"Principal Negro Business Section and Church Swept by Riot Flames"
6/5/1921
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This article from the Tulsa Tribune includes photographs of destruction following the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, one of the worst instances of mass racial violence in American history. It shows ruins of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Greenwood Avenue, and the former office of the Tulsa Star, a Black newspaper whose office was destroyed.
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 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This article uses the term "Negro" to refer to Black people, which was commonly accepted in that era, but is outdated and inappropriate today.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 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 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This article uses the term "Negro" to refer to Black people, which was commonly accepted in that era, but is outdated and inappropriate today.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: Principal Negro Business Section and Church Swept by Riot Flames; 6/5/1921; 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/riot-flames-tulsa-tribune, June 25, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
