The tragedy that is the Tulsa Race Massacre will always be one of the most gruesome moments in history for the Black community. During the rise of what was known as Black Wall Street – a place of Black excellence and booming business opportunities for our community – in Oklahoma’s Greenwood District, the massacre destroyed the 36-block range of the Black financial epicenter.
News networks including FOX 23 and 60 Minutes are making efforts to teach viewers more about the lasting impact of the horrendous events that will forever impact our people. Current President Joe Biden will even be visiting Tulsa to commemorate the 100th year anniversary, as reported by NBC News.
For the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, check out these documentaries and specials listed below available on streaming platforms now:
Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer
Premiering June 18 on National Geographic, Rise Again “follows journalist DeNeen Brown as she digs into the events that lead to one of the worst episodes of racial violence in America’s history,” in partnership with National Geographic Documentary Films. Rise Again will release on Hulu’s streaming platform the same day and the release was timed to coincide with Juneteenth.
The Legacy of Black Wall Street
OWN Network’s The Legacy of Black Wall Street is a two-part documentary that’s set to air on June 1st and June 8th. Premiering on discovery+ and on OWN at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, is produced by Trailblazer Studios. Executive producers include Ashleigh Di Tonto and Jeff Lanter.
Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
Premiering on May 30 on the History Channel, Tulsa Burning will go live at 8/7c and was directed by Peabody and Emmy-Award-winning director Stanley Nelson. The two-hour documentary is executive produced by NBA superstar and philanthropist Russell Westbrook. The history channel is also collaborating with WNYC Studios to launch a new six-part podcast series Blindspot: Tulsa Burning on May 28 as complementary audio content.
Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten
PBS’ The Fire and the Forgotten premieres Monday, May 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and is produced and directed by Jonathan Silvers, narrated by Emmy-winning journalist Michel Martin and features reporting by Washington Post journalist DeNeen L. Brown. The 90-minute documentary explores the 1921 tragedy, the history of anti-Black violence, and Black resilience in the time since.
Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street
Premiering on CNN on Monday, May 31 at 8 PM EST, LeBron James and partner Maverick Carter collaboratively executive produce Dreamland. Through their SpringHill Company in partnership with CNN Films, James and Carter rope in Salima Koroma as director and producer, who previously worked on the 2016 documentary about Asian American rappers “Bad Rap.” According to Oklahoman, the film will “blend archival media, contemporary interviews and narrated letters and diaries” and the title song “We Will Never Forget,” features Omarion, Lalah Hathaway, and Kierra Sheard.
Tulsa Race Massacre: 100 Years Later
At 7 PM EST on May 31st, followed by a 10 PM encore, OETA is premiering Tulsa Race Massacre: 100 Years Later, a one-hour documentary features historical accounts of the massacre as well as art from local creatives. The documentary will travel back in time to the unfortunate events of 1921 to present day Greenwood District, and a peek at a brighter future.
Black Wall Street: An American Nightmare
Written by Dennis DeLemar, Black Wall Street: An American Nightmare will officially be screened on June 13 and June 14 at Circle Cinema. The historically fictional film brings the audience back to 1905 and follows O.W. Gurley, future founder of Black Wall Street. After taking a brief nap, he wakes up – but transports himself 115 years into the future.