Rep. Cori Bush, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Nina Turner to attend Black Wall Street Legacy Fest

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(This article originally claimed the politicians will be physically coming to Tulsa, based on a press release.  But Legacy Fest later clarified they will be sending videos of support to honor the commemoration.)

Tulsa, Oklahoma — Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representatives Cori Bush (MO-01), Steve Cohen (TN-09), and Hank Johnson (GA-04) are among the leaders, entertainers and activists from across the nation who will virtually join survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre at the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival (Legacy Fest) this weekend.

Legacy Fest will commemorate the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre beginning May 28 in Tulsa, Oklahoma’s historic Greenwood neighborhood. 

The Black Wall Street Legacy Festival announced the participation of the following “friends and allies”: 

Notable Attendees:

• Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
• Rep. Cori Bush (M0-01)
• Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09)
• Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04)
• Nina Turner, former State Senator and Congressional candidate for Ohio’s 11th district 
• Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director, Equal Justice Initiative
• Brittany Packnett Cunningham, activist, educator and writer
• Charles M. Blow, journalist and op-ed columnist for The New York Times
• Damario Solomon-Simmons, Founder and Executive Director, Justice for Greenwood
• Tulsa native Alfre Woodard, actress, producer, political activist
• Tulsa native Jay Ellis, actor, philanthropist, and entrepreneur
• Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
• Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
• Ben Crump, national civil rights attorney 
• Wesley Lowery, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist 
• Nicole Austin-Hillery, executive director of the US Program at Human Rights Watch
• Daniel Roumain, composer and performer
• Brandan ‘B-mike’ Odums, visual artist and political activist 

Honoring survivors and descendants

The Oklahoma City Thunder will also sponsor a private luncheon honoring the massacre’s three last known survivors on Saturday, May 29.

Notably, the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival is the only community-led series that centers the survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The Festival is headlined by the last known massacre survivors — 106-year-old Lessie Benningfield “Mother” Randle, 107-year-old Viola “Mother” Fletcher, and 100-year-old Hughes Van Ellis — who will lead a procession and participate in an event honoring their legacy and continued fight for justice and accountability. 

Programming throughout the weekend will explore urgent issues, ranging from the needs of those still living with the everyday consequences of the massacre, to the erasure of essential history, to the state and future of Black Wall Street.

In previous weeks, Legacy Festival announced the participation of Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson of HBO’s “Watchmen,” R&B star PJ Morton, gospel legend John P. Kee, and more. 

About the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival (Legacy Fest)

For those unable to attend in person, livestreams of each event will be available on the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival Facebook page and the Black Wall Street Times Facebook page. 

Hosted by survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre and helmed by organizations based in the affected community, the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival seeks to elevate and amplify the hard work and voices of Black Tulsans over the last 100 years by offering opportunities to reflect, learn, and inspire through community-curated experiences.

National partners include Human Rights Watch, the Equal Justice Initiative, FWD.us, The Who We Are Project, and more. Please visit blackwallstreetlegacyfest.com for additional information.