A newly released report from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has shed light on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, revealing it was not a spontaneous riot but a highly organized and systematic attack. The investigation, conducted by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division cold case unit, found that local law enforcement and military personnel actively participated in the massacre. White vigilantes, organized into military-style units, burned down the Greenwood District—known as “Black Wall Street”—and killed over 300 Black residents.
Law Enforcement and Military Complicity in Massacre
The report details the significant role played by Tulsa police and National Guard members. Local law enforcement deputized white citizens, many of whom had been drinking and advocating for a lynching. These deputies were then organized into groups that ravaged Greenwood. Police officers were reported to have recruited additional attackers and participated in arson and killings. National Guard units, initially deployed to maintain order, later assisted in rounding up Black residents. Investigators found evidence that Tulsa-based guardsmen used automatic rifles and at least one machine gun during the attack.
Attack Was Orchestrated With Military Precision
According to the report, the violence escalated from the evening of May 31 to the morning of June 1, 1921. White men, enraged by the presence of armed Black men at the courthouse, launched an attack that started with sporadic gun battles. The next morning, white vigilantes, organized into military-style companies, moved systematically through Greenwood, burning homes and businesses block by block. Witnesses described a whistle signaling the coordinated attack. Some survivors also reported incendiary materials being dropped from airplanes flying over the district.
Justice Denied: Aftermath of the Massacre
The destruction did not end with the attack itself. Between 4,000 and 6,000 Black Tulsans were detained in makeshift camps for weeks, with many forced to clear debris and bury bodies. The DOJ report estimates at least 300 Black residents were killed, though the exact number remains unknown as bodies were dumped in rivers or unmarked graves. Legal justice never materialized—no white assailants were prosecuted, and the city failed to fulfill promises to rebuild Greenwood.
Breaking the Silence on a Dark Chapter in U.S. History
The report, released just days before the Biden administration’s end, aims to correct the historical record. Former Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke emphasized the significance of this acknowledgment, stating that the massacre was a “civil rights crime unique in its magnitude, barbarity, and racist hostility.” The DOJ’s previous 1921 investigation dismissed white racism as a factor and even blamed Black residents for the violence. This new report challenges that narrative, providing a detailed and authoritative account of one of the darkest events in American history.
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Tulsa Race Massacre was more planned than previously reported
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