In the 5th installment of our series exploring racial issues The Upside looks at a historical perspective.
In 1921 one of the nation’s most heinous acts of racial injustice occurred on the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tulsa was home to one of the most prosperous African American communities in the country. Nicknamed, ‘Black Wall Street’, hundreds of black business owners and families flourished.
That all came crashing down as the result of an alleged sexual assault in an elevator leading to 3 days of horrific violence and the ‘massacre’ of more than 300 African Americans.
The anniversary of this event on May 31 has been met with historic coincidence considering our current state of racial tension in America.
Several media outlets including 60 Minutes have reported on this story.
LaBron James and Russell Westbrook are producing documentaries on the event.
Today, we get the full account of this event from Phil Armstrong, Project Director of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission.
Make sure to subscribe to The Upside podcast for future episodes. Select interviews are also available on YouTube.
Check out the Video Pod version
Recent guests on The Upside include:
- Jeff Capel and Steve Wojciechoski
- Counzo Martin
- Dr. Scott Brooks
- UCLA Head Coach Mick Cronin
- CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein
- Texas Longhorn coach Shaka Smart
- Chris Herren
- ESPN’s Paul Biancardi
- Penn State coach Pat Chambers
Visit The Upside on YurView.com for more and follow Adam Finkelstein on Twitter: @AdamFinkelstein
