Known as Greenwood Avenue.
Greenwood Avenue was populated by successful African
American families, businesses, hospitals and churches. All this would change on May
31. A young black man was accused of attempting to rape a white woman in a Tulsa elevator. Later, a rumor flew through the community that a lynch party was forming. Several young black
men formed a defense party. At the courthouse they encountered a group of white
men. Strong words (and some say bullets) were let
loose. A pitched gun battle began right there on the spot. Soon, the white rioters forgot about their immediate targets and concentrated on looting and burning Greenwood Avenue. The mayor had to call in the National Guard from Oklahoma City to end the violence. In the aftermath, dozens of
people, black and white, were dead. The exact body count is still unknown. Greenwood Avenue was completely gone; burned to the ground. Fortunately, many residents refused to be scared away by the riots, and rebuilt the neighborhood. The scars from the ordeal, however, haunt many African
American residents of Tulsa to this
day.