This went on for hours, Brophy said, until the Oklahoma National Guard arrived and angrily resorted to force in putting down the riot. Many blacks were kept in detention for several days, while others simply left town never to return again. When residents of Greenwood finally were allowed home, what awaited them was a scene of natural disaster-like destruction that stretched for blocks on end. Promises from Tulsa authorities to help rebuild proved vacant. To this day, Greenwood has never bounced back and almost nothing has been done about it except maintaining silence, Brophy said.
Legal remedies are limited.
The best hope for a successful lawsuit, he feels, lies in seeking damages for one of the all-black towns outside Tulsa that sheltered those fleeing Greenwood. The statute of limitations and other legal hurdles make more direct lawsuits impossible. That leaves the issue of reparations for survivors. A lot of them are too proud. They rebuilt their lives on their own and they don't want to take an insultingly small amount so the state can feel better about this.