The year: 1921.
The date: the 31st of May.
A White lynch mob gathered at
The Tulsa courthouse late that day.
The goal: to lynch a nineteen-year-old
Black man, who'd been accused of assault,
Perpetuating the racist idea
That Black men are guilty by default.
The man, Dick Rowland, had been accused
Most likely because of a misunderstanding.
Nevertheless, the angry mob--
Thirsty for blood--showed up demanding
To take the law into its own hands.
The news spread; the mob grew in size.
Some Blacks--among them some veterans--came
To stop the lynching. Not a surprise.
All of a sudden, shots were exchanged.
A few people died on the spot.
The group of Blacks retreated while
Rumors flourished and tempers grew hot.
The African-Americans lived
In a bustling district called Greenwood. Its fame
Was rapidly spreading; America's Black
Wall Street was its popular name.
Mobs rampaged through Greenwood streets,
Setting businesses on fire,
Looting homes and murdering people.
Rumors and hatred stoked their ire.
Firefighters, who rushed to the scene,
Were under attack and forced to flee.
For eighteen hours angry White mobs
Carried out their murder spree.
At least thirty-five city blocks
Lay in ruins on June 1st.
Of low points in American history,
This has to be one of the worst.
It's hard to know how many people
Died, for numbers were underreported.°
Historians are grappling still
With information that's been distorted.
Thousands of people were homeless, for over
Twelve hundred homes had been destroyed.
A once thriving, exciting district
Became a charred, horrendous void.
The massacre was not unique;
Others have happened here as well.
The country--though great in many respects--
It has other ghastly stories to tell.
Time does not erase the past.
Don’t let memories become obscure.
We must work together so such
Atrocities never reoccur.
-by Bob B (5-31-21)
°Initially, the state reported 36 deaths. Historians say the death toll was much higher, from 150 to 300 people.
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