Many are familiar with the 1921 Tulsa Race massacre, in which the white Tulsan destroyed a thriving community known as Black Wall Street. As many as 300 residents were killed, but promising businesses and homes were plundered and burned to the ground. In December 2024, the Department of Justice published its first report on the massacre, saying that “civil rights crimes are unique in its size, its wildness, racist hostility and the complete disappearance of a thriving black community. It was called a civil rights crime. Today, the last two known survivors of the tragedy are still seeking compensation for what they endured. Buildings like the Greenwood Cultural Center and Greenwood Rising House ensure that you don't forget the imperative tale of this community.
The Vernon Ame Church is the only building that survived the Tulsa Race massacre, also known as the Tulsa Race Riot. On June 1, 1921, a white mob attacked the Greenwood area, a predominantly black community of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Photo by Bethany Mollenkof, Nat Geo Image Collection
But Tulsa is not an isolated event. Black Americans have many parts of the country, including locations like Section 14 of Palm Springs, a square mile shelter for Latinos who fled Jim Crow South in the 1940s. He was a well-known home and business owner. Twenty years later, the city burned and bulldozed the house without warning, giving way to commercial development. Last year, the city of Palm Springs approved a temporary $5.9 million settlement with the then-defeated family. The popular desert hideaway that the city has become does not have the rest of this history today, but it is still important.
Many of these regions existed in the United States, where black communities and businesses flourished, and setbacks from the hostile world outside provided relief. Their end of the day was hopeful that residents would protect themselves, including racial violence and urban highways that were promoted as urban renewal plans to destroy streets filled with once-prosperous communities. It was due to the same threat.
Below are more stories from the regions that served as an integral part of American history, and ways to visit and learn more about them.
Some of the more than 800 people injured during the Tulsa race massacre were treated at this American Red Cross Hospital. Congress's Photo Library, Prints and Photography Division
Blues Beach in Manhattan Beach, California
Located on a pristine slice of the Southern California coastline, Blues Beach was a popular destination and resort for Black Americans. The stretch of land, purchased by Willa and Charles Bruce in 1912, played host to beach picnics during the day and served as fashionable parties with live orchestras in the evening. Summer in the sand was spent in the community without fear of racism that took place elsewhere. Ultimately, this freedom was filled with harassment from the white residents. The tension grew so great that the city closed the resort and denounced the surrounding homes.
In 1927, the NAACP organized a peaceful “swim-in” to protest the separation of the beach. The event led to those accusations and the arrests of four victorious black teenagers, resulting in a law that would allow the beach to be made public. In 2022, after a push from the community, LA County voted to return the land to descendants of the Bruce family.
A year later, the Bruce family decided to sell the land to LA County for $20 million. Willa and Charles' great grandson Anthony called the compensation “a long-deferred calculation.”
Today, Plaque at Bruce's Beach Park in Manhattan Beach celebrates the city's commitment to family heritage and change, saying, “We are not Manhattan Beach 100 years ago. We are racist, hatred, and non-satisfied. Tolerance, refuse to exclude. The park is recognized as a city of respect and inclusion, commemorating the beaches of Bruce, and is recognized as a city of respect and inclusion.”
In the early 1900s, the blues beaches purchased by Willa and Charles Bruce in Southern California were a popular haven among black Americans looking for a racist-free community. Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst
(Related: A battle to save 100 years of black history with a Los Angeles gentleman.)
Treme in New Orleans, Louisiana
Treme in New Orleans is considered the oldest black neighborhood in America. Founded in the 1800s, the country was one of the first places in the country where people of free colour, once enslaved, could own property. “Life here was deeply rooted in tradition, music and craftsmanship. The black people in Treme thrived by creating a vibrant community filled with talented musicians, artists and business owners.” says Hollis Burton, a native of New Orleans who founded the tour company Treme Luxury Experience.
In Treme's Congo Square, enslaved every Sunday, free black people gathered to dance, drum and bless them, and later dedicated their seeds to what would have led to the birth of Second Line, Mardi Gras and jazz music. “Families inherited stories, recipes and traditions and kept the culture alive throughout their generation. Despite the challenges, the Trem community remained rich in resilience, creativity and pride,” adds Burton.
In the 1960s, the decision to run the Interstate 10 Highway through Clayborne Avenue in Treme had a negative impact on the neighborhood, which at the time was considered one of the most successful black business districts in the country. Oak trees that provided shade from the summer heat were bulldozed and their properties were seized through the claims of the city's prominent domain.
