Wanda Whitney, the Library s Head of History and Genealogy, Researcher and Reference Services, tells how readers can use the Library s collections to research the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.
By Janelle Stecklein/ CNHI State Reporter May 27, 2021
May 27, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY â The centerpiece of the Tulsa Race Massacre centennial, the âRemember and Riseâ observance on Monday, May 31, was abruptly canceled Thursday night with little explanation, but President Biden is still planning on visiting Tuesday, June 1.
âDue to unexpected circumstances with entertainers and speakers, the Centennial Commission is unable to fulfill our high expectations for Monday afternoonâs commemoration event and has determined not to move forward with the event at this time,â the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission said in a statement.
The event was to feature prominent figures including performer John Legend and voting rights activist and former politician Stacey Abrams.
TULSA, Okla.
In the early days of Oklahoma’s statehood, an angry white mob fanned by rumors of a Black uprising burned a thriving African American community in the oil boomtown of Tulsa. Although the area was quietly rebuilt and enjoyed a renaissance in the years after the 1921 race massacre, the struggle among Black people over their place in the city didn’t end.
This month, local and state leaders will formally recognize and attempt to atone for the massacre, which claimed up to several hundred lives, with a series of ceremonies that includes a keynote address by national voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams. President Biden is also coming to the city, the White House announced. But Black Tulsans say that amid the kind words, efforts both direct and subtle still aim to curb their influence and withhold their fair share of power.