HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 05_1921 Tulsa Race MassacreCITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA
RESOLUTION 2021 -05
COMMEMORATING THE 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE
WHEREAS, in the early 20th century, de jure segregation confined Tulsa's black residents into the
"Greenwood District ", which they built into a thriving community with a nationally renowned
entrepreneurial center known as "Black Wall Street "; and,
WHEREAS, at the time, white supremacy and racist violence were common throughout the United States
and went largely unchecked by the justice system; and,
WHEREAS, reports of an alleged and disputed incident on the morning of May 30, 1921, between two
teenagers, a black man and a white woman, caused a faction of the white community of Tulsa to call for
a lynching amidst a climate of racial hostility and resentment over black economic success; and,
WHEREAS, on May 31, 1921, a mob of armed white men descended upon Tulsa's Greenwood District
and launched approximately 24 hours of violence now known as the "Tulsa Race Massacre "; which led to
the death of an estimated 300 black residents, as well as over 800 reports of injuries; and,
WHEREAS, in addition to the countless lives that were lost and injured, the perpetrators of the Tulsa Race
Massacre looted, damaged, burned, or otherwise destroyed approximately 40 square blocks of the
Greenwood District, including an estimated 1,256 homes of black residents, as well as virtually every other
structure, including churches, schools, businesses, a hospital, and a library, leaving nearly 9,000 black
Tulsans homeless and effectively wiping out black prosperity and wealth in Tulsa; and,
WHEREAS, Oklahoma local and State governments dismissed claims arising from the 1921 Tulsa Race
Massacre for decades, and the event was effectively erased from collective memory and history until, in
1997, the Oklahoma State Legislature finally created a commission to study the event, and this commission
issued a report of their findings on February 28, 2001, that detailed, for the first time, the extent of the Tulsa
Race Massacre and the decades -long efforts to suppress its recollection; and,
WHEREAS, the year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA, HEREBY;
1. Recognizes the forthcoming centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre; and,
2. Acknowledges the historical significance of this event as one of the largest single instances of
violence against black people in American history; and,
3. Honors the lives and legacies of the estimated 300 black individuals who were
killed during the Massacre and the nearly 9,000 black individuals who were left homeless and
destitute; and,
4. Execrates the perpetrators of the Tulsa Race Massacre, including municipal officials and law
enforcement who directly participated in or who aided and abetted the unlawful violence,
and supported efforts to cover up the truth and shield the guilty from prosecution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Owasso,. Oklahoma, values the lives and
legacies of all its residents, and is committed to making the City of Owasso a place where all people who
live here feel honored and respected.
ATTEST:
M. Stevens,
APP VED AS TO FORM:
Julie(Alornbardi, City Attorney
PASSED AND APPROVED this 20th day of April, 2021.
Mayor