Dick Rowland was an African American man who became a central figure in the events leading to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. He was a shoeshiner in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was involved in an incident with a white woman named Sarah Page in an elevator, which sparked rumors and tensions in the racially segregated city. The incident led to a white mob attacking the prosperous African American community of Greenwood, known as "Black Wall Street." The violence resulted in the destruction of homes and businesses, and many lives were lost, marking a tragic chapter in American history.