After the Burning: The Economic Effects of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre resulted in the looting, burning, and leveling of thirty-five square blocks of a once-thriving Black neighborhood. We examine the economic consequences of the Massacre for Black Tulsans. We find that in the years and decades that followed, the Massacre led to declines in Black home ownership, occupational status, and child education. The adverse effects of the Massacre on the home ownership of Black Tulsans persisted and actually widened in the second half of the 20th century. Consistent with historical accounts, we also see that, in the years following the Massacre, Black skilled workers were more likely to leave Tulsa. While the compositional effects due to selective migration are too small to explain the direct effects of the Massacre, dynamic growth effects from the loss of entrepreneurial talent may explain part of the longer-term adverse effects of the Massacre. Outside of Tulsa, we find that the Massacre also had detrimental effects on Black communities that were connected to Tulsa through family and kinship networks.