Who Destroyed Black Wall Street? The Destruction of Greenwood Before 1921, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to a thriving Black community filled with businesses, restaurants, doctors, lawyers, theaters, hotels, and homeowners. Its extraordinary economic success helped earn it the nickname “Black Wall Street.” Then everything changed. On May 31, 1921, a confrontation surrounding the arrest of a young Black man named Dick Rowland helped ignite racial tensions that had already been building in Tulsa. After reports spread that a white mob might attempt to lynch Rowland, armed Black residents went to the courthouse to help prevent it. The situation escalated, and violence erupted. Over the next several hours, white mobs invaded Greenwood, looting businesses and homes before setting buildings on fire. Black residents were attacked, displaced, and detained while much of their community was reduced to ruins. But the Tulsa Race Massacre cannot be understood by blaming only the people physically carrying out the attacks. Racist attitudes, sensational newspaper coverage, the actions and failures of local authorities, and a system that offered Greenwood residents little protection all contributed to the catastrophe. By the time the violence ended, approximately 35 city blocks had been devastated and thousands of Black residents had been left homeless. The exact number of people killed remains uncertain. Black Wall Street was destroyed—but Greenwood's story didn't end there. Survivors returned and rebuilt their community despite enormous obstacles and little assistance. The destruction of Greenwood is not simply the story of a riot. It is the story of how racial hatred, mob violence, institutional failure, and economic jealousy combined to devastate one of the most successful Black communities in America.