June 1921

During the Tulsa Race Massacre, private and possibly National Guard aircraft flew over Greenwood. Survivors and contemporary accounts reported that planes fired on fleeing Black residents and dropped incendiary devices, making Tulsa one of the first instances of an American city being bombed from the air. At least a dozen planes circled and participated in the attack. The Oklahoma National Guard later confirmed planes were used for 'observation,' though eyewitness testimony consistently described gunfire from the air.

After the Tulsa Race Massacre, Black victims were buried in unmarked mass graves. Ground-penetrating radar surveys in 2020–2021 confirmed multiple burial sites including Oaklawn Cemetery. Survivors who filed insurance claims were denied on the grounds that riot damage was excluded. The city of Tulsa refused to pay reparations. A 1921 grand jury blamed Black residents for inciting the violence. Documented property losses exceeded $1.8 million (1921 dollars), never compensated.

After the Tulsa Race Massacre, over 6,000 Black survivors were interned in detention camps established at Convention Hall, McNulty Park, and the fairgrounds under the supervision of the Oklahoma National Guard. To be released, Black residents had to be 'vouched for' by a white employer. Many remained detained for weeks. At least 35 Black churches, 5 hotels, 31 restaurants, 4 drug stores, 8 doctors' offices, and hundreds of homes were destroyed. Estimates of insured property losses alone exceeded $1.5 million; total losses were far higher. The city arrested Black residents for 'inciting' the riot.

After the Tulsa Race Massacre, Black victims were buried in unmarked mass graves. Ground-penetrating radar surveys in 2020–2021 confirmed multiple burial sites including Oaklawn Cemetery. Survivors who filed insurance claims were denied on the grounds that riot damage was excluded. The city of Tulsa refused to pay reparations. A 1921 grand jury blamed Black residents for inciting the violence. Documented property losses exceeded $1.8 million (1921 dollars), never compensated.

After the Tulsa Race Massacre, over 6,000 Black survivors were interned in detention camps at Convention Hall, McNulty Park, and the fairgrounds under Oklahoma National Guard supervision. To be released, Black residents had to be 'vouched for' by a white employer. Many remained detained for weeks. At least 35 Black churches, 5 hotels, 31 restaurants, 4 drug stores, and 8 doctors' offices were destroyed. The city arrested Black residents for 'inciting' the riot while no white participants faced charges.