House Session of May 17, 2021, Page H2407 — Congressional Record
Summary
Congressional Record, House, page H2407, May 17, 2021. Remarks on the page address Israel and a possible carbon tax, and Carter of Georgia pays tribute to Gordon Saussy Varnedoe. Under the heading The Tragedy of the Tulsa Greenwood Massacre, Torres of New York is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. The Special Order includes Lee of California and remarks on the Tulsa Race Massacre of May 31, 1921, and a final report of the Oklahoma Commission issued February 28, 2001. The House adjourns at 8 o'clock and 35 minutes p.m. until 10 a.m. the next day.
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“House Session of May 17, 2021, Page H2407 — Congressional Record.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-05-17-crec-2021-05-17-pt1-pgh2407-3-306352c387/
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May 17, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2407
centers for missile attacks, and openly every aspect of our lives, yet another In the immediate aftermath of the
desire to destroy the Jewish people. tax heaped upon the people. Civil War, there were newly emanci-
Israel is a sovereign, democratic Na- There are already proposals around pated African Americans who set out
tion and is entitled to defend itself. here to raise taxes on fuel or maybe to build a better life for themselves and
The indiscriminate violence against every mile you travel in your auto- their family, only to be held back by
Israeli citizens must end. Time and mobile. We have seen this in California racial terror and violence that ulti-
time again, Israel has proven itself to already. I have watched what a carbon mately came to be codified in the form
be America’s strongest ally, and we tax has done. It becomes a slush fund of Jim Crow.
must have Israel’s back in their time of for government to spend to use on We, as the CBC, are not only here to
need. I urge my fellow Members of Con- whatever it is they want to do, such as recite the facts of the Tulsa Race Mas-
gress and the Biden administration to boondoggles like the high-speed rail in sacre, but we are also here to reflect on
stand firm with Israel against those California, which is already triple over the deeper meaning. The massacre in
who seek its destruction. its original budget concept. Tulsa tells a larger story about false
So why do we want to heap more and accusation as an incitement to vio-
f
more on the backs of families, of small lence. It tells a larger story about the
b 1930 businesses, of a country whose econ- failure of Reconstruction and the rise
omy is trying to recover by hitting of Jim Crow. It tells a larger story
REMEMBERING GORDON SAUSSY
them once again with one more bad about domestic terrorism and white su-
VARNEDOE
idea of a carbon tax when, by the way, premacist extremism as a form of do-
(Mr. CARTER of Georgia asked and carbon dioxide is 0.04 percent of our at- mestic terror. It tells a larger story
was given permission to address the mosphere? about the systematic denial and de-
House for 1 minute and to revise and A lot of hype is being made out of struction of Black wealth. And, finally,
extend his remarks.) this. No, the science is not settled by a it tells a larger story about the legacy
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam long stretch, certainly by what human of discrimination and the need for res-
Speaker, I rise today with a heavy needs are compared to what human titution.
heart to remember and honor Gordon cause is. It is worth noting that here in the
Saussy Varnedoe, who passed away on f United States Congress there is no
April 24 at the age of 82. greater champion of reparations than
THE TRAGEDY OF THE TULSA
Gordon was born in Savannah, Geor- the chair of the Special Order hour,
GREENWOOD MASSACRE
gia, and was a proud graduate of the Congressmember JACKSON LEE.
University of Georgia. Returning to The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen-
Savannah, he became the director of the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- tlewoman from California (Ms. LEE).
the Waterfront Association; and a uary 4, 2021, the gentleman from New Ms. LEE of California. Madam
fundraiser for Armstrong State Col- York (Mr. TORRES) is recognized for 60 Speaker, first, let me thank the gen-
lege, the Alzheimer’s Association, and minutes as the designee of the major- tleman from New York for organizing
the Savannah Jazz Association. ity leader. this very important Special Order and
Gordon’s accomplishments as an ath- GENERAL LEAVE for his tremendous leadership on so
lete and contributor to Savannah’s Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam many issues on behalf of his district,
sports community earned him an in- Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Congressional Black Caucus, and
duction to the Greater Savannah Ath- all Members have 5 legislative days to on behalf of all Americans.
letic Hall of Fame as the first recipient revise and extend their remarks and in- Let me first send my deepest condo-
of the M.A. Spellman Special Award. clude any extraneous material on the lences to Chairwoman JOYCE BEATTY
Gordon’s remarkable athletic accom- subject of this Special Order. and her family on the loss of her be-
plishments and contributions span The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there loved husband, Otto Beatty, Jr., a de-
multiple sports and decades. He walked objection to the request of the gen- voted partner, beloved father, grand-
on to the University of Georgia’s foot- tleman from New York? father, and community leader. Our
There was no objection. hearts are broken this evening as we
ball team as a fullback, founded the Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam
Savannah College of Art and Design think about Congresswoman BEATTY
Speaker, I am honored to share today’s and her family, and just know we are
rugby team, and the Savannah Scot- Special Order hour on Black Wall praying for her and her community and
tish games. Street on behalf of the Congressional her family.
Madam Speaker, two months before Black Caucus, which is chaired by our This is a Special Order tonight that I
he died, I got a postcard from ‘‘Bat- great leader, Congressmember JOYCE want to thank again Congressman
man.’’ It said: ‘‘You have been getting BEATTY. RITCHIE TORRES and the Congressional
some heat recently. Just so you know, I want to extend my condolences to Black Caucus for organizing this to
I love you and always will.’’ Congressmember Beatty and her family mark 100 years since the horrific trag-
I love you, too, Batman. We are going for the loss of her husband. edy of the Tulsa Greenwood massacre.
to miss you. On May 30, 1921, a single scream in an In one of the worst acts of racist vio-
f elevator became the spark that ignited lence in United States history, a White
a powder keg of racial terror that set mob ransacked a prosperous African-
A CARBON TAX IS A BAD IDEA
on fire Black Wall Street. A young American neighborhood in Tulsa, Okla-
(Mr. LAMALFA asked and was given Black man enters an elevator, and an homa. From May 31 to June 1, 1921, an
permission to address the House for 1 elevator operator, a young White estimated 300 Black men, women, and
minute and to revise and extend his re- woman, screams, giving the impression children were murdered. The mob de-
marks.) that she had been assaulted. stroyed 35 square blocks of Greenwood
Mr. LAMALFA. Madam Speaker, I A local newspaper, the Tulsa Trib- and burned down over 1,000 Black-
rise tonight to speak about the pro- une, accuses the young Black man of owned businesses, churches, and
posal for yet another idea for a carbon raping the young White woman. The homes.
tax. headline of the article was an incite- During a time when lynching African
This will just drive inflation, which ment to racial violence: ‘‘Nab the Americans was commonplace, the al-
is already a significant problem for Negro Who Attacked the Girl in the El- leged—mind you, alleged—assault of a
Americans, for fuel, for running their evator.’’ White woman by a Black man was
small businesses, for taking their kids As a result of the incitement, a enough to incite a massacre of un-
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to school, for just doing the things White lynch mob descended on Black imaginable proportions. A thriving
they do, maybe even going on a vaca- Wall Street and set on fire the wealthi- Black community became the target of
tion. est Black community in the United animosity and racial hatred by its
Costs will go up if we have to tax en- States, reducing it to ashes. The ashes neighbors.
ergy more and more and more for doing of Black Wall Street are a metaphor Now, a grand jury placed the blame
business, for buying groceries, for for the failure of Reconstruction. for the massacre entirely on the Black
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H2408 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 17, 2021
community. No White person was ever for anchoring this very important Spe- The events of January 6, when Con-
held accountable for these crimes. This cial Order hour today. federate flags flew inside and out of the
is an example, mind you, of the horrors I also want to extend my deepest con- Capitol, and where a hangman’s noose
and the experience of living as a Black dolences to the chair of the Congres- was draped over a functional gallows
person in America then and now. sional Black Caucus and my friend, the constructed on the Capitol Grounds to
In 1997, the Oklahoma Legislature es- Honorable JOYCE BEATTY, who lost her intimidate and terrorize, that proves
tablished a commission to study the dear husband a few days ago. He passed that not much has changed.
Tulsa race riots of 1921. It was charged away. He was a fine public servant and And I stand here today to tell you
with the responsibility of developing a fine civil rights champion, and he that we have had enough. It is time to
an historical record of the massacre will be missed. We are there in prayer fix America and rid racism from its
through identifying witnesses and and in spirit with our dear sister. soil. We must fix our country, and that
gathering testimony and records. The It has been said that sunlight is the starts with examining our past and
commission not only corrected the best disinfectant, yet the terrible looking at how we can heal together as
record, but also recommended repara- atrocity that took place in Tulsa, a Nation, and, yes, reparation. Justice
tions for the survivors and their de- Oklahoma, 100 years ago, on May 31 delayed is justice denied, and Black
scendants. To date, they have not re- and June 1 of 1921, has lived in the Americans in this country have been
ceived any—mind you, any—direct shadows for far too long. It is time that denied justice for far too long. Enough
compensation. the truth be told. We must know our is enough.
Up until recently, the silence in past or we are bound to repeat it. At this time, I would like to read
Tulsa, in Oklahoma, and in the United In 1921, the Black community in from the Tulsa Historical Society and
States about this massacre was an in- Tulsa, Oklahoma, was prospering, de- Museum website. It is at
tentional effort to whitewash our Na- spite a racist system designed to TulsaHistory.org. I want to read the
tion’s racialized past. But we must re- marginalize and exclude it and its resi- following information that it pub-
member these stories. We must tell the dents from the fruits of those citizens’ lishes, which comes from the 2001 Tulsa
truth about our past. labor. It was a community known as Race Riot Commission report.
