HARD TO COMPREHEND WHAT HAPPENED
THERE.
UNLESS OF COURSE YOU LIVED IT.
>>> ON JUNE 1, 1921, NINE YEAR
OLD WAS AWAKENED BY HER MOTHER.
WHAT HER MOTHER SAID NEXT SHE
NEVER FORGOT.
>> SHE SAID WITH WE IS HAVE TO
GO OUT, GET OUT.
SHE SAYS THE WHITE PEOPLE ARE
KILLING THE COLORED PEOPLE.
>> ELDORIS GREW UP IN THE
GREENWOOD AREA OF TULSA, A
GLORIOUS BUSTLING COMMUNITY OF
SOME 10,000 AFRICAN AMERICANS.
THERE WERE SCHOOLS, CHURCHES,
STORES, THEATERS AND A HOSPITAL.
>> IT WAS A PLACE WHERE, FOR
AFRICAN AMERICANS THE AMERICAN
DREAM WAS WORKING.
>> SCOTT ELSE WERTH IS A TULSA
NATIVE.
HES BEEN SEARCHING FOR TRUTH OF
OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE MOST OF
HIS LIFE, REPORTING HIS FINDINGS
IN A NEW BOOK, "THE
GROUNDBREAKING ".
>> SOMETHING HAPPENS IN AN ELEVATOR IN DOWNTOWN TULSA
ELEVATOR IN DOWNTOWN TULSA
BETWEEN A 19 YEAR OLD SHOE
SHINER, DICK ROWLAND AND A WOMAN
SARAH PAGE.
>> THAT EVENING A LYNCH MOB
GATHERED OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE
WHERE ROWLAND WAS JAILED.
>> THE HOURS GO BY.
THE LYNCH MAN IS 100, 200, 500,
800 PEOPLE GOING.
>> Reporter: WORD GETS TO
GREENWOOD AND A GROUP OF BLACK
WORLD WAR I VETERANS SHOW UP TO
HELP THE SHERIFF DEFEND ROWLAND.
THEY WERE TURNED AWAY.
>> AS THEY ARE LEAVING AN
ELDERLY WHITE MAN WENT UP TO A
TALL BLACK VET AND SAID WHERE
ARE YOU GOING WITH THAT GUN?
A TUSSLE ENSUE, A SHOT GOES OFF.
AND THE MASSACRE BEGINS.
>> Reporter: THE VETERANS
RETREAT TO GREENWOOD WITH A MOB
IN PURSUIT.
GUN BATTLES ERUPT BUT SOMEHOW IT
IS QUIET OVERNIGHT, UNTIL THE
NEXT MORNING.
>> ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE IS A
WHISTLE THAT GOES OFF.
AND AT THAT POINT THIS WHITE MOB
STARTS WALKING TOWARDS
GREENWOOD.
>> Reporter: ELDORIS AND HER
FAMILY FLEE RUNNING NORTH UP A
SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS.
>> THE CROWD WAS JUST BACK OF
THE RAILROAD TRACKS ON SIDES AND
DOWN THE MIDDLE.
>> Reporter: THE RESIDENTS OF
GREENWOOD TRY TO DEFEND THEIR
NEIGHBORHOOD BUT THEY DONT HAVE
A CHANCE.
THE NATIONAL GUARD SPRAYS THE
RESIDENTS WITH MG FIRE AND IT
GETS WORSE.
>> UP IN THE AIR, AIRPLANES
START FLYING OVER GREENWOOD.
THERE IS EVIDENCE AND I BELIEF
THIS FIRMLY, THAT AT LEAST ON
ONE OF THE AIRPLANES A CO-PILOT
IS DROPPING STICKS OF DYNAMITE
DOWN ON GREENWOOD.
>> AIRPLANES WAS UP, ARE RAINING
DOWN THE BULLETS.
AND I COULD SEE THEM.
AND I HEARD THEM.
AND I WAS SO FRIGHTENED.
>> Reporter: GREENWOOD IS LEFT A
SMOLDERING RUIN.
9,000 PEOPLE LEFT HOMELESS.
DEAD UNCOUNTED.
ESTIMATES RANGE FROM 75-300.
ELDORIS LIVED UNTIL 2010.
HER GRANDDAUGHTER JOY KEEPS HER
STORY ALIVE.
>> WHAT DID TULSA LOSE BY HAVING
THAT ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD
DESTROYED?
>> THE GLORY OF THE BRIGHT CITY
SHINING ON A HILL.
>> Reporter: ELDORIS AND OTHER
SURVIVORS GAVE TEST TO THE TULSA
RACE RIOT COMMISSION.
A COMMISSION THAT ULTIMATELY
GAVE REPARATION FOR THE
SURVIVORS.
>> THEY HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
AND TURNED IT DOWN.
INSTEAD THEY GAVE EACH SURVIVOR
A GOLD PLATED MEDAL.
