Remembering Tulsa's race massacre - 9th June 2021

The US President has travelled to Oklahoma's second city, Tulsa, to commemorate the massacre which occurred a century ago. It caused the total destruction of one of the country's wealthiest Black communities.

President Biden: “My fellow Americans, this was not a riot. This was a massacre.”

The attack saw 300 African Americans lose their lives and over 10,000 become homeless. However, this racial violence has not been talked about openly. Local people believe it should be public knowledge.

Barbara Tottress: "This has been hidden for so long. This has been hidden. It was not taught in our schools."

Beverly Smith: "It's really wild. It should be in textbooks. It should be everywhere. People need to know about this. I mean, why keep it a secret?"

A century ago, on 31st May 1921, a young Black man was accused of attacking a white woman. He was placed in the courthouse in Tulsa. Black crowds gathered to protect the accused man after furious white people had assembled there. When shots were fired, African Americans fled to Greenwood, a successful Black neighbourhood. The white attackers also robbed homes and businesses and then burned Greenwood to the ground. Tulsa police provided guns to some of the white men.

The President explained the need for history to record the disaster.

President Biden: “For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence – cloaked in darkness. But just because history is silent, it doesn't mean that it did not take place."

Before the event, Biden announced financial aid and legal changes to decrease the gap in earnings and life chances between Black people and white people. However, some Tulsa residents are not convinced.

Anthony Hutton: "And, you know, again, looking for a lot more than rhetoric and gestures. You know, we're looking for results, you know. We're looking for, you know, opportunity, economic opportunity. The same opportunity they had, you know, elsewhere all around town."

A report in 2001 recommended paying compensation to Tulsa survivors and relatives. However, no positive action has been taken to secure this.