Mayor Nichols to Unveil Repair Plans for Survivors and Descendants of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

TULSA, Okla. — On June 1, the official Day of Observance for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Mayor Monroe Nichols will unveil his plans for a “road to repair,” aimed at unifying the city and healing the multi-generational wounds that have endured for 104 years. Notably, the original announcement was scheduled for Sunday, April 6, at Morning Star Baptist Church. The city has not yet disclosed the location for its upcoming announcement to unveil the framework for repair.

Last month, Mayor Nichols signed an executive order establishing the Day of Observance to annually commemorate the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. “For too long, this tragic event was erased from public discourse, leaving generations without an understanding of its impact on Tulsa and our nation,” the order reads.

From Flames to Financial Ruin: The Lasting Toll on Black Tulsa

From May 31 to June 1, 1921, Black Tulsa families lost homes, businesses, and personal wealth overnight due to a violent White mob. White city firefighters refused to extinguish fires on Black-owned properties, while White Tulsa police officers deputized the mob and stood by as the destruction and massacre unfolded.

In the aftermath, insurance companies owned by White Tulsans denied claims filed by their Black clients who lost property in the Greenwood District. This left the survivors and their descendants without compensation — and without the foundation to rebuild their generational wealth destroyed during the massacre. 

Generations of Trauma and Mistrust: The Enduring Impact of the Tulsa Race Massacre

The deep injustice has fueled generations of distrust and division between Tulsa’s Black and White communities, as well as between Black residents and the city itself.

For more than a century, the generational impact of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre on Tulsa’s Black community has been devastating and far-reaching. That legacy is felt most acutely by the massacre’s last two living survivors—110-year-old Viola Ford Fletcher and 110-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle—as well as by countless descendants of those who were killed or displaced.

In the decades that followed, systemic barriers such as redlining, urban renewal projects, and a lack of investment further prevented Black Tulsans from reclaiming economic stability. Although Greenwood was partially rebuilt through Black resilience, discriminatory policies kept the community from fully recovering. 

The psychological trauma of the massacre also endured. Survivors passed down fear, pain, and distrust in local institutions to future generations. Many families, both White and Black, avoided openly discussing the massacre, leading to decades of silence and erasure within the broader public narrative.

The massacre destroyed the thriving Greenwood District, known nationally as “Black Wall Street,” and wiped out an estimated $27 million in property at the time—equivalent to more than $200 million today, according to The Harvard Gazette report.

Segregation’s Legacy: Education Inequity in Tulsa

Educational and political disenfranchisement compounded these challenges. Schools serving predominantly Black neighborhoods remained underfunded, contributing to widening achievement gaps. For instance, Booker T. Washington High School, established in 1913 for Black students, operated with fewer resources compared to its White counterparts.

Even after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, which declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, Tulsa’s Black schools continued to face funding challenges. 

The legacy of segregation, combined with ongoing discriminatory practices, meant that schools in predominantly Black neighborhoods in Tulsa remained underfunded. This underfunding contributed to lower academic performance and limited opportunities for Black students. 

A Century of Political Exclusion: Tulsa’s Long Road to Representation, Justice and Repair?

For over one hundred years, city leaders — from the mayor’s office to the city council –systematically excluded Black Tulsans from local political and economic decision-making, continuing the cycle of marginalization that began in the massacre’s aftermath.

But in a historic election, Mayor Nichols made national headlines when he became Tulsa’s first Black mayor, marking 103 years since the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and 127 years since the establishment of the city. It took the city 92 years for the city to elect its first Black city councilor, B.S. Roberts.

Moreover, it took nearly a century for the massacre to receive a formal acknowledgment from the city and state. Efforts to secure reparations and justice continue today as survivors and descendants fight to repair the damage inflicted in 1921.

Despite these long-standing injustices, Tulsa’s Black community remains resilient. Ongoing initiatives seek to rebuild economic power, preserve the history of Greenwood, and push for systemic change to ensure a more equitable future. 

Mayor Nichols’ “repair” plan marks a new chapter in Tulsa’s reckoning with history.

Mayor Nichols’ upcoming announcement represents a pivotal moment in Tulsa’s ongoing journey toward justice. As the city prepares to reckon with its past, survivors, descendants, and community advocates continue to demand meaningful action and lasting repair.