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List of expulsions of African Americans facts for kids

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African Americans were sadly forced to leave their homes in at least 50 towns, cities, and counties across the United States. Most of these events happened in the 60 years after the American Civil War. But they continued until 1954. People were often forced to leave because of false accusations, problems with jobs, or land being taken over.

Times of Trouble: When People Were Forced to Leave

The 1800s: Early Expulsions

Year Place What Happened
1831 Portsmouth, Ohio All 80 Black residents were forced to leave because of unfair "Black Laws" in Ohio.
1870s - 1940s Wyandotte, Michigan African Americans were forced out of Wyandotte many times over the years.
April 13, 1873 Pollock, Louisiana The small Black community in Pollock left after a terrible event in nearby Colfax. More than 100 Black people were killed there.
November 1, 1878 Celina, Tennessee Black residents in Celina left after facing violence for several months.
1886 Comanche County, Texas White residents forced Black people out of Comanche County. They claimed Black men had committed crimes.
1888–1908 Paragould, Arkansas Several violent conflicts happened in Paragould. This caused most of the town's 150 Black residents to leave.
June 20, 1894 Monett, Missouri Monett's Black residents were forced out. This happened after a Black man was killed by a mob. He had killed a white man during a fight. This was the first of many forced removals in Southwestern Missouri.
1896 Linton, Indiana About 300 Black workers were forced out of this coal mining town. This happened after one of them shot a white boy. Later, Black people were not allowed to live anywhere in Greene County.
November 10, 1898 Wilmington, North Carolina This was a violent takeover by white groups. They attacked the city government and Black communities. Many Black people were killed.

More than 2,000 Black people were forced to leave Wilmington for good. They had to leave their businesses and homes. This event changed Wilmington from a city with a Black majority to one with a white majority.
April 10, 1899 Pana, Illinois A gunfight happened between white miners on strike and Black miners who were brought in to work. Five Black people and two white people died. The Black community of Pana was then forced to leave.
September 17, 1899 Carterville, Illinois A violent shootout happened between white miners on strike and Black miners. Five Black miners were killed. All the Black miners who survived left Carterville soon after.

The 1900s: More Forced Removals

Year Place What Happened
February 20, 1901 Mena, Arkansas Most of Mena's Black residents left after a Black man was killed by a mob. He was accused of hurting a white girl.
August 18, 1901 Pierce City, Missouri About 300 Black residents were forced out. This happened after white residents killed three Black men. They were accused of killing a white woman.
June 1902 Decatur, Indiana A large group of 50 men forced Black residents out of Decatur.
April 16, 1903 Joplin, Missouri White residents drove out Joplin's Black residents. This followed the killing of a Black man by a mob. He was accused of murdering a white policeman.
July 9, 1903 Sour Lake, Texas A group of 500 white men attacked Black people and chased them out of Sour Lake. This happened after a Black man shot a brakeman.
October 1905 and January 1909 Harrison, Arkansas Violent conflicts in 1905 and 1909 led to Black residents being forced out of Harrison.
1908 Marshall County, Kentucky White people, led by a local doctor, forced Black people out of the now-gone city of Birmingham and most of Marshall County.
November 1909 Anna and Jonesboro, Illinois White people forced out 40 Black families from Anna and Jonesboro. This happened after a Black man was killed by a mob in nearby Cairo.
September 1912 Forsyth County, Georgia About 98% of Forsyth County's 1,000 Black residents were forced out. This happened after two alleged attacks on white women by Black men.
July 1917 East St. Louis, Illinois Violent conflicts related to jobs and race caused the deaths of many Black people. About 6,000 Black people were left without homes.
Fall 1919 Corbin, Kentucky About 200 Black workers were forced to leave Corbin during a job dispute.
November 2–3, 1920 Ocoee, Florida Ocoee's Black community was burned down. Almost all of its 500 residents were killed or forced out by white people. This happened after Black men killed two white people in self-defense. At least 56 Black people were killed.
May 31, 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma As many as 300 Black people were killed. 10,000 were left homeless after white people attacked and destroyed the Greenwood district of Tulsa. This area was known as "Black Wall Street."
1922 Jay, Florida 175 Black residents fled the town. This happened after a white farmer died, shot by a Black farmer in self-defense.
January 1923 Rosewood, Florida White people attacked and completely burned down the Black town of Rosewood. This happened after a Black man was accused of hurting a white woman. At least 8 people, and possibly as many as 150, were killed.
1923 Blanford, Indiana The Ku Klux Klan led the effort to force people out.
January 3, 1924 Manhattan Beach, California The city council took properties owned by Black residents. They did this to create a public park and remove the Black resort called Bruce's Beach.
1954 Vienna, Illinois White residents burned down all the Black homes in Vienna and nearby areas. This happened after two Black men were accused of a crime against a white woman and her granddaughter.
1954 Sheridan, Arkansas After a court decision about school integration, a local business owner threatened to burn down the homes of his Black employees. They were forced to accept money and move to Malvern.

Learn More

  • Expelled Because of Color, a monument that remembers African Americans forced out of the Georgia Legislature.
  • Sundown town, a town that did not allow African Americans to live there. Many towns became "sundown towns" after forcing Black people out.
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