Mayor of Tulsa Unveils Reparation Plan For Community At Center of The 1921 Race Massacre 

On the first official day of remembrance for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Mayor Monroe Nichols announced a reparations initiative called the "Road to Repair," aimed at addressing the historic injustices suffered by descendants of the Greenwood community, also known as Black Wall Street. Central to the plan is the creation of the Greenwood Trust, a private fund seeking to raise $105 million by June 1, 2026, the 105th anniversary of the massacre. "The pursuit for better defines greatness − a people that will look back 104 years and dare to be better," Nichols said during a public address.

Nichols, Tulsa's first Black mayor, emphasized transparency and healing through the release of 45,000 historical documents. "We want to model that we are a partner that wants to foster a level of trust with this entire community," he told USA TODAY. The trust is designed to operate independently of political pressures. "Let's model for everybody on how this repair work can be really restorative...outside the political context," he added.

Funds from the trust will be allocated as follows: $24 million toward housing for massacre descendants, $60 million to preserve culture and combat blight in Greenwood and Kirkpatrick neighborhoods, and $21 million for land development, scholarships, and business grants. "The goal is...to open a business here in Tulsa...to bring back those great entrepreneurs and business owners whose families may have left Tulsa," Nichols explained. The trust's first year will focus on hiring staff and raising funds.

The Tulsa Race Massacre began on May 31, 1921, when a White mob attacked the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood after an unfounded accusation against Dick Rowland, a 19-year-old Black teen. Eyewitnesses and historical documents describe White men being deputized and encouraged to arm themselves to attack Black residents. More than 1,000 homes and businesses were destroyed, and as many as 300 people were killed. According to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, some believe "the aim of the White mob was...to appropriate the wealth of the Black community." While the Justice Department found credible evidence of involvement by officials, prosecution is no longer possible due to the passage of time.

Link: USA Today