Oklahoman
TULSA One of the exterior walls of a historic church was dedicated as a sacred place of prayer on Monday during an interfaith ceremony in the Greenwood District.
Numerous local, state and national religious and elected leaders, including civil rights and social justice activists the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Bishop William J. Barber II gathered to dedicate the new Prayer Wall for Racial Healing at Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Rev. Robert Turner, Vernon s senior pastor, said when he learned that only the exterior wall of the church s basement survived the massacre, he was inspired by the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem to create a special prayer wall at his historic house of worship, 311 N Greenwood.
right now with these new details just out this morning include $10 billion to revitalize black communities, 15 billion for transportation. 5 billion for affordable housing, 31 billion for small business programs and a tax credit to attract private investment in affordable housing. and president biden s visit follows a memorial service where lawmakers and civil rights leaders prayer wall outside a church destroyed by a white mob 300 years ago jerks of wealth destroyed in that black neighborhood. what happened in this community, what happened to my people is unacceptable. we will say to america that we, too, are america. we, too, should be repaired. restored. reparations is required today. today, today. today s visit will be the first time the president takes
commitment to advance racial justice through the whole of our government and working to root out systemic racism from our laws, policies and our hearts. on monday the tulsa community dedicated a prayer wall at the historic vernon african methodist episcopal church. it was heavily damaged during the massacre but evolved to an emblem of resistance. national leaders find faith leaders for the ceremony. you can t cover over the blood by trying to make a tourist event out of a tragedy. you can t cover over the blood and talk about reconciliation when there s been no conciliation. tulsa was one of more than a dozen from 1863 to 1923,
president biden just released a proclamation for day of remembrance to mark what happened 100 years ago today in the thriving community of greenwood, oklahoma. a prayer wall was just dedicated at an historic church in that area. a corner of north tulsa, also known as black wall street, where black business, art, culture flourished, became the center of one of the deadliest and most destructive race massacres in american history. and now the new film, cnn s dreamland: the burning of black wall street takes a revealing look at what really happened on greenwood on that tragic day a century ago and our abby phillip has a look at what s being done today to compensate the few remaining survivors of the massacre and the descendents.
the only standing black-owned structure on historic greenwood area from the black wall street era. it survived by a miracle. it remains a reminder of the racial healing that is still not happened to a certain extent in tulsa, even after all this time. trymaine lee is on the ground there. the mood there today, what s it like? what does this prayer wall mean to folks on this somber anniversary? reporter: thanks so much for having me. i have been here for a number of days and have witnessed the commemorations and marches. there is something heavy in the air. behind me you see a couple hundred people for the dedication of the prayer wall. there is a reflective tone. folks understand the weight of what happened 100 years ago. the first shots began on may 31st and carried into june 1st. as you mention the destruction, for the first time americans