Tulsa_riot_or_massacre
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History
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Uploaded by CaptainGoldfishPerson967
Tulsa riot or massacre?
The website asks whether the event was a riot or massacre. Based on the website and the
report, what do you think it was? Why is this distinction important today?
I believe that the event in Tulsa in 1921 was a massacre based on the information from the
website. The description of the events, including the deliberate destruction of homes,
businesses, churches, and schools, and the killing of a significant number of people,
demonstrates the characteristics of a massacre rather than a riot.
The difference between the two terms “riot” and “massacre” is important because it reflects
the severity and nature of the events, and it has significant implications for the historical and
moral understanding of what occurred. In this case, the "massacre" involves the killing of a
number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or
cruelty.
The Tusala event involved the destruction and burning of an African-American community
(Greenwood District). Which resulted in the deaths of a significant number of people. This all
was initiated by white mobs, aided by law enforcement and government officials. After reading
the report the term massacre seems more fitting along with the circumstances of the violence,
loss of life, and the scale of destruction.
The reason why this distinction is so important today is because a term like “riot” can tone
down the seriousness of the event. And make it seem more of a level of mutual conflict or
culpability that may not have existed. In this case, the violence was largely perpetrated by the
white community against the black community, and there were systemic factors that
contributed to it.
Last but not least the report also brought up that the mentions that the term "riot" was
historically used for insurance purposes to avoid paying benefits to the victims. This underscores
the significance of the terminology in addressing historical injustices and ensuring restitution to
the victims and their descendants.
That’s why it's more appropriate to refer to a “massacre” when it comes to the events of 1921
in Tusala.
https://www.tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre/
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