I introduced H. Con. Res. 19 to estab- Greenwood, and it was also known as ‘‘On the morning of May 30, 1921, a
lish a National Truth, Racial Healing, the Black Wall Street. young Black man named Dick Rowland
and Transformation Commission to It was a thriving community. There riding in the elevator at the Drexel
usher in this moment of truth to begin were restaurants, grocery stores, ho- Building at Third and Main with a
to examine and lift up to the public as tels, theaters, banks, insurance compa- White woman named Sarah Page. The
the historical record of the history and nies, all owned by Black people. This details of what followed vary from per-
legacy of slavery and how it is mani- community was self-sufficient. It was son to person. Accounts of an incident
fested today in systemic racism as it prospering, despite the fact that seg- circulated among the city’s White com-
relates to African Americans. regation was the norm and the lynch- munity during the day and became
But telling the truth is not enough. ing of Black men was as common as more exaggerated with each telling.
We must pass H.R. 40, sponsored by the white hoods of the KKK. ‘‘Tulsa police arrested Rowland the
Congresswoman SHEILA JACKSON LEE. The simple fact is this: The Black following day and began an investiga-
And I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 40, community was succeeding in Tulsa, so tion. An inflammatory report in the
which is the Commission to Study and White people burned it down. White su- May 31 edition of the Tulsa Tribune
Develop Reparation Proposals for Afri- premacy and Jim Crow were the sparks spurred a confrontation between Black
can Americans to address and repair that lit the fire. The massacre occurred and White armed mobs around the
the material harm done by instances over a 24-hour period, from May 30 to courthouse where the sheriff and his
like the Tulsa Greenwood massacre. June 1 of 1921. And it all began like so
I am pleased to say that my home men had barricaded the top floor to
many other racially motivated events: protect Rowland. Shots were fired, and
State of California is leading the Na- A false allegation against a Black man.
tion in this effort, being the first State the outnumbered African Americans
In response, a White mob of thou-
to pass a law to establish a task force began retreating to the Greenwood dis-
sands shot, beat, and murdered Black
to study and develop reparation pro- trict.
residents, and they did it with impu- ‘‘In the early morning hours of June
posals. nity.
Black Tulsans have still not recov- 1, 1921, Greenwood was looted and
ered from the impact of the Tulsa b 1945 burned by White rioters,’’ as they are
Greenwood massacre. Decades of dis- They looted Black homes and busi- called. ‘‘Governor Robertson declared
crimination following the massacre nesses and set fires in their wake, this martial law, and National Guard troops
prevented the community from re- White mob. They were aided and abet- arrived in Tulsa. Guardsmen assisted
building their economic vitality. Black ted by the National Guard and also firemen in putting out fires, took Afri-
Tulsans are still over two times more deputized killers, looters, and can Americans out of the hands of vigi-
likely to be unemployed than their arsonists. lantes and imprisoned,’’ locked them
White counterparts, and their commu- Twenty-four hours after the violence up, ‘‘all Black Tulsans not already in-
nities are the least likely to attract began, 35 city blocks lay in ruins. Not terned. Over 6,000 people were held at
businesses and large employers. Poli- a single dwelling or business or build- the convention hall and the fair-
cies like redlining and local ordinances ing was left standing. grounds, some for as long as 8 days.
have prevented growth. Within months of the Greenwood ‘‘Twenty-four hours after the vio-
The legacy of the massacre continues massacre, the KKK’s Tulsa chapter be- lence erupted, it ceased. In the wake of
to impact Black Tulsans today. We came one of the Nation’s largest, be- the violence, 35 city blocks laid in
cannot forget and we cannot let the cause what better recruiting tool than charred ruins, more than 800 people
Nation forget about the Tulsa Green- plundering and killing Blacks with im- were treated for injuries, and contem-
wood massacre. punity? porary reports of deaths began at 36.
H.R. 40 is a bill that we need to move No person has ever been held ac- Historians now believe as many as 300
forward to begin to repair the damage countable on the State, local, or Fed- people may have died.
of the historical facts of the legacy of eral level, in the criminal courts, or in ‘‘In order to understand the Tulsa
enslaved Africans brought to this coun- the civil courts for the atrocities com- Race Massacre, it is important to un-
try, who, quite frankly, in spite of our mitted against the Black community derstand the complexities of the times.
progress, still have not achieved lib- and the Black people of Greenwood in Dick Rowland, Sarah Page, and an un-
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erty and justice for all. Tulsa, Oklahoma. known gunman were the sparks that
Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam And here we are today, 100 years ignited a long-smoldering fire. Jim
Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from later, still challenged by state-sanc- Crow, jealousy, white supremacy, and
Georgia (Mr. JOHNSON). tioned violence against Black people. land lust all played roles in leading up
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Some things have changed, but some to the destruction and loss of life on
Speaker, I thank Congressman TORRES things remain the same. May 31 and June 1, 1921. . . .
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May 17, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2409
‘‘Black Tulsans had every reason to atic destruction was left to the victims Then, after the internment camps,
believe that Dick Rowland would be of that destruction. While Tulsa offi- Black professionals, Black business
lynched after his arrest. His charges cials turned away some offers of out- owners who lost everything, were
were later dismissed and highly suspect side aid, a number of individual White forced to live in tents and shacks. It
from the start. They had cause to be- Tulsans provided assistance to the was the worst act of racial terrorism
lieve that his personal safety, like the city’s now virtually homeless Black and one of the worst acts of domestic
defense of themselves and their com- population. . . . terrorism in the history of the United
munity, depended on them alone. As ‘‘In recent years, there has been on- States.
hostile groups gathered and their con- going discussion about what to call the
b 2000
frontation worsened, municipal and event that happened in 1921. Histori-
county authorities failed to take ac- cally, it has been called the Tulsa Race Now, I see a parallel between the
tions to calm or contain the situation. Riot. Some say it was given that name Tulsa Race Massacre and January 6.
‘‘At the eruption of violence, civil of- at the time for insurance purposes. The insurrection against the United
ficials selected many men, all of them Designating it a riot prevented insur- States Congress on January 6 was not
White and some of them participants in ance companies from having to pay simply an attack on a physical struc-
that violence, and made those men benefits to the people of Greenwood ture, it was an expression of racial rage
their agents as deputies. In that capac- whose homes and businesses were de- and resentment against multiracial de-
ity, deputies did not stem the violence stroyed.’’ mocracy. And the same is true of the
but added to it, often through overt Now, this is not me talking. I am Tulsa Race Massacre.
acts that were themselves illegal. Pub- still reading from that report. We have to recognize that the domes-
lic officials provided firearms and am- ‘‘It also was common at the time for tic terrorism that we saw unfold on
munition to individuals, again, all of any large-scale clash between different January 6 did not happen in a vacuum.
them White. Units of the Oklahoma racial or ethnic groups to be cat- It has a history, and that history in-
National Guard participated in the egorized a race riot. cludes the KKK; it includes Jim Crow,
‘‘What do you think?’’ the report and, yes, it includes the Tulsa Race
mass arrests of all or nearly all of
asks. Massacre. And it is a scandal in Amer-
Greenwood’s residents. ‘‘Definition of ‘riot’: a tumultuous
‘‘They removed them to other parts ica that most Americans have never
disturbance of the public peace by heard of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
of the city and detained them in hold-
three or more persons assembled to- Madam Speaker, as Congressman
ing centers. Entering the Greenwood
gether and acting with common intent. JOHNSON noted earlier, it has been re-
district, people stole, damaged, or de- ‘‘Definition of ‘massacre’: the act or
stroyed personal property left behind ferred to as a race riot, which is an at-
an instance of killing a number of usu-
in homes and businesses. People, some tempt to whitewash the white su-
ally helpless or unresisting human
of them agents of government, also de- premacist, domestic terrorism at the
beings under circumstances of atrocity
liberately burned or otherwise de- heart of the massacre. And so we are
or cruelty.’’
stroyed homes credibly estimated to here to tell the truth about the Tulsa
So, that is why I personally refer to
have numbered 1,256, along with vir- Greenwood Massacre because we see a
it as the Tulsa Greenwood massacre, as
tually every other structure—including proper revision of history away from
opposed to a race riot.
churches, schools, businesses, even a Mr. TORRES of New York. Mr. whitewashing as part of our national
hospital and library—in the Greenwood Speaker, I thank Mr. JOHNSON for his reckoning with race in America.
district. Despite duties to preserve deep insight and kind words earlier. It is worth noting that in 2021, Black
order and to protect property, no gov- Some background on Tulsa, Okla- homeownership is at historic lows. The
ernment at any level offered adequate homa: The district of Greenwood in its rate of Black homeownership is lower
resistance, if any at all, to what time was famously described by Booker today than it was before the Fair Hous-
amounted to the destruction of the T. Washington as ‘‘Black Wall Street.’’ ing Act in the 1960s. The gap between
Greenwood neighborhood. Although the It was so named because it was the Black and White homeownership has
exact total can never be determined, most vibrant and affluent African- never been greater. According to the
credible evidence makes it probable American community in the United Federal Reserve, White households on
that many people, likely numbering States. It was an oasis of opportunity average have eight times more wealth
between 100 to 300, were killed during in a desert of du jour discrimination. than Black households. And part of the
the massacre.’’ For many African Americans in reason is the Tulsa massacre, and the
I am reading to you from the report search of a better life, it was a prom- systemic racism that it represents.
