In 1921, the Greenwood community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to one of the most prosperous African-American communities in the nation and dubbed “Black Wall Street” because of its affluence and thriving businesses.

But on June 1 of that year, white mobs descended on the community and in less than 48 hours killed as many as 300 people, while setting fires that destroyed 35 blocks of homes and businesses, leaving thousands of people homeless.

The worst outbreak of racial violence in U.S. history was rarely discussed in public among local residents nor taught in Tulsa schools, but that is changing, and Tulsa Public Schools is helping lead the way. 

In May, the school district will commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre by launching lesson plans created by Tulsa teachers in collaboration with the Greenwood Cultural Center. The lessons will be implemented in grades 3 to 12 and have been designed to fit into existing units of study. 

“For more than 80 years following the massacre there was a ‘conspiracy of silence’ when schools did not teach about the events,” said Tulsa Schools Superintendent Deborah Gist. “We are committed to ending the silence by providing a safe place for students to reflect on the past, think critically about the present and learn how to build a future society where all Tulsa citizens share equitable rights, freedoms and opportunities.” 

The school district also launched www.tulsaschools.org/TulsaRaceMassacre to provide resources such as videos, activities and recommended books for students, educators, families and the community to learn more. The website also features links to community partners and information on events that will take place during the ten-day centennial that will begin on May 26.

This summer, Tulsa Public Schools will host their fourth annual Tulsa Race Massacre Institute for educators, in partnership with the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Commission. The institute has provided professional development on teaching hard history, how teacher and student identity impact the classroom, the history of race relations in the United States and the history of the race massacre.  

As a child growing up in Tulsa, Gist did not learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre and noted that it is not unusual to meet graduates of Tulsa-area districts who also did not learn about it until well after high school graduation.

“That is changing, and we are deeply dedicated to ensuring this important story is a part of the school experience of Tulsans, as well as students beyond Tulsa,” said Gist. “This year, and in years to come, these lessons will help our community and others understand the past, reflect on the present and prepare our students for their future.” 

On June 8, 2021, voters will be asked to approve a $414-million bond for the Tulsa school district that includes $1 million in funding to support the district’s work to honor the legacy of Greenwood and the Tulsa Race Massacre, and also to support its partnership with the Greenwood Rising museum, which is expected to be completed later this year. 

Funds from the bond will be used to provide the classroom technology, instructional resources and books to be used with the lessons as the curriculum is expanded to reach more students. The 2021 bond also will give students the opportunity to go on educational field trips to the museum once it is completed.

“We have a unique opportunity as a school district to partner with Greenwood Rising,” said Tulsa Schools Chief Learning Officer Ebony Johnson. “We have a prime opportunity to partner with the museum so our students, with the help of this bond funding, can go and be a part of something that's monumental. It's critically important that our students are educated on what has happened, encouraged by the entrepreneurship of the Greenwood District, and also just mindful of what took place.”