Call for Submissions: The Centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre

Black Perspectives, the award-winning blog of the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS), invites blog posts centering around the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 in time for the centennial of the event on May 31 through June 1, 2021. Following World War I, Tulsa was recognized nationally for the Greenwood District, an affluent African American community. This thriving business district and surrounding residential area was referred to as “Black Wall Street.”

On May 31, 1921, white mobs attacked the Greenwood district, overpowering Black residents. The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 resulted in the deaths of an estimated three hundred African Americans, the destruction of the Greenwood District, and the displacement of thousands more African Americans out of Tulsa. In recognition of the 100th anniversary of Tulsa, we invite writers to contribute short essays and poetry reflecting on the broad themes of racial justice, racist violence, wealth, inequality, and reparations. 

We encourage potential contributors to submit guest blog posts that explore topics that include but are not limited to the following:

• The origins, events, and immediate aftermath of the race massacre itself. 
• The legacy of the race massacre, both in African American history and African American memory. 
• The history of Black Tulsa and Black Oklahoma since 1921. 
• The relationship between various African American-led movements (the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, Black Lives Matter) to the events of the Tulsa Race Massacre. 

The submissions should be between 900 to 1500 words (poems may be shorter). They must be submitted to editors@blackperspectives.org no later than 11:59pm ET on Saturday, May 15, 2021. All submissions will undergo a peer review process before they are accepted. Please click here for more details on the blog’s submission guidelines.