Tulsa massacre documentaries offer deep dive into tragedy

LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and a slew of networks are among those releasing documentaries based on the tragic backstory of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921

LOS ANGELES -- Several documentary filmmakers — some backed by NBA superstars — are shedding light on the historically ignored Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, one of the most horrific tragedies in American history. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are among those releasing documentaries based on the racially motivated massacre. The projects come during the 100th anniversary of the massacre in Greenwood, a Black-owned business district and residential neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Each documentary uniquely takes a deep dive into how the thriving Greenwood community — dubbed Black Wall Street because of the number of Black-owned businesses — was decimated in a two-day attack by a white mob. In the aftermath, at least 300 Black people were killed. More than a thousand homes were burned and others looted, leaving roughly 10,000 residents displaced and homeless and the Black business district destroyed. “This has to do with African Americans systematically being run off their land with assets and property being destroyed,” said Stanley Nelson, who co-directed “Tulsa Burning: 1921 Race Massacre” with Marco Williams. Westbrook — who formerly played with the Oklahoma City Thunder — is an executive producer of the documentary airing Sunday on the History channel.