>> Reporter: A SORRY SUBSTITUTE
FOR THE E TOENORMOUS LOSS.
>> SINS PROBABLY VISITED UPON
THE SON.
I TELL YOU WHY BECAUSE THE
WALLET OF THE FATHER WENT ALONG
WITH THE SINS OF THE FATHER AND
THAT WEALTH WAS VISITED UPON THE
SON.
>> Reporter: A LINGERING
QUESTION IS WHERE THE VICTIMS
WERE BURIED.
THE COMMISSION IDENTIFIED THREE
POTENTIAL MASS GRAVE SITES.
ONE IS YIELDED A DOZEN CASKETS.
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER SITE NEVER
FILMED BEFORE THAT HAS SCOTT
ATTENTION.
NEAR A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT ABOVE
THE ARKANSAS RIVER.
>> IN 2002 A RETIRED TULSA
POLICE OFFICER NAMED BOBBY PATTY
TOLD US ABOUT BEING SHOWN A
PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING A TRENCH WITH
BODIES IN IT.
YOU COULD SEE A STEAM SHOVEL
BEHIND IT.
SO IT IS OUR SUPPOSITION THAT IT
IS HERE.
AND THE HOMELESS ARE VERY MUCH
CONVINCED THAT THERE IS
SOMETHING EVIL IN THE CANES
RIGHT THERE.
>> Reporter: GAVIN ROSS IS CAROM
OF THE MASS GRAVES
INVESTIGATION.
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE TULSA HAS
COME TO GRIPS WITH THIS VERY
DARK DAY A HUNDRED YEARS AGO?
>> I WOULDNT SAY GRIPS.
I THINK TULSA HAS COME TO MAKE
THAT FIRST STEP.
>> Reporter: JOY McCONCHY WILL
BE TAKING HER OWN STEPS TO COME
TO TERMS WITH THE PAST,
ORGANIZING A CENTURY WALK FOR
JUNE 1st, RETRACING THE SAME
ROUTE HER GRANDMOTHER TOOK SOME
100 YEARS AGO.
>> WERE GOING TO A WALK A MILE
IN THEIR SHOES AS THEY ESCAPED
ON THIS MIDLAND VALLEY RAILROAD
TRACK.
THATS ONLY WAY I THINK I CAN
MAKE MY GRANDMA PROUD.
>> THOSE THOUSANDS THAT ESCAPED
AT THAT RAILROAD TRACKS WERE
THEN PUT IN THE EQUIVALENT OF
ENTERTAINMENT CAMPS FOR SOME
TIME BEFORE THEY WERE LET GO
AGAIN.
>> THERE IS A MILLION QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A MILLION ANSWERS.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THERE
NOW, HARRY?
I KNOW YEARS AFTER.
>> THERE IS A TINY LITTLE PIECE
OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD LEFT.
A COUPLE, A BLOCK AND A HALF
MAYBE ON TWO SIDES OF THE
STREET.
AND OTHER SIDE IS ALMOST ALL
FLATTENED.
RIGHT?
THERE IS A GIANT BRANCH CAMPUS
OF OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
THERE.
AND OTHERWISE LOT OF OPEN
TERRITORY.
IT IS -- YOU KNOW, IT IS --
THERE ARE SO MANY SINS, RIGHT,
THAT WE HAVE COMMITTED AS WHITE
AMERICANS AGAINST OUR BLACK
BRETHREN.
BUSY AWE THEY GO, THIS IS AS BAD
AS IT GETS.
>> AND IT IS MULTI GENERATIONAL
IMPACT.
JUST GOES ON AND ON.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAD SO MUCH
PROMISE FOR HER TO SAY THAT WAS
THE SHINING CITY ON THE HILL AND
TO HAVE IT BE DESTROYED AND WHAT
THAT HAS BROUGHT OVER THE
GENERATIONS.
>> I KNOW SO MANY WHITE
OKLAHOMANS WHO OF MY AGE AND
EVEN, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE DECADES
YOUNGER.
SAID WE NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS.
NEVER KNEW ABOUT IT.
>> AND THE REPARATIONS QUESTION
IS SO DISHEARTENING.
THERE WAS A CHANCE TO FRY TO
MAKE THINGS A LITTLE RIGHT.
AND YOU GET A MEDAL.
>> HANDFUL OF SURVIVORS, RIGHT?
YEAH.
HERE EARS
HERES YOUR MEDAL.
NBC NEWS NOW HAS A DOCUMENTARY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DOCUMENTARIES
OUT THERE.
WE INVITE YOU TO GO OUT THERE,
TAKE A LOOK AND LEARN WHAT YOU
NEED TO KNOW.
>> DOCUMENTARY GOT BLOOD ON THE
"BLACK WALL STREET"."
TOMORROW ON NBC NEWS COM AND NBC
NEWS NOW.
AVAILABLE ON DEMAND STARTING