of the Tulsa commission that was set ised land amid the broken promise of There is a racial income gap between
up by the city of Tulsa to report on the Reconstruction. It was home to 10,000 White households and Black house-
events that happened in Greenwood 100 residents. There were 30 vibrant res- holds, but there is an even greater
years ago. taurants, 45 vibrant grocers and meat wealth gap. And the wealth gap is not
‘‘Not one of these criminal acts was markets. There was a 54-room hotel. an accident, it is a product of public
then or ever has been prosecuted or There was a theater and a hospital. policy. It is a consequence of systemic
punished by government at any level: Black Wall Street was a self-con- racism.
municipal, county, State, or Federal. tained, self-sufficient community of During the post-war era, we saw
Even after the restoration of order, it Black wealth, a community of Black Black Americans systematically ex-
was official policy to release a Black entrepreneurship and Black ownership. cluded from programs providing home-
detainee only upon the application of a And Black Wall Street, at the hands ownership and higher education, which
White person, and then only if that of racial terrorism, at the hands of ra- are the pillars of wealth-building. And
White person agreed to accept responsi- cial violence, the wealthiest Black if you have no home to own, then you
bility for that detainee’s subsequent community in the United States be- have no home equity to build. And if
behavior. As private citizens, many came a scene of mass murder, looting, you have no home equity to build, then
Whites in Tulsa and neighboring com- and arson. It became a scene of death, you have no wealth to pass down from
munities did extend invaluable assist- destruction, and displacement. Nothing one generation to the next.
ance to the massacre’s victims,’’ to was spared in the Tulsa Race Massacre. And so, instead of realizing the
their credit. Churches, schools, and hospitals were dream of intergenerational wealth, too
‘‘Despite being numerically at a dis- burned down. Twelve thousand homes many Black Americans were con-
advantage, Black Tulsans fought val- were burned down. Thirty-five blocks demned by public policy, condemned by
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iantly to protect their homes, their burned down. The Tulsa burning had a systemic racism to the nightmare of
businesses, and their community. But death toll of 300 and a displacement intergenerational poverty. The Tulsa
in the end, the city’s African-American toll of 10,000. Ten thousand people lost Race Massacre should be understood as
population was simply outnumbered by their homes, their businesses, and their a microcosm of what white supremacy
the White invaders. In the end, the res- livelihoods. And 6,000 of those people has done to Black people and Black
toration of Greenwood after its system- were relegated to internment camps. property, to Black business and Black
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H2410 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 17, 2021
community. And the ghosts of Jim ceeded to whitewash the history of the Cross Bronx Expressway, which is both
Crow, the ghosts of the Tulsa and Tulsa massacre, claiming that it was a literally and metaphorically a struc-
Greenwood massacre hunts us till this race riot rather than the act of domes- ture of racism. The South Bronx has a
day. tic terrorism that it was and should al- childhood asthma hospitalization rate
I represent a neighborhood named ways be seen as. No White person was that is double to three times the na-
Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, and many held to account, and no Black person tional average.
of the businesses on Arthur Avenue was made whole. So like the South Bronx, the neigh-
have been owned by the same family Despite the acute challenges of rac- borhood of Greenwood has its own rac-
for more than 100 years, but those busi- ism in the late 19th and early 20th cen- ist highway. And one of the most excit-
nesses—all of them are white. tury, Black residents have been able to ing features of the American Jobs Plan
And I thought to myself, what if create thriving community in the is a proposed $20 billion fund that
Black Wall Street had been left alone, Greenwood District of Tulsa, Okla- would rebuild neighborhoods that have
had been left to survive and thrive. It homa. However, this community was been divided and devastated by the
may very well be the case that some of literally burned to the ground in one of structural racism of highways. And I
those businesses would have endured the worst incidents of racial violence hope neighborhoods like Greenwood
until 2021. We could have had busi- in American history. And to this day, and the South Bronx will benefit from
nesses owned by Black families for no one has been truly held responsible. our national reckoning with race.
more than a century had it not been And it is worth noting, even though The impact of the massacre and the
for the racial terrorism that took hold Greenwood has rebuilt itself, Green- ongoing systemic discrimination is
in 1921. And we know that when it wood does have among the highest clear when you compare North Tulsa,
comes to business, longevity is often rates of poverty and unemployment in where many Black residents of Tulsa
the basis for resilience. Established the city of Tulsa, which demonstrates now live, to other areas. North Tulsan
businesses which tend to be wealthier the legacy of systemic racism, how residents are significantly poorer than
and whiter had greater resilience in the hard it can be to overcome that legacy. residents in other parts of the city.
face of COVID–19; whereas, newer busi- The Tulsa Massacre resulted in prop- There are fewer businesses and large-
nesses, which tend to be Black and erty damage valued anywhere from $25 scale employers in North Tulsa than in
Brown, were too fragile to survive the million to $100 million when adjusted other cities.
cataclysm of COVID–19. in today’s dollars. As the descendants According to a 2018 city study, North
In the first two months of the out- of the white mob that looted Tulsa Tulsa had the fewest jobs of any region
break, 44 percent of Black businesses businesses have had the opportunity to of Tulsa. The unemployment rate is
were wiped out, which raises the ques- benefit from the wealth of their ances- 2.37 percent times higher for Black
tion, what if Black Wall Street were tors, many Black survivors of the Tulsans than for White Tulsans. The
left to thrive, and what if we could Tulsa Massacre and their descendants lowest life expectancy in Tulsa occurs
have had businesses that would have have not been able to recoup the in the poorest regions with the great-
endured for more than a century and wealth that had been lost or destroyed est concentration of Black residents.
could have had the resilience, the lon- during the massacre. The United States has a responsi-
gevity, to overcome even a cataclysmic Despite the Oklahoma Commission to bility to both acknowledge the harm
event like COVID–19. study the race massacre of 1921 stating, caused by the Tulsa Massacre and to
Madam Speaker, I want to provide ‘‘Reparations to the historic Green- enact legal remedies and policy pro-
some more historic background, on wood community in real and tangible posals to compensate survivors and
May 31–June 1, 1921, a White mob at- form would be good public policy and their descendants. And as many of you
tacked America’s Black Wall Street, do much to repair the emotional and know, there is no greater champion of
the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Okla- physical scars of this terrible incident making the victims of systemic racism
homa, and what is known as the Tulsa- in our shared past.’’ Despite that find- whole, no greater champion of repara-
Greenwood Race Massacre. The White ing, neither the State of Oklahoma nor tions than the chair of our Special
mob of thousands of people shot and the city of Tulsa has provided direct Order hour, Congress Member JACKSON
murdered Black residents, looted their compensation to survivors or their de- LEE.
homes and businesses, and burned more scendants. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen-
than 1,000 homes, churches, schools, Discrimination against Black tlewoman from Texas (Ms. JACKSON
and businesses. Not only did local au- Tulsans did not end following the mas- LEE).
thorities and law enforcement fail to sacre. Over the local decades, local or- Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker,
maintain civil order and protect Tul- dinances to prevent rebuilding, red- I thank the gentleman from New York
sa’s Black residents, some government lining, urban renewal, and slum clear- from illustrating, elaborating on, de-
agents aided the White mob in carrying ance, gentrification, highway construc- tailing, and bringing to the 21st cen-
out the massacre. tion, tearing apart communities. tury the horrors of the Tulsa race
Many of the residents who fled the I will offer a note of personal reflec- riots, calling it what it is and not being
massacre were detained in internment tion. I represent the South Bronx, fearful of acknowledging the riotist
camps immediately following the mas- which has been ravaged by a racist and violent impact of the Tulsa race
sacre. And local officials later made, highway known as the Cross Bronx Ex- riots.
and ultimately failed, an attempt to pressway. It was built by Robert Moses Madam Speaker, it is my honor to
block the ability of the Black commu- and largely funded by Federal dollars. now continue the discussion on behalf
nity to rebuild the Greenwood commer- And the Cross Bronx Expressway has of the Congressional Black Caucus and
cial district by enacting a restrictive left behind decades of displacement and my cochair of the Special Order hour,
building ordinance. environmental degradation. the Honorable Congressman TORRES of
Less than a month after the mas- There are children who are born in New York.
sacre, a grand jury placed the blame the Bronx who live near the Cross Let me, first of all, thank our chair,
entirely on the Black community and Bronx Expressway, who breathe in pol- Chairwoman BEATTY, for matching her
indicted 85 people—mostly African- lutants every day that cause res- members with this process of ensuring
Americans—with massacre-related of- piratory disease and cardiovascular that the history, the unbiased history
fenses. No White person was ever held disease. And we saw those diseases be- of a people in all of our variations is
individually accountable for crimes come lethal during COVID–19. told truthfully.
committed during the massacre, and As a son of the Bronx, I was often in
b 2015
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the vast majority of survivors and three places. I was at home, I was at
their descendants were never directly school, and I was in the emergency We, too, are Americans. The Tulsan
compensated for these harms. room, because I was repeatedly hos- residents of that time were Americans
So not only did a White lynch mob pitalized for asthma. And the asthma as well.
set the most vibrant, Black community epidemic in the Bronx, again, is not an I am reminded of the early stages of
on fire, but then the United States pro- accident. It is a consequence of the my education. When Congressman
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May 17, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2411
TORRES’ history was the Nina, the would see in our neighborhoods today what they feared was an upcoming
Pinta, and the Santa Maria, I could al- or in our high schools today, dancers, Black uprising.
