By Fred L. Jones, Jr.
Eagle Staff Writer
fjones@theoklahomaeagle.net
“I could see planes circling in mid-air. They grew in number and hummed, darted and dipped low. I could hear something like hail falling upon the top of my office building. Down East Archer, I saw the old Mid-Way hotel on fire, burning from its top, and then another and another and another building began to burn from their top,” wrote Buck Colbert Franklin. The Oklahoma lawyer, father of famed African-American historian John Hope Franklin.
The Race Riot massacre of 1921 in Tulsa, Okla., has a different meaning for each individual, whether they are directly or indirectly connected to it. For some it still has a hardcore massacre in the worst way feeling, and for others it’s a modern-day realization of the recognition of wrongdoing. Either way its time to move forward with the natural progression of life.
In a press conference on September 12, 2017, the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot Centennial Commission (Commission) announced its continue of processes going into its 1921 recognition of the 100-year 1921 Race Riot Massacre. The Commission’s mission statement is to “Leverage the rich history surrounding the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot by facilitating actions, activities, and events that commemorate and educate all citizens.”
Commission member Vanessa Hall-Harper, Tulsa City Council District 1, stated, “Today we will be working with everyone in our city, county, state and nation to help us to bring attention to the tragedy and to show how we were triumphant as a people when we came together and, used our skills, knowledge and abilities for good and not destruction in making a difference for generations to come.”
Commission Project Manager Jamaal Dyer stated, “We are in the final stages of selecting arch ways being installed as you enter Greenwood and Archer that will be a symbolic reminder as you enter the Greenwood area. Our goal moving forward is to bring attention to the work of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot Centennial Commission and the Greenwood business district. We are partnering with a variety of individuals and organizations in the community around the state and in the nation. We invite you to stay informed by visiting our website: www.tulsa2021.org, to get involved and participate in planning the upcoming events for 2021.”
