Convention Hall

After Arrival of State troops, final fighting and martial law,

"Yet even with an end to the violence, for black Tulsans, a whole new set of ordeals had just begun. Thousands had fled to the country, hiding in the woods, while hundreds more had gathered near Golden Gate Park. Homeless, penniless, and often unsure of the fate of loved ones, those who began to venture back to town soon found themselves placed under armed guard. Convention Hall having been filled to capacity, black Tulsans were also taken to the fairgrounds and to McNulty baseball park. A few blacks also found refuge at First Presbyterian Church, and other white churches downtown. Crowds of whites often cheered as the imprisoned African Americans were led away. White Tulsans as a whole, meanwhile, were sluggish in their response to martial law. While sporadic looting continued along the edges of the African American community, crowds of whites continued their search for African American maids and butlers—though not always with success. Several white families hid blacks inside their homes. Additional detachments of State Troops—namely, National Guard units from other Oklahoma towns—arrived in Tulsa throughout the day, and with their help, the streets were finally cleared. All businesses were ordered to close by 6:00 p.m., and one hour later, only members of the military or civil authorities—or physicians and relief workers—were allowed on the streets. Adjutant General Barrett later claimed that by 8:00 p.m. order had been restored. Normalcy, however, was another matter. For some, it would never return. Upward of ten thousand black Tulsans were without homes or businesses, their lifetime possessions either consumed by fire or carried away by whites. New struggles—first to get free, then to protect their land, and finally, to rebuild their community—loomed ahead." Hill, K- 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (pg 271)