Tulsa Race Massacre - The Invasion | 3

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 June 2019

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

By midnight on Tuesday, May 31, 1921, some Greenwood residents assumed the riot was calming down. Many families, far away from the action at the courthouse, hadn’t even heard about the violence, and went to bed as usual. But as much of the city slumbered, the white mob was transforming into something even more deadly: a highly organized, strategic force led by volunteer soldiers.

That force held its fire until daybreak on Wednesday, June 1, when it sprang into action. All over Greenwood, men, women and children found themselves under siege, their homes, businesses and churches under attack from land and sky. Greenwood’s proud residents would defend themselves until they could defend themselves no more — calling the very survival of their fabled community into question.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to American History Tellers add free on Amazon Music,
0:05.6	download the app today.
0:08.9	Imagine this early morning on Wednesday, June 1st, 1921, the dawning of a bright, clear
0:23.5	day.
0:24.5	You take a sip of coffee and peek into the oven and check on the biscuits.
0:28.4	When you open the oven door, the lovely scent of baking wafes through the house.
0:32.3	You pull out the pan and call to your children in the other room.
0:36.0	Go on and wash your hands.
0:37.7	These biscuits will be ready any minute.
0:41.8	You stiffen.
0:42.8	What was that noise?
0:44.4	Is that gunfire?
0:46.8	You heard rumors of trouble, but your husband left for work this morning all the same.
0:51.6	The department store wasn't going to run itself, he said, and you both assumed the disturbance
0:55.6	would blow over.
0:57.3	If you go to the window, nothing seems out of place.
1:00.9	But now the gunshots sound like they're coming from right outside.
1:05.0	Your six-year-old Olivia runs up and grabs at your skirts.
1:08.2	Honey, come with me.
1:10.6	Saying a quick prayer, you lead her and your other three children to the dining table and
1:14.6	usher them underneath the long white table cloth.
1:17.5	Children, quick, be quiet as mice.
	...

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