Letter from Louella West and J. S. West to Maurice Willows
7/1/1921
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Louella West and Pastor J. S. West of the A. M. E. Church in Tusla, Oklahoma, wrote this letter to Maurice Willows, Director of Relief for the American Red Cross, expressing gratitude for the Red Cross's relief efforts following the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.
The Tulsa 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 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 letter was included in one of their reports.
This document uses the terms "negro" to refer to Black people, which was commonly accepted in that era, but is outdated and inappropriate today.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 Race Massacre. See the full file in the National Archives Catalog.
The Tulsa 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 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 letter was included in one of their reports.
This document uses the terms "negro" to refer to Black people, which was commonly accepted in that era, but is outdated and inappropriate today.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 Race 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: Letter from Louella West and J. S. West to Maurice Willows; 7/1/1921; 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/west-to-willows, September 7, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.