Dis. Rel. Surgical Ward 1, in Red Cross hospital after the race riot in June 1921, Tulsa, Okla.
Dis. Rel. Surgical Ward 1, in Red Cross hospital after the race riot in June 1921, Tulsa, Okla., June 1921. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, American National Red Cross Collection, LC-DIG-anrc-14747 (digital file from original).
Mary E. Jones Parrish, The Tulsa Massacre.
Mary E. Jones Parrish, The Tulsa Massacre, 1922. From The New York Public Library. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/98e54e20-208d-013a-0864-0242ac110003.
Photo of Little Florence Mary Parrish, in The Tulsa Massacre.
Mary E. Jones Parrish, The Tulsa Massacre, 1922. From The New York Public Library. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/98e54e20-208d-013a-0864-0242ac110003.
Document Text |
Summary |
On the evening of May 31st, I was busy with a class in Typewriting until about 9 P.M. After my pupils were gone I immediately began reading a book which I was very anxious to finish (must admit, however, that I was never able to complete it), so I did not notice the excitement until late in the hour. The evening being a pleasant one, my little girl had not retired, but was watching the people from the window. Occasionally she would call to me, “Mother, look at the cars full of people.” I would reply, “Baby, do not disturb me, I want to read.” Finally she said, “Mother, I see men with guns.” Then I ran to the window and looked out. There I saw many people gathered in little squads talking excitedly. Going down stairs to the street I was told of the threatened lynching and that some of our group were going to give added protection to the boy. … | I was teaching a class until 9:00 p.m. on May 31. When my students left, I sat down to read a book I wanted to finish, so I did not notice anything unusual until later. The night was warm, so my daughter was looking out the window. Every so often she called out that there were cars full of people in the street, but I told her to leave me alone so I could read. Then she said, “Mother, I see men with guns.” I ran to the window and looked. I saw many people talking excitedly. I went down to the street and learned there were rumors that white people were planning to lynch a boy. Some Black men were going down to the jail to protect him. |
My little girl and I watched the excited groups from our window until a late hour, when I had her lie down and try to rest while I waited and watched. Waited and watched, for what – I do not know. One could hear firing in quick succession and it was hours before the horror of it all dawned upon me. I had read about the Chicago Riot and the Washington trouble, but it did not seem possible that prosperous Tulsa, the city which was so peaceful and quiet that morning, could be in the thrall of a great disaster. When it dawned upon me what was really happening I took my little girl in my arms, read one or two chapters of Psalms of David and prayed that God would give me courage to stand through it all. … | My daughter and I watched from the window until late, when I finally made her lay down to try to rest. I stayed up to watch and wait, although I do not know what I was waiting for. I could hear gunshots, but it was hours before I fully understood the horror of what was happening. I had read about the violence in Chicago and Washington, but it did not seem possible that something like that could happen in Tulsa. When I realized what was going on, I picked up my daughter and said a prayer. |
About 1:30 o’clock the firing had somewhat subsided and it was hoped that the crisis had passed over. Some one on the street cried out, “Look, they are burning Cincinnati!” On looking we beheld columns of smoke and fire and by this we know that the enemy was surging quickly upon Greenwood…I had no desire to flee but my heart went out in sympathy for those who were fighting so bravely against such tremendous odds…Then the truth dawned upon us that our men were fighting in vain to hold their dear Greenwood… At an early hour the lights were all out, so we prayed for daylight in hope that the worst would be over, but not so, for daylight had a distressing surprise in store for us. … | Around 1:30 a.m. the gunshots quieted and we hoped the crisis was over. Then someone on the street yelled “Look, they are burning Cincinnati!” I saw columns of smoke and fire and knew that the enemy was moving quickly toward Greenwood. I did not want to run but my heart hurt for all the people out there fighting against such terrible odds to save our community. Eventually we realized they were fighting a losing battle. The electricity went out, so we prayed for daylight, hoping the worst was over. But daylight brought new horrors. |
There was a great shadow in the sky and upon a second look we discerned that this cloud was caused by fast approaching aeroplanes…The firing of guns was renewed in quick succession. People were seen to flee from their burning homes, some with babes in their arms and leading crying and excited children by the end; others, old and feeble all fleeing to safety. Yet, seemingly, I could not leave…By this time my little girl was up and dressed, but I made her lie down on the dufold in order that the bullets must penetrate it before reaching her…Looking out of the back door I saw people still fleeing and the enemy fast approaching…I took my little girl by the hand and fled out of the west door on Greenwood. I did not take the time to get a hat for myself or baby, but started out north on Greenwood running amidst showers of bullets from the machine gun located in the granary and from men who were quickly surrounding our district… When Florence Mary and I ran into the street it was vacant for a block or more. Someone called to me “Get out of the street with that child or you both will be killed.” …we expected to be shot down at any moment, so we placed our trust in God…and ran on out Greenwood in the hope of reaching a friend’s home. | We saw a large shadow in the sky, and realized it was a group of airplanes coming to attack. Gunfire started again. People were fleeing their burning homes, some carrying babies while pulling along their older children, others elderly and weak, everyone trying to find safety. But still I could not leave. By this time my daughter was up and dressed, but I made her lay on the couch so that stray bullets would not hit her. I looked out the back door and saw the enemy coming. I took my daughter by the hand and ran out the front door. I did not take time to grab our hats. I started running north on Greenwood Avenue through gunfire. There was a machine gun on top of a building, and other armed men pouring into the neighborhood. When we ran into an empty street someone yelled “Get out of the street or you will both be killed.” We expected to be shot any moment, so we put our faith in God and ran out of Greenwood hoping to find safety at a friend’s house. |
Mary E. Jones Parrish, The Tulsa Massacre, 1922. From The New York Public Library. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/98e54e20-208d-013a-0864-0242ac110003.
