aerial bombing of a U.S. city.
The Mayor of Tulsa placed the blame for the massacre on the Black population. He proposed reconstructing Greenwood as a railroad station and industrial park, preventing those displaced by the massacre from rebuilding where their former homes and businesses once stood. The city passed a fire ordinance preventing the rebuilding of "frame structures" in the burned areas of the city. Land owners filed suit, charging that the ordinance was unconstitutional as it attempted to confiscate property without due process.
The article says:
"We are raising the question in this case," explained Judge Eakes to the court, "that this ordinance is a direct attempt to take property without due process of law, herefore violates the constitution of the United Sates and also the constitution of Oklahoma, which provides that property cannot be taken for private purposes, either with or without compensation, without the consent of the owner."The new fire ordinance was struck down in court. In the face of ongoing attempts of oppression and disruption, the survivors of the disaster continued to rebuild.
The American National Red Cross provided relief to many victims of this massacre. The Tulsa Chapter compiled reports and a photo album relating to their management of the disaster relief effort. This article was included in one of their reports.
This article uses the term "negro" to refer to Black people, which was commonly accepted in that era, but is outdated and inappropriate today. The document comes from a larger file of Red Cross reports about the Tulsa Massacre. See the full file in the National Archives Catalog.
This primary source comes from the Collection ANRC: Records of the American National Red Cross.
National Archives Identifier: 157670060
Full Citation: Blacks Attack New Ordinance Passed by City; 9/1/1921; DR-6.08 Oklahoma, Tulsa Co. Riot Reports and Statistics; Central Decimal Files, 1881 - 1982; Collection ANRC: Records of the American National Red Cross; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/blacks-attack-new-ordinance-passed-by-city, October 13, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.