TIMELINE OF EVENTS

What we understand happened on the 31 May and 1 June 1921

AFTERNOON, 31 MAY

The Tulsa Tribune publishes an afternoon edition claiming that Black 19-year-old Dick Rowland had been arrested for assaulting 17-yearold Sarah Page, a white elevator operator in Tulsa. The newspaper’s story is untrue but word spreads that a lynching of Rowland is being planned for that evening.

19:30

Hundreds of white Tulsa residents gather outside the Tulsa County Courthouse in which Rowland is being held and demand that he be handed over to them, but the sheriff refuses. The top floor is barricaded in an attempt to protect Rowland.

21:00

The African American community in Greenwood hears about what’s happening and organises a party of about 25 armed men, many of them WWI veterans who still have their guns, to offer aid to the sheriff in defending the courthouse. The sheriff turns down their help. Meanwhile, an attempt is being made to break into the local National Guard armoury, but the white mob is turned away by the guardsmen.

22:00

False rumours spread to Greenwood that the mob is storming the courthouse and so a second group is formed, now estimated to be about 75 Black men, to again offer help to the authorities. The white mob now numbers between 1,500 and 2,000 people. At some point, possibly as the Greenwood residents are leaving, someone tries to disarm one of the Black men and the gun goes off. Rioting outside the courthouse ensues.

BEFORE MIDNIGHT

The white mob is now attacking Black Tulsa residents throughout the city. One Black man is killed in a movie theatre. There are also reports of cars full of white men shooting Black people indiscriminately. Some buildings on the outskirts of Greenwood are attacked. The Tulsa police force deputises some of the white mob and, according to witnesses, authorises them to kill any African Americans they see. Meanwhile, the National Guard is mobilised but spends most of the night protecting white neighbourhoods in fear of a retaliatory attack, which never happens.

BEFORE DAWN, 1 JUNE

During the night plans are made to invade the Greenwood district. Groups of white men, numbering in the thousands, line up to surround the district on three sides.

DAWN

As dawn breaks, whistles are blown and the rioters invade en masse. They begin looting and firebombing homes and businesses, attacking and killing residents as they go. At least one machine gun is used by the mob and eye-witnesses claim that a plane is employed to drop incendiary devices onto buildings. An area of around 35 blocks is destroyed.

09:15

National Guard troops arrive at Greenwood, by which time most of the district is either burned down or still on fire. Martial law is declared as authorities look to reclaim control. Over 6,000 Black residents are held at the Convention Hall and Fairgrounds by police and Guardsman.