The man dances in a funeral parade to celebrate the life of singer, bass drummer and assistant grand marshal Lionel Baptiste. Baptiste passed away in New Orleans on July 8, 2012, and for decades he was known to residents as Uncle Lionel and to many simply as “UNC.” Photo by William Widmer/The New York Times/Redux
“Before I-10's construction, Clayborne Avenue was Black Wall Street, which served the community during Jim Crow. The median 100 feet occupied by the highway was my favorite public space,” he said. said Amy Stelly, a Treme resident and co-founder of the Claiborne Avenue Alliance, a community organization that advocates for the removal of roads. Stelly is a passionate advocate for highway removal, calling it a public health threat that has created an environment that keeps people at home, noise, pollution, and criminals at bay. The future of the highway is still uncertain, but Treme's lasting legacy remains unshakable.
Tour guides like Burton have created intimate experiences that they hope to leave a lasting impression on visitors. He offers Nora Culture Second Line Tour & Experience, the oldest African American Catholic parish in Kermit, Nora Art Bar, St. Auguste We recommend visiting places like Tin. With an intimate look at one of Tremé's most respected traditions, people gather in the streets to sing and dance alongside brass bands.
“This neighborhood and its people are shaping the cultural fabric of America. Jazz, the second line, and so on. It's not just history. It's worth being celebrated and remembered. It's a living breathing legacy,” he says.
Bronzeville, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
During the massive migration of the 1900s, many black Americans seeking opportunities moved north to places like Milwaukee, Wisconsin. .
“In Milwaukee, Bronzeville flourished as a fixed community of theaters, churches and local businesses. These include Reinetta “Ray” Hill, executive director of the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District, and He says so.
In the 1960s, the highways invading the heart of Bronzeville were cut off, destroying more than 8,000 homes and businesses, and evacuating thousands of residents. These impacts included the crisis of housing shortages and the elucidation of strong communities. Decades later, the ever-growing efforts have helped to revitalize our communities.
“Today, Milwaukee's Bronzeville is experiencing a Renaissance and celebrates its rich history while building for the future. Visitors can now use historic landmarks to black culture, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. You can experience a blend of old and new things, from innovative spaces to highlight the subject of the site,” says Hill.
She recommends visiting places such as Mi Casa Su Cafe and Bronzeville Kitchen. We recommend soul food and modern culinary twists, great teas from bee wellness and aposegaly, and hip hop two gospel spin cycle class spin MKE. Every first week of August, the neighborhood celebrates its heritage with public art installations and murals. Bronzeville is also home to the American Black Holocaust Museum, founded by James Cameron, who survived Lynch in 1930. The museum has several galleries that take visitors on a journey through black history from 1619 to the present.
“Bronzeville is a place where you can feel the pulsation and renewal of history, and a respect for the resilience of those who fought to keep that spirit alive. Taste food, take part in performances, and Even walking down the streets, I am stepping into the living celebration of black excellence and culture,” adds Hill.
Gainesboro, Roanoke, VA
Gainesboro is another thriving black neighborhood that fell victim to the city's updates, with over 1,600 homes and mass displacement lost. Before the upheaval, the streets of Gainesboro were electricity along with the community. Churches, grocery stores, restaurants and community programs in Roanoke, Virginia provide comfort to racist violence just outside the hallway. Today there are people who work to ensure history is unforgettable, like Jordanbell, who founded the Gainesboro revisit for a walking tour. Inspired by the stories his grandmother shared with him about Gainesboro in his heyday, Jordan traced important places he learned during his tour. “Preserving history is important to me, because it's my legacy,” he says.
In Roanoke, Virginia, students celebrate at a Pep rally at the gym at Lucy Addison High School, an all-African-American school that opened in 1928 during the racist Jim Crow era. Photo by Virginia Room Roanoke Public Library
Organizations such as the Roanoke Higher Education Center, Roanoke Public Libraries and the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation are also working to protect the heritage of the neighborhood. They created the Gainsboro History Project, an app that provides interactive history and walking tours of Gainsboro via text, graphics and video. For Bell, remembering this community is part of his life's work. He recalls the words of Richard Chubb, a Gainesboro resident who lived in his neighbourhood in his heyday. “He always told me, 'When I was coming, I saw hope.'”
