The Anniversary of The Black Wallstreet Massacre

Today is May 31st, 2020.

Ironically, 99 years ago today, an event happened that I’m fairly certain was not in your history books in high school, but which has amazing symmetry with the circumstances of today. The “Tulsa race massacre” (aka the “Black Wall Street Massacre”) killed 75 to 100 people in a community known as “Black Wall Street” — the wealthiest Black Community in the United States at that time. The community was full of black-owned businesses and services and was economically independent in it’s growth and subsequent prosperity. Basically, these people had decided to mostly leave White America alone and try to bootstrap their way to a better life — and it worked.

So what happened?

In Downtown Tulsa, A 19 year old young black man was accused of assaulting a 17 year old white girl in an elevator (it would later be found that if anything at all happened, it was less than assault — speculation says he simply tripped on the way out and touched her arm to steady himself).

Eventually the young black man was detained by police, and although the young lady told police she would not press charges, and although the police found no evidence of wrongdoing, rumors spread via a local newspaper that they would unjustly lynch him. Black men came to the station to stop it, while white men came to ensure that it happened. Shortly after, a fight broke out and shooting ensued — and that was the beginning of the ugliness.

Sometime after midnight on June 1st, 1921, a larger, armed white mob drove around that community essentially doing drive-by shootings — firing guns into businesses and homes while also hurling fire-lit rags soaked in oil. When firefighters came to try and stop the fires they were held at gunpoint. Planes circled above the community to ensure there was no “negro uprising” and some even dropped firebombs on buildings. The mob looted buildings for more guns and ammunition.

Needless to say, the community burned.

Roughly 200 businesses were lost. Churches were destroyed. Schools. The property damage was the equivalent of over $30 million dollars today.

Many of the residents lived in tents throughout the winter. Many lost everything. Most fled and relocated to other places. Many lived in fear and would never speak on the incident again.

There were no convictions for any of the violence. Only black men were detained.

So what is the relevance?

The vernacular of America when it fundamentally disagrees with the manner of governance (justly or unjustly) is violence and looting, with no respect for the economic and human collateral damage.

Simply put, looting is in the DNA of America.

Corporate America does it — It is the reason why in the midst of a “War against COVID-19” billion dollar corporations gobbled up CARES Act funds that were supposedly earmarked for “small businesses”. It is the reason why huge companies in the crash of 2008 were bailed out with taxpayer money while their executives funded their own bonuses.

The government does it — It is the reason why in the war against Iraq, Halliburton, a US company with intimate ties to Vice President Cheney, received multiple contracts worth billions of dollars to rebuild the very country we were bombing.

It is the reason why under Obama we executed drone strikes that killed their targets in Afghanistan in addition to innocent civilians, while we better positioned ourselves in the Middle East.

It is the reason why in the current administration, people with no prior qualifications are in advisor positions, and heading up agencies where they can enrich themselves both in cash and in networks/visibility at the expense of the average American.

If you do not complain about the looting that occurs by the rich and the powerful — America’s plutocracy, and if you are not aware of the perpetual looting and killing of everyday black Americans minding their business, please do not complain about the looting that is occurring today. These are people who are hurt, downtrodden, generationally oppressed, exposed to the elements of poverty, and want to burn everything and take what they can, because everything has already been taken from them. You may not agree with the methods, but you are not the correct messenger because you have not displayed the same energy or vocal stamina for the other forms of looting I mentioned above.

You wouldn’t do it that way…

You would be more organized…

You would only burn and loot from companies that were racist…

You would never steal…

You are probably not doing anything. You likely are reading this and have not done a single thing of consequence to fix this issue. You likely have the privilege of inaction if you are reading this in the comfort of your home.

It is always the people who are doing nothing, that have the largest critique of those who are doing something. It is never those who claim they wouldn’t have burned black businesses, that are organizing strategic protests. It is never those that claim that violence isn’t the answer, that are organizing and ensuring peaceful demonstration and coordination. It is never those that are claiming there is no reason to loot or steal, that are consistently providing those in poverty with the resources necessary to not be in need or wanton.

But I digress…

Today is the anniversary of what America has proven remarkably good at: literally and figuratively squelching the potential of Black people on the basis of a single accusation by someone White. It happened to #GeorgeFloyd and it happened to Black Wall Street.

What will we do to change that?