Did Greed Derail a Handful of Tulsa Massacre Commemoration Events?

It’s disrespectful that three survivors are still living in poverty with no reparations in sight

Give her all the flowers. Viola Fletcher accepts roses and lilies during a commemoration event for the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. Photo: Getty Images

All eyes are on Tulsa, Oklahoma, this week as the nation remembers the tragic events of May 31 to June 1, 1921, when a White mob killed some 300 Black residents and looted the community known as “Black Wall Street” before burning it to the ground.

The official agenda put forth by the city’s Centennial Commission offered a slew of redeeming events, including a candlelight vigil, an economic empowerment day featuring actor and author Hill Harper, and a day of learning with scholar Cornel West.

But all is not as it seems on this centennial anniversary. In the midst of dozens of advertised events and a slew of legislative, celebrity, and corporate endorsements, a more troubling story has unfolded behind the scenes.

This cease-and-desist letter from one of the survivors to the commission says it all:

Further, you are aware that the Commission refused to meet with Mother Randle and her representatives despite repeated requests for meetings and dialogue. You are also aware that the Commission rejected Mother Randle’s request that the Commission utilize some of the $30M the…