HE’S THE CHAIR OF THE 1921 TULSA
RACE MASSACRE CENTENNIAL
COMMISSION.
IT’S HARD TO WATCH THIS FOR MANY
REASONS, BUT FOR YEARS AND
YEARS, THIS HORRIFIC PART OF
U.S. HISTORY WAS HIDDEN.
IT WAS NOT IN MY HIGH SCHOOL
SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS, AND I
DON’T THINK IT WAS IN YOURS.
WHAT DO YOU WANT AMERICANS TO
KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THERE
100 YEARS AGO?
>> THANK YOU, STEPHANIE.
I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT I’M 61
YEARS OLD, AND IT WASN’T TAUGHT
TO ME IN SCHOOLS, EVEN HERE IN
THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
NOBODY TALKED TO ME ABOUT IT IN
MY FAMILY UNTIL I WAS IN MY
EARLY 30s WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER’S
BROTHER, MY GREAT UNCLE CAME TO
TULSA FOR A FAMILY REUNION AND
GAVE ME A VHS TAPE.
MANY PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT
THAT IS BUT I LEARNED ABOUT IT
IN MY 30s.
WHAT I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW IS
THIS, THAT HORRIFIC INCIDENT,
ONE OF THE WORSE MASSACRES OF
AMERICANS UPON AMERICANS,
DOMESTIC TERRORISM THAT HAPPENED
AGAINST PEOPLE IN BUSINESSES,
AND WE’RE STILL SUFFERING THE
EFFECTS.
THE FIRST PART OF WHAT WE’RE
DOING IS JUST TRYING TO TELL
THEIR STORY TRANSPARENTLY, WHAT
HAPPENED BEFORE 1921, WHAT
HAPPENED ON THAT DAY, WHAT
HAPPENED AFTER THAT.
AND THEN HOW IT WAS DESTROYED
AGAIN BY URBAN RENEWAL AND THEN
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT.
THE RESILIENCE.
THERE ARE MANY MORE THINGS THAT
HAVE TO HAPPEN BUT I BELIEVE THE
STORY NEEDS TO BE HOLD
TRANSPARENTLY IN AN EFFECTIVE
WAY AND THAT’S WHAT IS GOING TO
BE HAPPENING JUNE 2 WHEN WE OPEN
THESE -- THIS HISTORY CENTER
AROUND TELLING THE HISTORY.
AND THEN THERE ARE MANY MORE
COMPLEX ISSUES WE’RE GOING TO BE
ADDRESSING AT THAT TIME.
>> WHY DIDN’T YOU LEARN ABOUT
IT?
WHY HASN’T IT BEEN PART OF
AMERICAN HISTORY?
>> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CALLED IT
TULSA’S DIRTY SECRET.
I THINK THE PEOPLE IN THE
GOVERNMENT AT THE TIME WERE
EMBARRASSED BY IT, EVEN THOUGH
WE BELIEVE BECAUSE OF THE RED
SUMMER FROM 1919 THROUGH 1921 OR
SO THIS HAPPENED ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
SO WE BELIEVE THE DICK ROLAND,
SARAH PAGE STORY WERE AN EXCUSE.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
EMBARRASSED BY IT.
THEN A LOT OF PROGRESSIVE BLACK
BUSINESS OWNERS FLED TO CHICAGO
AND CALIFORNIA AND OTHER PLACES
AND PEOPLE WERE TAKEN INTO
INTERNMENT CAMPS.
AND I BELIEVE SOME OF THE PEOPLE
THAT STAYED HERE FEARED IT WOULD
HAPPEN AGAIN, SO IT WASN’T
TALKED ABOUT IN THE BLACK
COMMUNITY AND IT WASN’T TALKED
ABOUT IN THE WHITE COMMUNITY.
>> PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL BE
VISITING TULSA TOMORROW.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM
HIM?
>> WELL, I JUST THINK THAT THIS
IS SACRED GROUND.
THIS IS A SACRED MOMENT.
I’M JUST HOPING NOT JUST THE
PRESIDENT BUT PEOPLE HERE IN OUR
CITY AND OUR STATE, WE COME
TOGETHER TO NOT JUST COMMEMORATE
THIS MOMENT, WHICH IS VERY
IMPORTANT, BUT THERE ARE SOME
OTHER ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED TO -- TO MAKE OUR
COMMUNITY WHOLE AGAIN.
WE LOST A LOT AND SO I THINK
THAT THE DIALOGUE WITH THE THE
STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
NEEDS TO BE SIGNIFICANT, IT
NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW, AND I THINK
THAT THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT
CAME HERE SAYS THAT HE, AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL ACKNOWLEDGES IS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT
AT EVERY LEVEL AND START NOT