most repeat that in my sleep, the three they had a full holistic community. Same as January 6, where there are
ships that came with Christopher Co- There is some cars on the street. people who had the audacity to say it
lumbus. He was the founder of Amer- Can you imagine 1921? looked like tourists on any normal
ica—over and over again. Oh, I wish I could just take a trip day, when we were laying flat on the
I’m not sure during the period of our back, just stand on the sidewalk, and floor in this building while banging and
early childhood and those of recent just look with pride of history I did not screams and guns drawn on this side of
vintage learned anything of Native know. I never imagined there were cit- that door. We didn’t know whether we
American history, Korean-American ies like Tulsa, Oklahoma, as I was would live. And a lifesaving shot for
history, Japanese-American, Chinese- growing up as a child. I never imagined that person who did not know what was
American, African-American, slavery. I we had anything, we were worth any- happening, attempting to save lives.
don’t know if our children in periods of thing, except for what my mother and Sadly, someone lost their life.
the 20th century and now in the 21st father and grandparents poured into Members in near panic—rightly so—
century knew there was more history. me. leaving these Chambers and walking
I do know that the past President My big mother, which was my great- down and seeing AK–47s in the hands of
wanted the Smithsonian, the African- grandmother, owned property obvi- individuals laying flat on the ground,
American culture, to stop teaching ously destroyed by the highways and that our brave officers had under their
about African history. I know that freeways that came in and took it watch.
there was a challenge to the U.S. De- away in St. Petersburg, Florida. I just Yes, rioters. But in Greenwood, I
partment of Education by Minority thought that was our way of life. Just want this picture to be embedded in
Leader MCCONNELL, to stop teaching like I thought riding in the back of a your DNA, because you will see eco-
the 1619 Project. It baffles me because train going south to visit her, sitting nomic prosperity, self-sufficiency. Yes,
I believe that, if a country or a people by my lonely with a bag of fried chick- it was known as the Black Wall Street.
know its history, we will not be en—that is right, I am not embar- They viewed, however, black males as
doomed to repeat the past. rassed—to carry me through to visit fearsome, physical threats to their per-
When I say ‘‘a people,’’ America is my grandmother in St. Petersburg, sonal safety, and the rivals of White
represented by many people. If we Florida. Thank God, I got there safely. women. I don’t know what happened in
knew each other’s history, if we under- I was just about 8 or 9 or 10, and I was an elevator, allegedly. The story, you
stood each other’s history, could we sitting in the colored car, and I wasn’t know, it is always a mystery, but some
not—even if not those who are already supposed to move except for necessary claim of some insult that occurred.
past understanding, but could our chil- purposes. And all of a sudden the word went
dren grow up with empathy and under- I didn’t know—I didn’t know I could out enraging leaders of the White com-
standing? come here and see this. And our chil- munity, fine citizens, probably in some
That is why we are here on the floor dren don’t know it. That is why we are church over the weekend. When I say
of the House. We are not here to casti- on the floor today. We are on the floor in their church in that time, because
gate and to throw untruthful hits. We today because we have to begin to em- they were always using the Bible
are here to tell the truth. brace each other’s story. wrongly and incorrectly. And I will say
Madam Speaker, tears come to my So I am very delighted that I am that because I believe in a merciful re-
eyes as a series—and I only get to look leading on H. Res. 398, embraced by the demptive Jesus, as a Christian. There
at television late in the night, after all Congressional Black Caucus. This will are many other faiths, Torah and
the day’s work is done, and there is a be on the floor of the House this com- Koran and others.
series called ‘‘The Underground Rail- ing Wednesday. And my counterpart in But I know in the redemptive faith of
road.’’ You cannot look at that without the United States Senate is a very dear Christianity, we believe in redemption.
shaking in your boots, shaking in the friend, Senator ELIZABETH WARREN, We don’t go out because we know that
chair you are sitting in, tears coming who believes in this resolution, that is we have had one to sacrifice for us on
to your eyes. the recognizing of the forthcoming cen- the cross so that we might be re-
That is the empathy that America tennial, the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. deemed. We sing that song in our com-
can understand for all the journeys And it doesn’t say ‘‘riot.’’ It says ‘‘mas- munity, ‘‘Let the Redeemed Say So.’’
that so many of us have taken. We sacre.’’ It was a massacre. But apparently they didn’t have that
have taken it, and we are here in this I Thank the House leadership. I memory.
place. The greatest experiment that thank them for their understanding 100,000 Black people lived in that
the world watches. the value and importance of this as we area, sold luxury items. Twenty-one
Can they make it? lead into June and begin to move on restaurants, 30 grocery stores, a hos-
They were watching it from Abraham H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and pital, savings and loan, a post office,
Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Develop Reparation Proposals. It is three hotels, jewelry and clothing, two
1863, and then General Granger in 1865. nothing harmful. There is nothing that movie theaters, a library, pool halls,
They watched us through the 1800s. will undermine anyone. It is to accept bus and cab service, a nationally recog-
We failed. Reconstruction did not what happened. nized school system. A nationally rec-
work. Even with all the Governors and So I am so grateful we have almost ognized school system, when all of us
Congress people that had been elected 100 cosponsors, and maybe more to are fighting for our children to be edu-
are freed slaves. That ugly head of rac- come into the next 24 hours, for a story cated.
ism, white supremacy, lynching, the that was never told. Today, I left Houston. And guess
tearing asunder of Black communities, Oh, yes, as a little Black girl, I could what? We have a new resident of Texas:
the still tearing apart of families, the tell you about Columbus, tell you Curtis Jackson, known as 50 Cent.
lynching of men and women who went about Abraham Lincoln, tell you about We were standing together because
off to the grocery store—when I say George Washington. And most of them he was producing with Mayor Turner
that, the local store, whatever it was today in the 21st century, they are not and Al Kashani and the School Super-
down the road—and never came back. hearing about the wide diversity of our intendent Grenita Lathan, and all
In 1921—boy, I am just so proud of history, Madam Speaker—yours and elected officials to announce an entre-
this picture—this is bustling Tulsa, mine and the many people that are on preneurial program.
Oklahoma. This is the example of the this side of the aisle or that side of the Can you imagine, to be able to build
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
excitement. I am reading where it says aisle. up our children?
the McGowan Variety Store. There are So let me just recount very briefly They had two Black newspapers, six
some McGowans in Houston. They again. A century ago, White rioters, private planes. And I want to say it
might be related. These are the pranc- local law enforcement, and self-ap- again, a recognized school system.
ing people with their cowboy hats on. pointed vigilantes claim to be acting On May 31 of that year, 35 city blocks
It looks as if students, just like we reasonably and in self-defense against went up in flames and 300 persons were
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H2412 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 17, 2021
murdered and, to my knowledge, buried to Study and Develop Reparation Pro- for Not-For-Profit Law, just one of 81 anti-
in an unmarked grave; 800 were injured posals, because we can see it in real protest bills introduced in 34 states during
and 9,000 were left homeless. life. the 2021 legislative session alone—most of
them framed as a response to last summer’s
Yes, one cannot ignore this history, b 2030 Black Lives Matter protests. But instead of
but it has been ignored, it has been tackling the root causes of these nationwide
snuffed out, it has been put under. So this is part of the Tulsa that
protests against police brutality, racism and
I never knew about it until people never got acknowledged. anti-Blackness, many lawmakers are at-
like Dr. Crutcher, from this great city, Madam Speaker, let me show you ad- tempting to intimidate, malign and crim-
and various leaders that have brought ditional fires so you can see the build- inalize peaceful protesters.
to our attention even more. But over ings going up in smoke. We are not Laws like this one will undoubtedly have
making it up. All of these buildings— painful and long-lasting consequences in
the years, obviously, in my study of Oklahoma and the rest of the nation. Black,
reparations, I have seen the insults brick buildings—were burned to the
brown and Indigenous people will surely be
that have happened when no one both- ground.
locked up, ripped apart from their families,
ered to respond. Can you imagine someone who sur- and may lose their jobs for exercising their
Brutality that we are now trying to vived the post-traumatic stress, the First Amendment right to peacefully assem-
correct by acknowledging in H. Res. horrors of their life, the willingness ble in a protest. They will surely receive
398, and I hope my colleagues will come not to live anymore, and the giving up harsher punishments for protesting police
to the floor of the House to be able to of hope? brutality and racial injustice than, for in-
People wonder, oh, those lazy Ne- stance, White protesters demonstrating for
address it. gun rights or for their desire to control a
Let me show you what that massacre groes and colored people who worked
woman’s body.
generated, and you will understand. for over 250 years in bondage. This isn’t the only bill introduced in Okla-
Madam Speaker, how much time is Finally, I am going to put the picture homa this session that’s followed the Tulsa
remaining? of the slaves, the individuals. So this is Race Massacre’s sinister legacy of suppres-
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- the story we tell tonight. We don’t sion and erasure of Black Oklahomans. Half
tlewoman has 7 minutes remaining. even tell it with a sense of vengeance. a dozen bills have already been introduced to
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, We tell it with a sense of dignity, re- restrict absentee voting and require identi-
spect, and honor. The courage of those fication to vote, echoing the growing trend
you saw the bustling town. You saw
people, and the genius of those people— of voting restrictions around the country.
the bustling town. This is a charred Historically in our state as elsewhere, these
Negro who suffered in the Tulsa riots. they weren’t even freed slaves for 100 tactics have been used to disenfranchise
Yes, I am like Emmett Till’s mother, years and look what they created. Black and brown, poor and older commu-
Let the world see it. This is what hap- There is a story on CNN: ‘‘My great- nities and people with disabilities, with the
pened to an innocent Black person. grandmother survived the 1921 Tulsa precedent being set in one state and spread-
By the way, the dead included chil- massacre. We are not heeding her his- ing like wildfire to the rest of the country.
dren. Tulsa Historical Society. This is tory.’’ For what was once the wealthi- On May 7, Governor Stitt signed HB 1775
est Black neighborhood in America be- into law, which will prohibit Oklahoma
America. And this is a story that we
schools from teaching critical race theory—
failed to tell. This is what happened. came charred ash in a matter of hours.
or in other words important lessons about
We have more stories to tell. We be- But we have not come to a conclusion systemic racism and diversity. The measure
lieve that a picture is worth a thou- to end this kind of White supremacy is meant to essentially stifle important dis-
sands words. We can never, never over- and racism. cussions about, among other things, the 1921
come that burned, charred body. Madam Speaker, I include this in the Tulsa Race Massacre, the Trail of Tears and
I showed you what Tulsa looked like, RECORD. the Osage murders in classrooms and beyond.
the Black Wall Street, and the burned- [From CNN, May 14, 2021] Erasing our history, yet again, will have dev-
out ruins of Greenwood. Tulsa, Okla- astating consequences. And Oklahoma isn’t
OPINION: MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER SURVIVED
alone—bills banning or restricting the teach-
homa library—they even got it in the THE 1921 TULSA MASSACRE. WE’RE NOT
ing of critical race theory have been drafted
library. I don’t know how many people HEEDING HER HISTORY
in Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, New Hamp-
have seen it. It is a wasteland, a literal A century ago, my Black brothers and sis- shire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and West
wasteland. Smoke is coming up. Peo- ters were decimated by one of the worst oc- Virginia and already passed in Utah, Arkan-
ple’s homes are gone. Wealth is gone. currences of racial violence in our nation’s sas, Idaho and Tennessee.
People were never to be presented with history. On May 31 and June 1, 1921, White Bills like HB 1775 attempt to obscure the
gangs flooded into the thriving Greenwood fact that heinous instances of racial vio-
any relief. None. I don’t even think neighborhood and murdered up to 300 Black lence, from slavery to Jim Crow laws to the
they got a thank-you—not even a men, women and children. According to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, are not blemishes
thank-you. Tulsa Historical Society, 1,500 Black homes on our history but consequences of discrimi-
So our resolution condemns violence were burned, along with over 600 businesses, natory systems that continue to harm Black
and destruction perpetrated against and places of worship, healing, learning and people today.
the African-American community of gathering. Such laws are designed to prevent a full
Greenwood. Our resolution has a rejec- My great-grandmother, Rebecca Brown and honest accounting of how systemic rac-
tion and active opposition to the false Crutcher—a woman who was the picture of ism works. The bill says it will prohibit the
Black excellence—lived and worked in the teaching that ‘‘an individual, by virtue of his
ideology of white supremacy and con- Greenwood community. But in 1921, she fled or her race or sex, bears responsibility for
demnation of all groups. Our resolution in fear of her life as White Tulsans burned actions committed in the past by other
believes in promoting tolerance and her neighborhood to the ground. members of the same race or sex,’’ thereby
unity, and taking action to ensure gov- What was once the wealthiest Black neigh- upholding White supremacy and helping ab-
ernmental policies and action to pro- borhood in America became charred ash in a solve the city of Tulsa and the state of the
mote tolerance and unity. matter of hours. 10,000 Black residents were moral obligation of paying reparations to
Our resolution is calling for all left homeless—and an entire generation of the survivors and descendants of the Tulsa
Americans to celebrate the ethnic, ra- Black Tulsans were robbed of their wealth Race Massacre. HB 1775 also flies in the face
and prosperity they had built. To this day, of reality—as if the wealth and security
cial, and religious diversity that has not one person has ever been held account- stripped from Black Tulsans a century ago
made the United States great. Our res- able and not a single cent of reparations has doesn’t have a direct relationship to the wid-
olution encourages all persons of the been paid to the survivors or the victims’ de- ening gaps in home ownership, education,
United States to reflect upon the his- scendants. life expectancy and arrest rates today.
tory of the United States as an imper- Without this necessary reckoning with the Each of us should learn the hard lessons of
fect but committed journey to estab- past, we’re already repeating it. As Okla- the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and the contin-
lish a more perfect union. Our resolu- homa and many around the world are pre- ued harm shouldered by the survivors, the
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
tion is recognized as a commitment of paring to mark the centennial of the 1921 descendants and the neighborhood of Green-
Tulsa Race Massacre, last month, Oklahoma wood. We should learn that race, racism and
Congress to acknowledge and learn Governor Kevin Stitt signed a law criminal- discrimination have very real, concrete ef-
from the history of racism and racial izing peaceful protesters and giving immu- fects on our history, our culture, our politics
violence in the United States. nity to drivers who ‘‘unintentionally’’ kill or and our current lives. But we can’t learn the
Our resolution lays the groundwork injure protesters. This law is, according to truth or grow from it if it’s hidden from us—
for moving to H.R. 40, the Commission the count kept by the International Center and that’s precisely what HB 1775 attempts
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May 17, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2413
to do. In so doing, this measure continues Monday night to discuss the signing of HB also during this period that thousands of Af-
the harm of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, 1775 into law. rican Americans accused of crimes against
because a century later, Stitt and our elect- Phil Armstrong, the project director of the White people—but particularly Black men
ed officials are still trying to bury the les- 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Com- accused of sexual assaulting White women—
sons that our ancestors would want us to mission, said HB 1775 ‘‘chills the ability of were summarily executed by White lynch
carry forward. educators to teach students, of any age, and mobs. Local authorities at the time often
As a descendant of a Tulsa Race Massacre will only serve to intimidate educators who condoned or even participated in these
survivor, it’s painful to see Oklahoma’s gov- seek to reveal and process our hidden his- extrajudicial killings or otherwise did little
ernor refuse to learn from our history and tory. You know that. We delivered this mes- to nothing to stop them.
acknowledge its continuing impact today. sage to you before you signed the measure. Yet despite this national atmosphere, Tul-
Instead, he’s chosen to saddle our teachers We were joined by educators, school boards, sa’s Greenwood district thrived. Black work-
and educators with even more baggage, and universities, faith, and community leaders, ers were mostly shut out of the booming oil
potentially penalize them for doing what’s all of whom vigorously objected to HB 1775. industry driving Tulsa’s meteoric turn-of-
right. You seemingly disregarded and dismissed the-century growth, so many working-class
My hope is that our teachers will look this this chorus of voices aligned against HB residents had to find work doing menial or
evil in the eye and refuse to give in or back 1775.’’ domestic labor. Greenwood’s vibrant econ-
down. I hope they will continue teaching the The governor responded by saying, in part, omy instead was driven mainly by residents’
truth about topics like the 1921 Tulsa Race ‘‘it is disappointing that some commission entrepreneurial skills previously developed
Massacre—including that it was borne from members feel that a common-sense law pre- in the many all-Black towns that dotted the
White supremacy, a mortal threat to our de- venting students from being taught that one Oklahoma landscape. The range of Black-
mocracy that remains with us today. Our race or sex is superior to another is contrary owned businesses located in Greenwood in-
students deserve the unbridled truth, not a to the mission of reconciliation and restora- cluded grand hotels, restaurants, theaters,
polished facade that makes us feel good tion.’’ pharmacies, diners, barbershops, and small
about ourselves. C.J. Webber-Neal, president of the Green- mom-and-pop shops. Greenwood was also
wood Arts & Cultural Society, INC., also home to hundreds of professionals, including
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, doctors, lawyers, and real estate agents.
I include the KJRH article in the called for the governor’s resignation as a
commission member. In a statement, Many residents lived under conditions typ-
RECORD. ical of the working-class in that era and
Webber-Neal said he was satisfied with hav-
[From KJRH] ing Stitt removed from the commission. subsisted without running water or elec-
GOV. STITT RESPONDS TO LETTER FROM TULSA ‘‘The Greenwood Arts & Cultural Society, tricity. The district’s more prosperous resi-
RACE MASSACRE COMMISSION INC. is very pleased that the 1921 Tulsa Race dents lived in modern houses befitting their
TULSA, OK, May 14, 2021.—Gov. Kevin Stitt Massacre Centennial Commission has with middle and upper-class economic status.
has officially been removed from the 1921 one concise voice taken action to remove Simply put, by the time of the Massacre, the
Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commis- Kevin Stitt, Governor of Oklahoma, from it residents of Greenwood had created a thriv-
sion. body. ing, and, in many ways economically self-
This comes after Stitt signed a bill lim- Based upon the stated mission of this body, sufficient, Black enclave.
iting race and gender curriculums in Okla- we stand in solidarity with their action re- No African American had been lynched in
homa schools earlier in May. House Bill 1775 garding Governor Stitt’s role as a member of Tulsa at the time of the Massacre. The
prohibits state public schools, colleges, and this Commission, based upon his signing of threat of racially motivated violence, how-
universities from incorporating certain mes- HB 1775 into law. The truth of the horrific ever, cast an everpresent shadow over the
sages about sex and race into any course in- story of 1921’s Race Massacre (as well as Greenwood district. Incidents of lynching oc-
struction. other history of the experiences of minori- curring across the country were heavily re-
This also comes on the 100th anniversary ties in America) must be taught honestly ported in the local Black press. Editorials in
of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, where a and unequivocally, so that future genera- local Black-owned newspapers in Tulsa pub-
white mob attacked Black residents and tions will learn of the demons of our past so lished the year or so leading up to the Mas-
businesses in the Greenwood District of we as a society will not be doomed to repeat sacre decried instances of ‘‘mob law’’ and
Tulsa, also known as Black Wall Street. this evil act. prominent Greenwood residents advocated
The governor’s office released the fol- At this time, we also encourage this body for armed African Americans to protect
lowing statement Friday afternoon: to add in the Governor’s place survivors and Black prisoners from White lynch mobs.
