The second largest city in The US state of Oklahoma, Tulsa became rich in the early 20th century when oil was discovered nearby. After more than ten years of hard work by black entrepreneurs, greenwood became one of the most prosperous black economic and cultural centers in the United States at that time. From May 31 to June 1, 1921, Tulsa was the site of a devastating genocide. Thousands of white racists shot blacks, set fires and even bombed them with airplanes, killing hundreds and destroying entire towns.

According to the Wall Street Journal, at the time of the massacre, local police had provided weapons to the white rioters and helped them carry out looting and burning. After the massacre, the bodies of the slain blacks were dumped in the Arkansas River, which runs through Tulsa, or buried in mass graves. Hundreds of survivors were taken under arms to concentration camps and held for weeks.

Most black families were unable to rebuild because of racial segregation in the United States at the time, coupled with decades of racial discrimination in federal laws and policies regarding construction standards, housing loans, and road planning.