About this time 96 years ago today crowds were gathering in Tulsa and talking about Dick Rowland's alleged attack on Mary Paige in an elevator in downtown Tulsa the day before. Their attention was drawn by a front page story in the Tulsa Tribune — the afternoon paper — entitled "Nab Negro for Attacking White Girl in Elevator." The story was, as Oklahoma City's African American newspaper said afterwards, "The Story that Set Tulsa Ablaze." Those brave veterans of the Great War wandered Greenwood, the African American section of Tulsa, asking what they should do to stop the lynching. And recalling the lynchings the previous fall in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa they decided to take action. Their actions were such an affront to the patterns of deference demanded of African Americans that the riot began, first in front of the Tulsa County Courthouse and then it expanded across the railroad tracks into the African American section of Tulsa — which was almost completely burned the following morning, June 1, 1921.
When I first started working on Tulsa lo those many years ago there were still many adults who had lived through that tragedy and could testify about it. Now there are barely a handful of survivors. And soon there will be none.
I have one minor tribute — which somewhat fittingly appeared today — a brief essay about an article in the Yale Law Journal, which also appeared in 1921. The article presented a pro-Confederate history of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. And I begin my essay with a comparison of the stark Jim Crow violence of Tulsa and the substantially more subtle message of pro-Confederate history.
Later this summer I hope to revisit some the mid-twentieth century interpretation of the coming of Civil War. I was reminded recently by the celebration of JFK's centennial that Profiles in Courage deals extensively with nineteenth century politics and race, in particular the road to Civil War and the road away from it during Reconstruction. I hope to use that as a vehicle for taking about how much our interpretation of history has changed since 1957 when Profiles came out.
This evening I am thinking about the ghosts of the riot who are stalking Greenwood as they prepare for yet another anniversary of that extraordinary violence.
Al – this was one of your most moving posts, ever. Thanks for it.
Ian
Thanks for the kind words, Ian.
Some reading the post may assume that there was an actual attack. My understanding is that the black man accidentally stepped on the foot of the white woman. See 20 HBL LJ 83. If that's the actual history, the post would be improved by clarification. The factual reality would also highlight the insanity of the threat of lynching and the subsequent riot.