Background
After World War I, a wealthy Black community called the Greenwood District developed in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The main street of the community was packed with so many thriving businesses it was called “Black Wall Street.”
On May 31, 1921 a young Black man named Dick Rowland was arrested for assaulting a white woman. The police planned to dismiss the charges because the evidence pointed to everything being a misunderstanding, but an inflammatory newspaper article about the incident riled up the white community. When armed Black men arrived at the courthouse to protect Dick from a rumored lynching, they were confronted by an angry white mob. Shots were fired and violence quickly spread.
White rioters responded by destroying the Greenwood District. They looted businesses and set fire to homes. The governor of Oklahoma declared martial law and called in the National Guard. Thirty-five city blocks were burned to the ground, more than 800 people were treated for injuries, and as many as 300 people died. Over 6,000 Black residents were imprisoned, some held up to eight days. Many Black residents fled the area in the days immediately following the attack, which is known today as the Tulsa Massacre.
The Black community that chose to stay in Greenwood rebuilt their lives and businesses. By 1942 there were once again over 200 Black-owned and Black-operated businesses in Greenwood.
About the Resources
This first-person description of the Tulsa Massacre was written by Mary E. Parrish. She and her daughter witnessed the start of the violence before fleeing to a friend’s home. In 1922 this account was published privately as a book entitled Events of the Tulsa Disaster.
The images capture the horror of the attack and its aftermath. The first shows a Black woman fleeing Tulsa with an armed man to protect her. The second shows a temporary law office set up to help those who were injured or who had lost their property. The third shows the reverend of a local Baptist church distributing relief goods. The fourth depicts a hospital recovery ward after the attack. The final image shows the extent of the devastation on North Greenwood Avenue directly following the attack.
Vocabulary
- lynching: The extralegal execution of a person by a mob.
- martial law: The temporary substitution of military authority for civilian rule, usually put in place during a time of war, rebellion, or natural disaster.
- massacre: The deliberate and indiscriminate murder of people.
- World War I: Military conflict that involved countries from every inhabited continent from 1914-1918.
Discussion Questions
- What does the Tulsa Massacre reveal about the experience of Black Americans in Northern cities in the Jim Crow era?
- Why do you think Mary E. Parrish hesitated to flee Greenwood during the attack? What changed her mind?
- Why is it important to learn this story? Why do you think it was left out of textbooks for so long?
Suggested Activities
- Use this resource alongside Migrating North and Black Life in the Urban North for insight into what Black American life was like in Northern states during the Jim Crow Era.
- Pair this resource with Life Story: Ida B. Wells-Barnett to consider the connections between the false justifications used for lynchings and the causes of the Tulsa Massacre.
- Use this resource with any or all of the following materials to consider racial discrimination against Black Americans during this historical period:
- For a more comprehensive discussion of racial tensions between white and Black Americans in US history, pair this resource with any or all of the following resources:
- The Weeping Time
- Life Story: Susan Clark Holley
- Fighting Jim Crow
- School Segregation
- Women of the Ku Klux Klan
- Reflecting on the Black Experience
- Life Story: Pauli Murray
- Integrating Little Rock
- Life Story: Mamie Till-Mobley
- Voting Rights and Violent Suppression
- Loving v. Virginia
- Panther Sisters on Women’s Liberation
- Life Story: Angela Davis
- Police Violence
Themes
IMMIGRATION, MIGRATION, AND SETTLEMENT
The New York Historical Curriculum Library Connections
- For further reading on Black activism during this time period, see our curriculum guide Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow.