In the 1920s, there was a Strong Black Community here in tulsa called greenwood. These people were the core of black entrepreneurship. People call it The Black Wall Street. Greenwood was like putting harlem, Bourbon Street, and Chocolate City all in one place. But White Tulsans talked about greenwood as Little Africa or [bleep] land. Tulsa was a powder keg, needing only something to set the community alight. Between 100 and 300 people, most of them black, were killed. Today we call it a massacre. They were hastily trying to get rid of the bodies by dumping them in mass graves around the city. We have tulsans of an undetermined number who were murdered. It should not have taken 99 years. Anybody who thinks that this crime scene is not going to speak doesnt have the ears to hear. The ancestors are awake and the earth is shaking. I came to tulsa when i was in the sixth grade. So thats been, whew, i dont know how many years. My mother is from oklahoma. There was a Strong Black Community in
black entrepreneurship. people call it the black wall street. like putting harlem, bourbon street, and chocolate city all in one place. but white paulsons talked about it as little africa or land. tulsa was a powder keg, needing only something to set the community alight. between 100 and 300 people, most of them black, were killed. today we call it a massacre. they were hastily trying to get rid of the bodies. by dumping them in mass graves around the city. we of tulsa of an undetermined number, it should have not taken any nine years. anyone who thinks this crime scene is not going to speak does not have the ears to hear. the earth is shaking. i came to tulsa when i was in the sixth grade, so that has been well, i don t know how many years. my mother is from oklahoma. and there was a strong black community in tulsa called greenwood. these people were the core of black entrepreneurship. and they would help you get your business started. 1920 greenwood was booming.
those black victims of the riot, and they pretty much succeeded for 76 years until 1997, when the state legislature appointed a special commission of 11 people to finally uncover the truth about the horrific riot of 1921. don ross went to the governor and the legislature and said, we ve never had an official study of this little-known event. that was inspired by the oklahoma city bombing. when they said it was the largest urban disaster in america, wrong. more people were killed than any such disaster, wrong. i was asked to be the historian for the commission. during that period, i was thinking, maybe we could use this to figure out how many people died and where they were buried. go ahead. i am eddie fay gates, chair of the survivors committee of the oklahoma legislative commission to study the tulsa
white tulsans murdered black folks and were hastily trying to get rid of the bodies by dumping them in mass graves around the city. many awful things were done to get rid of the bodies. in the late 1990s, senator maxine horner and my father, state representative don ross, created the commission to study the tulsa race riot of 1921. which brought historians, consultants from around the world who tried to figure out what happened in 1921. i had many conversations with riot survivors. you know, you re sitting here, you re sitting there with a red light. nice little lady sitting here. that puts pressure on you from when you was five years old. it s one of the proudest
and the legislature and said we ve never had an official study of this little known event. hey, that was inspired by the oklahoma city bombing when they said it was the largest urban disaster in america, wrong. more people were killed than any such disaster, wrong. i was asked to be the historian for commission. during that period i was thinking maybe we could use this to figure out how many people died and where they were buried. how many? go ahead. i am chair of the survivors committee of the oklahoma legislative commission to study the tulsa race riot of 1921. i was the videographer for the race riot commission report. i was on to it accompany eddie faye gates. her job was record the systems testimonies of the riot