‘‘Governor Stitt’s role as a member of the descendants of the massacre, so that rep- Most saliently, the lynching of a White man
1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Com- resentation of this painful period in our his- in Tulsa and of a young African American
mission has been purely ceremonial and he tory can be reflected thru the experiences of man in Oklahoma City within the same week
had not been invited to attend a meeting those who were directly impacted by this in the year proceeding the Massacre con-
until this week. It is disappointing to see an tragic event. vinced many Black Tulsans that local au-
organization of such importance spend so Furthermore, we encourage any available thorities could not be counted on to protect
much effort to sow division based on false- monetary relief be given by this organization a Black person accused of a serious crime
hoods and political rhetoric two weeks be- to the three survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race against a White person.
fore the centennial and a month before the Notably—but unsurprisingly in segregated
Massacre. This should be done as both a sign
commission is scheduled to sunset. The gov- Tulsa—none of these Black viewpoints on
of reconciliation and the rising of the eternal
ernor and first lady will continue to support lynching were reflected in the local White
spirit of Greenwood. This we believe is long
the revitalization of the Greenwood District, press, and likely few, if any White Tulsans
overdue.’’
honest conversations about racial reconcili- regularly read Black-owned newspapers. In-
ation and pathways of hope in Oklahoma.’’ Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, stead, the White-owned press focused at that
The commission sent 2 News the following I include a detailed account of the time on crime and allegations of local cor-
statement: Tulsa Race Massacre in the CONGRES- ruption. An oil boomtown at the beginning
‘‘The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial SIONAL RECORD. of the Prohibition Era, Tulsa’s crime rate in
Commissioners met Tuesday and agreed the early 1920’s appeared to residents to be
DETAILED ACCOUNT OF TULSA RACE MASSACRE
through consensus to part ways with Gov- increasing. In particular, the city had gained
OF 1921
ernor Stitt. No elected officials, nor rep- a seedy reputation for illegal liquor and
resentatives of elected officials, were in- ACCOUNT BASED ON FACTS AND DOCUMENTS RE- prostitution.
volved in this decision. While the Commis- PORTED IN ‘‘FINAL REPORT OF THE OKLAHOMA For the most part during the period lead-
sion is disheartened to part ways with Gov- COMMISSSION TO STUDY THE TULSA RACE RIOT ing up to the Massacre, White-owned papers
ernor Stitt, we are thankful for the things OF 1921’’ had not blamed African Americans for the
accomplished together. The Commission re- Starting late on the evening on May 31 and apparent rise in crime, and crimes in Green-
mains focused on lifting up the story of continuing into the day of June 1, 1921, a wood did not receive a disproportionate
Black Wall Street and commemorating the White mob attacked the Greenwood district amount of coverage. But only 10 days prior
Centennial. With just weeks before the Cen- of Tulsa, Oklahoma, razing it to the ground. to the Massacre, a story focused White
tennial of one of the worst Race massacres in The attackers looted and intentionally Tulsans’ attention on the then-racially in-
the history of the U.S., Commissioners stand burned an estimated 1,256 homes in Green- flammatory subject of relations between
united in focusing time, energy and efforts wood—known as America’s ‘‘Black Wall Black men and White women. On May 21,
on descendants, survivors, education, eco- Street’’—along with nearly all the district’s 1921, a local story regarding a police inves-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
nomic development and progress this year churches, schools, and businesses. tigation into the city’s prostitution quoted a
and beyond. We hope to see many of you in The number of persons killed in the riot former local judge blaming the problem on
person or virtually at some of our events may never be known, but a 2001 report by Af- the hotels and ‘‘Negro pimps,’’ and recounted
that we hope will drive change for years to rican Americans during this era lived under the testimony of a local clergyman that led
come.’’ the ever-present threat of mass racial vio- a group of White men undercover who
The commission previously issued Stitt a lence—which often took the form of White claimed that African American porters rou-
letter after he did not join a special meeting mobs invading Black communities. It was tinely offered them the services of White
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H2414 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 17, 2021
prostitutes, and to have witnessed carousing The Black Tulsans returned fire. While the to one account, a recent young Mexican im-
between Black men and White women at a initial shooting at the courthouse lasted migrant named Maria Morales Gutierrez
roadhouse just outside the city limits. only a few seconds, several street battles saved two Black children from being strafed
To be clear, as this contemporary news- erupted among groups of Black and White by an airplane. She then later refused White
paper story implies, the racism and preju- Tulsans. The Black Tulsans—significantly rioters’ demands to hand the children over to
dices of many White Tulsans tainted their outnumbered by the mob and fighting now them. She and the children survived.
perceptions of the Black community and the for their own lives—engaged in a fighting re- The assault and destruction of Greenwood
later events that set off the Massacre. De- treated, exchanging gunfire with their White lasted roughly until midday June 1, 1921,
spite the fact that racial segregation laws pursuers as they sought to return to the rel- when martial law was declared. Around 9:00
were gaining ground statewide in Oklahoma, ative safety of the Greenwood district. a.m., a National Guard unit based in Okla-
many White Tulsans appeared to fear that In the immediate aftermath of the homa City—which was entirely White—fi-
the color line was blurring and grew angry at events at the courthouse, some Whites nally arrived by train after having been re-
instances where Black Tulsans challenged or quested hours earlier by local authorities.
began making brief armed forays into
ignored segregationist laws and practices. By the time these ‘‘State Troops’’—as both
Further contributing to some White Tulsans’ Greenwood by car or committing indis-
Blacks and Whites later referred to them to
racial grievances was resentment of Green- criminate acts of looting, murder, and differentiate them from the local ‘‘Home
wood’s most prosperous residents, a feeling mayhem. Around 1:00 a.m. on June 1 Guard’’ unit discussed further below—arrived
that appears to have been exacerbated by a there began the first reports of fires in Tulsa, the violence had been occurring for
drop in oil prices and subsequent oil field being set. When the fire brigade an- nearly 11 hours. Many Blacks and Whites
layoffs that preceded the Massacre. In a swered the call, armed Whites pre- were dead, and while some looting continued,
deeply segregated city where Black residents vented them from putting out the fires. the Greenwood district was mostly in fiery
could not work, live near, or socialize with ruin. Most of the city’s Black residents had
By 4:00 a.m. more than two dozen
their fellow residents as equals, many White either fled or had been interned against their
Tulsans filled the vacuum created by the Black-owned businesses had been de-
will at several locations, including at the
lack of racial equality and understanding stroyed by flames. The worst destruc- Convention Hall, a fairground, and a baseball
with racism and prejudice. tion, however, had yet to come. park.
This local newspaper story, and another on As many of these events were occurring si- Local authorities later claimed that this
a breakout at the jail printed a few days multaneous and across a relative wide area was for the protection of Black lives, but
later (though containing no racial overtones) of the city, confusion reigned as the night of without a doubt they were also motivated by
appeared to provide White Tulsans fed up May 31 became the early morning hours of lingering fear of a supposed ‘‘Negro upris-
with crime—and inflamed by racial preju- June 1, 1921. Some Black residents resolved ing.’’
dice—a convenient racial scapegoat for their to defend their homes and businesses, taking A number of these ‘‘Special Deputies’’—
frustrations, and contributed to long- up armed positions to defend Greenwood. identified by ribbons and other ‘‘badges of of-
standing local conditions that had turned Skirmishes broke out between armed Blacks fice’’ supplied to them—were witnessed en-
Tulsa into a powder keg waiting for a spark and Whites at various points in the district gaging in arson, likely engaged in other acts
to ignite. in the early overnight hours. Other Black of violence and mayhem during the Massacre
The night of May 31, 1921, the spark was residents, rightly fearing the worst had yet and aided in rounding up Black residents for
struck as Black Tulsans’ fear of a lynching to occur, began to leave the city—many es- internment.
appeared on the cusp of realization. That day caped but some were killed. Immediately following the shooting near
police took into custody nineteen-year-old Still other Black residents thought the the courthouse, Whites had begun breaking
Dick Rowland, a Black man accused of sexu- worst had already happened; that as far as into sporting good stores, pawnshops, and
ally assaulting Sarah Page, a seventeen- they knew Dick Rowland had not been hardware stores to steal firearms with which
year-old White elevator operator. After word lynched, and—with the most intense skir- to arm themselves—some later claiming that
of the allegations spread through Tulsa’s mishing having abated by 2:00 a.m. according they were ‘‘borrowing’’ the weapons.
newspapers. One White-owned Tulsa paper to one Black eyewitness—some of Green- One business owner—whose sporting goods
ran an article entitled ‘‘Nab Negro for At- wood’s defenders even concluded that they store was literally across the street from po-
tacking Girl in Elevator’’ and a number of had successfully fended off the attackers. lice headquarters—later testified that a po-
eyewitnesses recall seeing a newspaper edi- Whites engaged in the attack also com- lice officer helped distribute the guns that
torial entitled ‘‘To Lynch Negro—that mitted numerous other atrocities. According were taken from his store.
evening a large White crowd began to gather to one Black eyewitness, White looters mur- The local guard unit also worked with the
around the courthouse jail where Rowland dered a Black elderly disabled man who, de- Tulsa Police Department to round up, dis-
was being held. At the same time, several spite having expressed a willingness to do so, arm, and take into custody Black residents,
groups of Black Tulsans—many of whom could not comply with their order to leave with guardsmen offering the promise that if
were World War I veterans—resolved to pro- his home. According to one White eye- they came peacefully their homes and busi-
tect the Black prisoner threatened by the witness, prominent Black surgeon Dr. A.C. nesses would be protected.
