Why has the Tulsa Race Massacre been largely forgotten?

What’s happening

Using ground-penetrating radar, scientists in Tulsa, Okla., recently discovered evidence of mass graves connected to the 1921 race massacre there. Like much of the evidence of the deadly event, the history of what’s been called “the single worst incident of racial violence in American history” has been buried.

In the early 1920s, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, home to most of the city’s black population, was a vibrant neighborhood that was so successful, it was known as "Black Wall Street." All that changed on May 31, 1921. An unproven accusation of an assault of a white woman by a black man caused long-bubbling white resentment to boil over into violence. White mobs flooded into Greenwood, looting homes, burning businesses and killing residents.

By June 1, 35 city blocks had been burned to the ground and thousands were left homeless. The official count tallied 36 deaths, but historians now believe the number could have been as high as 300.