May 31, 2021 12:28 PM
15 minutes. 280 characters may seem small, but in reality they are more than enough to inform or express opinions on almost anything. And if one issue has gained notoriety in the United States (USA) in the last year, it is racism, which some call “systemic,” the same racism that led to the worst massacre in the recent history of that country: that of Greenwood in Tulsa. , in the state of Oklahoma.
A mob of white men, many armed and supported by the local authorities themselves, looted and burned more than a thousand homes from that renowned African-American neighborhood, one of the wealthiest of the time.
The events allegedly occurred after a 17-year-old white girl who worked as an elevator operator, identified as Sarah Page, accused a 19-year-old African-American shoe shine boy named Dick Rowland of assault. From there, everything was chaos and extreme violence.
Millionaires and human losses in Tulsa
About 300 people are believed to have died between May 31 and June 1, 1921, the weekend before Memorial Day.
However, the events were never investigated and suspects were never arrested.
Nor did they pay any compensation to the more than 10,000 people affected by the irrational fury of those who disagree with the color brown or black that skin cannot hide. Estimated losses of more than $ 1.5 million in real estate and $ 750,000 in personal property (equivalent to $ 32.65 million in 2020).
The US chose to assume the attitude of the “3 wise monkeys” who do not see, do not hear and do not say anything.
Viola Fletcher, who was 7 years old during the Tulsa massacre (now 107), told a House subcommittee in May that “I will never forget the white mob violence when we left our home. I still see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I hear the screams. I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country can forget this story, but I cannot“Fletcher said, as reported by CNN.
This Monday, May 31, thousands of users of the social network Twitter express their ideas about that terrible passage in Tulsa, which occurred a century ago. Many wonder if anything has changed since then. Others already know the answer.
The #TulsaRaceMassacre was state-sanctioned murder and economic devastation.
Both driven by racism and pervasive white supremacist ideology.
Neither a thing of the past.
I remember and mourn.
And I recognize clear and present danger. # Greenwood #BlackWallStreet
– Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 31, 2021
Today, on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre, we’re reminded that the struggle for racial justice is not new. Terror has been inflicted on Black communities for centuries. We must come together to demand justice for Black Americans and we must never forget.
– Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) May 31, 2021
This week marks 100 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre. The first step in our unfinished journey to heal – and to advance social justice and racial equity – is to teach, remember, and directly confront the painful truths of our past. #TulsaRaceMassacrehttps: //t.co/6LzPfXDEPC
– Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) May 30, 2021
My name is WD Williams. Today is May 31st, 1921, and this is Greenwood, aka #BlackWallStreet. Today, hundreds of thriving Black businesses line these streets. Today, my parents own the Williams Dreamland Theater, and three other companies. Today I will be getting extra popcorn. pic.twitter.com/8bGnkP55Mm
– NIKKOLAS (@ 4NIKKOLAS) May 31, 2021