mob. Jackson was gunned down on his front lawn This action, however, effectively left Black
As the mob jeered the handful of deputy with his hands up after attempting to com- lives and property defenseless to a White
sheriffs guarding the courthouse, a group of ply with the White rioters. Another Black Mob aided by local police officers and their
25 Black Tulsans approached the beleaguered eyewitness recounted how he and 30 or 40 ‘‘Special Deputies’’, leading to further de-
officers to offer their assistance. The local other men who had surrendered to the riot- struction of property and helping contribute
authorities quickly declined their offer, but ers were lined up and forced to run with to the near total internment of the Black
the sight of armed Black men insistent on hands over their heads to an interment cen- population in the days immediately fol-
protecting Rowland from ‘‘mob law’’ proved ter located at Convention Hall, all while lowing the riot.
too much for the thousand-strong White some of their White captors shot at their In the eyes of the grand jury, a group of
crowd. As the Black Tulsans returned to heels with guns. A group of White men even armed Black residents standing up for equal
Greenwood assured of Rowland’s safety for ran a car into the group, knocking over two rights understandably provoked the White
the moment, some members of the White or three of their number. In another horri- crowd, and therefore, the entire Black com-
crowd left to obtain firearms from their fying display of brutality, a Black disabled munity in Greenwood essentially deserved
homes. homeless man was tied by his leg to a car what happened. Adding to this injustice, the
The Massacre began after a second group of and dragged by ‘‘white thugs’’ through the grand jury indicted 85 people—the majority
around 75 armed Black Tulsans returned to streets of the downtown business district of whom were African Americans—with Mas-
the courthouse later that evening following where he panhandled. sacre-related offenses.
reports that the White mob continued to Many Black residents—including women While most of these charges were ulti-
grow even larger (later estimated at 2,000 in- with children or elderly family members in mately dismissed or not pursued no Whites
dividuals) and more agitated. They again of- tow—were shot at in the streets as they at- were ever sent to prison for any of the mur-
fered their assistance to local authorities tempted to flee. Despite the ferocity of the ders or arson committed on May 31 and June
guarding Rowland and were again rebuffed. attackers, many Black residents continued 1, 1921.
This time, however, as they departed, ele- their armed resistance. Eventually, however, Due to their decades-long efforts, the story
ments of the White crowd accosted a Black these defenders were overwhelmed by the of the Massacre slowly resurfaced in the na-
World War I veteran with a racial slur and a sheer force of numbers and firepower of the tional consciousness, leading to greater de-
demand for his weapon. When the veteran re- White invaders. mands for the justice long denied to aging
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fused, a scuffle broke out over the gun and Of course, not all Tulsans shared the rac- survivors and their next of kin.
shots were fired. ism of the White rioters. There are several At the state and local level, in 1997 the
While these shots could have been uninten- accounts of Whites hiding Black Tulsans Oklahoma State Legislature created the
tional, members of the White mob—and pos- fleeing the violence at farms or homes out- Oklahoma Commission to Study the Race
sibly some members of law enforcement side the city or standing up to White rioters Riot of 1921. In 2001, the commission issued a
present at the courthouse—immediately who threatened them for sheltering Black final report and recommendations. In a let-
opened fire on all the Black men present. acquaintances at their workplace. According ter to officials for the State of Oklahoma
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May 17, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2415
and the City of Tulsa accompanying the re- Ms. JACKSON LEE. Then I want to Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, on
port, the commission noted that in February salute those who will be honoring 100 behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus, I
2000, the commission had already declared: years in the next couple of weeks. I rise to anchor this most important Special
that reparations to the historic Greenwood
community in real and tangible form would want to very quickly say that remem- Order remembering one of the darkest mo-
be good public policy and do much to repair ber what I said, I knew the history of ments in American history, the Tulsa-Green-
the emotional and physical scars of this ter- Christopher Columbus. I didn’t know wood Race Massacre, that occurred in the Af-
rible incident in our shared past. We listed the history of my Native American rican American Greenwood community of
several recommended courses of action in- brothers. I didn’t know the history of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 31–June 1, 1921.
cluding direct payments to riot survivors my own self, slavery. I know Big Moth- I am pleased to be joined by Congressman
and descendants; a scholarship fund avail- TORRES of New York, who will co-anchor this
er, which is what we called her. She
able to students affected by the riot; estab-
lishment of an economic development enter- owned land, and then I knew it dis- Special Order and my several members of the
prise zone in the historic Greenwood district; appeared. I knew I rode in the back of Congressional Black Caucus, which under the
a memorial for the riot victims. a train to visit her as a little girl. leadership of our Chair, Congresswoman
The commission reiterated its support for Guess what, Madam Speaker? BEATTY of Ohio, was unified and determined
reparations and emphasized that these rec- Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma that the reign of racial terror, carried out under
ommendations were a starting point and not was on the commission on the Tulsa color of law, that was visited on the black citi-
exhaustive. Twenty years later, however, race massacre, but he signed the bill zens of Greenwood not be forgotten and that
neither the State of Oklahoma nor the City
of Tulsa has provided direct compensation to limiting race and gender curriculums the injuries they suffered be redressed.
survivors and their descendants. in Oklahoma schools earlier in May. Madam Speaker, earlier this year, I intro-
In recent years, the City of Tulsa has made Madam Speaker, can you believe it? duced a resolution (H. Res. 215 later modified
some token gestures to acknowledge the It was House bill 1775. As well, he as H. Res. 398), joined by 84 cosponsors, rec-
Massacre. In 2010, the City of Tulsa dedicated goes on to not stand for what this com- ognizing the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa
the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park mission is all about: truth. Race Massacre.
to commemorate the Massacre’s victims. In So tonight we come to the floor. Re- As the great southern writer William Faulk-
2018, the City of Tulsa finally announced member what I said: I am not in any
that it would reexamine the potential mass
ner reminded us: ‘‘The past is never dead. It’s
graves noted in the 2001 commission report.
way throwing darts or stones at any- not even past.’’
In October 2020, archeologists discovered a one. I am here to raise up the dignity Madam Speaker, as I and other Members
mass grave at Oaklawn Cemetery, one of the of this man, this person, this body, will elucidate this evening, the hatreds, preju-
possible mass grave sites identified in the burned because he was Black, pros- dices, resentments, and white supremacy that
2001 report, and the City plans to exhume the perous, and ready to serve America. Black Americans witnessed and suffered in
bodies for further identification in June 2021. No one can tell me how many in that Greenwood a century ago are not dead; they
While the City of Tulsa has, in effect, cap- 1921 massacre had been in World War I, are not even past.
italized on its public campaign to acknowl- had worn the uniform and come home A century ago, White rioters, local law en-
edge the Massacre, pointedly, it appears to
have made no plan to use the resources gen-
and made a new life. forcement, and self-appointed vigilantes
erated to directly compensate survivors and How many can tell us out of those claimed to be acting reasonably and in self-
their descendants nor address the racial and who would have lived, would have been defense against what they feared was an up-
economic disparities that can be traced back ready to go serve in World War II and coming Black uprising.
to the Massacre. In May 2020, Human Rights then on, and their progeny continue to They resented the economic prosperity and
Watch issued a report recommending several build this wonderful economic engine? self-sufficiency of the Greenwood community,
actions to be taken at the federal, state, and Today those who remain are three which was known nationally as ‘‘Black Wall
local level to address the Massacre, includ- living descendants of those who were Street.’’
ing providing compensation directly to sur-
there. They tell me as I will go to They viewed Black males as fearsome
vivors and their descendants, and repara-
tions to the Black community in Tulsa for Tulsa, there is one door left. physical threats to their personal safety and as
racial discrimination exacerbated by the It is a crying shame. So I lift this rivals to white women.
Massacre. According to the report, Green- story up, and I let you know, Madam These baseless, irrational concerns are not
wood had begun to thrive again by the 1940s. Speaker, that the Congressional Black a relic of the past, they are with us today and
Yet rather than preserve what it once al- Caucus, yes, the conscience of this Na- are what resulted in the deaths of George
lowed to be destroyed, the State of Okla- tion, has a vital purpose to be able to Floyd, Tamir Rice, Deonte Wright, Stephon
homa and the City of Tulsa took several sub- tell the story. Someone I hope is listen- Clark, Amidou Diallo, and hundreds of others
sequent actions that disproportionately bur- ing. Someone I hope is listening. Some- too numerous to list.
dened Black residents—including the build-
ing of several highways through Greenwood
one I hope heard Brother Torres. I hope In 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood Dis-
starting in the 1960s and through the 1970s— they heard HANK JOHNSON and BARBARA trict, known as ‘‘Black Wall Street,’’ was one of
that ultimately led to Greenwood’s long LEE. I hope they have heard all of us. the most documented prosperous African
term decline. Because if we do not know our history, American communities in the United States.
These actions also forced the majority of we are doomed to repeat it. We must The Greenwood community with a popu-
residents to move out of historic Greenwood take the reins, lift up the dignity, lation of over 100,000 Black people had stores
into North Tulsa, which to this day is sig- honor these courageous saints, and we that sold luxury items, 21 restaurants, 30 gro-
nificantly poorer compared to other areas of
the city.
must fight on. cery stores, a hospital, a savings and loan
Additionally, survivors and their descend- Pass this resolution on the centen- bank, a post office, three hotels, jewelry and
ants have filed legal claims against the City nial. Pass H.R. 40 to establish a com- clothing stores, two movie theaters, a library,
of Tulsa and the State of Oklahoma seeking mission to study reparations. Pass the pool halls, a bus and cab service, a nationally
compensation for Massacre-related harms. American Jobs Plan, pass the Amer- recognized school system, six private air-
Unfortunately, time and distance from the ican Rescue Plan, and lift all boats. planes, and two black newspapers.
events have in the past worked to thwart For as we do so, God will be the witness On May 31st of that year, the 35 city blocks
these claims. In 2004, the Tenth Circuit, up-
for what we have done and the journey of Greenwood went up in flames, at least 300
holding the lower court’s decision to grant
the State and City’s motion for summary we have made. Black persons were murdered and more than
judgment, held that the plaintiffs’ claims Madam Speaker, I am honored to 800 were injured; it is estimated that not less
were barred by the applicable statute of lim- have been here today. I am honored to than 9,000 were left homeless and destitute.
itations, and that no equitable tolling to the be part of the Congressional Black Cau- These rioters reenacted the brutality of the
statute of limitations period applied. The cus. I am honored to be part of this mob from a hundred years ago in the hal-
Supreme Court denied the plaintiff’s petition House of Representatives. I am honored lowed halls of the Citadel of Democracy.
for writ of certiorari in 2005. Despite these to be an American, and I will not have It should not be overlooked that the source
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
adverse legal rulings, a lawsuit for Massacre- my history denied or my children fail- of their irrational anger, hatred, and violent re-
related claims was filed in state court last
ing to know that history. That is why action was that Black Americans voted in
year alleging that the Massacre is an ongo-
ing injustice to the residents of Greenwood we are here today. Let us march on overwhelming numbers in Atlanta, Philadel-
because contemporary racial and economic until victory is won. phia, Milwaukee, and Detroit to oust the most
disparities existing in Tulsa can be traced Madam Speaker, I thank the gen- negative, divisive, racially hostile, and incom-
back to the attack. tleman for yielding. petent president’s history, the 45th President,
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H2416 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 17, 2021
who presided over the deaths of more than and civil and law enforcement officials depu- grieve over the loss of so many loved ones
500,000 Americans, disproportionately Black tized many White men who were participants and of faith in the American system of justice.
and Brown. in the violence as their agents, directly contrib- Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam
The legacy of white mob violence inflicted uting to the violence through overt and often Speaker, I yield back the balance of
upon the Black community of Greenwood has illegal acts. my time.
scarred the descendants of the victims of this Over a period of 24 hours, the White mob’s Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker,
American pogrom. violence led to the death of an estimated 300 the Tulsa-Greenwood Massacre was a mass
Madam Speaker, the events of January 6th Black residents, as well as over 800 reports of killing targeting Black Americans in one of the
have given us insight into what the people of injuries. prosperous Black communities in the country.
Greenwood, Oklahoma, faced when they were The White mob looted, damaged, burned, or As we approach its 100th anniversary, we
attacked by a similar murderous mob. otherwise destroyed approximately 40 square must reflect on the events and beliefs that led
H.R. 398 is a reminder to the nation of the blocks of the Greenwood district, including an to those fateful days in late May of 1921, its
ultimate cruelty inflicted upon a people for estimated 1,256 homes of Black residents, as place in our nation’s history, and its lasting im-
dare believing that the promise of America well as virtually every other structure, including pacts on the Black community.
was attainable by them and their achieve- churches, schools, businesses, a hospital, and Founded and built by former slaves, freed
ments would be respected and protected by a library, leaving nearly 9,000 Black residents by the ratification of the 13th amendment, the
law. of the Greenwood community homeless and Greenwood District was a true testament to
But it does more than that, it puts the House effectively wiping out tens of millions of dollars the American Dream. The district was defined
of Representatives on record that the United in Black prosperity and wealth. by its entrepreneurial spirit and success and
States can achieve a more perfect union: In the wake of the Tulsa Race Massacre, offered newly-freed men and women the
1. by condemning the violence and destruc- the Governor of Oklahoma declared martial chance to make a name for themselves and
tion perpetrated against the African-American law, and units of the Oklahoma National their families.
community of Greenwood, in Tulsa, Okla- Guard participated in the mass arrests of all or But their success was being followed closely
homa, the scene of the then-largest single in- nearly all of Greenwood’s surviving residents, by those who wished otherwise—those who
stance of domestic terror against American were looking for any opportunity to materialize
removing them from Greenwood to other parts
citizens; their resent. And in the face of baseless alle-
of Tulsa and unlawfully detaining them in hold-
2. through the rejection and active opposi- gations of a crime committed by a Black man,
ing centers.
tion to the false ideology of White supremacy Oklahoma local and state governments dis- that hatred resulted in what is now known as
and condemnation of all groups and organiza- the Tulsa Race Massacre. The massacre re-
missed claims arising from the 1921 Tulsa
tions that ascribe to this false system of belief sulted in the deaths of over 300 Black men,
Race Massacre for decades, and the event
women, and children and left around 9,000
and seek to perpetuate their views through vi- was effectively erased from collective memory
more without homes or a source of income—
olence and unlawful conduct; and history until, in 1997, the Oklahoma State
3. by promoting tolerance and unity and tak- not to mention the immeasurable impact left
Legislature finally created a commission to
ing actions to ensure that governmental poli- on generations of Black Americans.
study the event. As Members of Congress, we stand here in
cies and actions do not foster division, dishar- On February 28, 2001, the commission
the Capitol of the United States, itself built by
mony, or intolerance; issued a report that detailed, for the first time,
slaves who are largely forgotten, with a unique
4. by calling upon all Americans to celebrate the extent of the Massacre and decades-long
opportunity to take action. That is why I am
the ethnic, racial, and religious diversity that efforts to suppress its recollection.
proud to be a cosponsor of Congresswoman
has made the United States the leader of the None of the law enforcement officials nor
JACKSON LEE and Senator WARREN’s resolu-
community of nations and the beacon of hope any of the hundreds of other White mob mem-
tion to recognize the forthcoming centennial of
and inspiration to oppressed persons every- bers who participated in the violence were
the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and con-
where; ever prosecuted or held accountable for the
5. encouraging all persons in the United demning past and present efforts to downplay
hundreds of lives lost and tens of millions of
States to reflect upon the history of the United its significance. It is critical that Congress take
dollars of Black wealth destroyed, despite the
States as an imperfect but committed journey this step not only to honor the lives and leg-
Tulsa Race Massacre Commission confirming
to establish a more perfect union and to cher- acies of those lost but also to encourage edu-
their roles in the Massacre, nor was any com-
ish and exercise the rights, privileges, and re- cation about the massacre and the role white
pensation ever provided to the Massacre’s vic-
sponsibilities guaranteed by the Constitution; supremacy played in its inception.
tims or their descendants. Madam Speaker, today we recommit our-
and Government and city officials not only abdi-
selves to fight the ever-present racism and un-
6. recognizing the commitment of Congress cated their responsibility to rebuild and repair
just violence against Black Americans. We do
to acknowledge and learn from the history of the Greenwood community in the wake of the
so on the shoulders of those that came,
racism and racial violence in the United violence, but actively blocked efforts to do so,
fought, and suffered before us in the hope that
States, including the Tulsa Race Massacre, to contributing to continued racial disparities in
one day the American Dream is accessible to
reverse the legacy of White supremacy and Tulsa akin to those that Black people still face
all—regardless of race.
fight for racial justice. today across the United States.
Madam Speaker, I will now briefly recount Madam Speaker, the pattern of violence f
the horrific events cited in H. Res. 398 that against Black people in the United States, PERSONAL EXPLANATION
were experienced by the law-abiding Black often at the hands of law enforcement, shows Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker,
community of Greenwood on those terrible that the fight to end State-sanctioned violence I was unavoidably detained in my con-
days. against Black people continues. gressional district due to COVID re-
In 1921, White supremacy and racist vio- As the American Historical Association stat- sponsibilities, and I was not present for
lence were common throughout the United ed, ‘‘What happened in Tulsa was extreme, rollcall vote 144.
States and went largely unchecked by the jus- but not unusual. It is part of our nation’s herit- I ask the RECORD to reflect that had
tice system. age. We must acknowledge that heritage, I been present, I would have voted
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, reports of an alleged learn from it, and do whatever each of us can ‘‘aye’’ on rollcall 144, the motion to
and disputed incident on the morning of May do to ensure that it is just that—heritage, rath- suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2911,
30, 1921, between two teenagers, a Black er than a continuing practice.’’ VA Transparency and Trust Act of 2021.
man and a White woman, caused the White Madam Speaker, I will include in the f
community of Tulsa, including the Tulsa Trib- RECORD a more detailed account of the 1921
une, to call for a lynching amidst a climate of Tulsa Race Massacre that is based on the ADJOURNMENT
White racial hostility and White resentment ‘‘Final Report of the Oklahoma Commission to The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu-
over Black economic success. Study The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921,’’ issued ant to section 11(b) of House Resolu-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
On May 31, 1921, a mob of armed White February 28, 2001. tion 188, the House stands adjourned
men descended upon Tulsa’s Greenwood Dis- Madam Speaker, I also ask the House to until 10 a.m. tomorrow for morning-
trict and launched what is now known as the observe a moment of silence in memory of the hour debate and noon for legislative
‘‘Tulsa Race Massacre.’’ victims and survivors of the Tulsa Race Mas- business.
Tulsa municipal and county authorities failed sacre, and their descendants to carry the ter- Thereupon (at 8 o’clock and 35 min-
to take actions to calm or contain the violence, rible memories of that horrific day and still utes p.m.), under its previous order, the
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