DoJ releases its Tulsa race massacre report over 100 years after initial review

Tulsa: On Friday, the Department of Justice finally released its report on the Tulsa race massacre. This comes after they announced a review last September.

It’s been over a century since the horrific events of June 1921, when a previous report from the Bureau of Investigation, which later became the FBI, wrongly blamed Black men for the violence. They claimed that the attackers didn’t break any federal laws.

But the new DoJ report tells a different story. It recognizes that the violence against Black residents was not just random chaos; it was a well-planned attack.

Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general, described the massacre as a unique civil rights crime. She highlighted how white residents murdered hundreds in Greenwood, destroyed homes, and even locked survivors in camps.

For the first time, the DoJ is officially addressing this dark chapter in history. The report reveals new details, showing that the massacre was a coordinated assault, not just mob violence.

This 126-page report was put together by a team from the Emmett Till Cold Case Unit. They spoke with survivors and their descendants, reviewed old accounts, and looked at various documents related to the massacre.

However, Clarke pointed out that there’s no one left to prosecute. Last June, the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit from two survivors, both now 110 years old, who sought restitution from the city.

On May 31 and June 1, 1921, white Tulsans laid siege to Greenwood, a community known as Black Wall Street. The report also highlights the role of local law enforcement, who deputized many white residents, some of whom had been drinking and were eager for violence.

It mentions Walter White, a Black civil rights advocate, who was told he could shoot any Black person he saw with the law’s backing. The report shows how law enforcement and city officials encouraged the violence.

White residents, organized by the police and the National Guard, invaded Greenwood, looting and burning it down while Black residents tried to defend their homes.

Police disarmed Black residents and forced many into camps. The report even states that some officers participated in the violence themselves.

As the fires raged, many Black families fled, leaving everything behind. White residents chased them, taking custody of men, women, and children, and looting their homes. The destruction was complete, leaving survivors with nothing.

After the massacre, victims received no compensation for their losses, and the city didn’t help them rebuild. Instead, they imposed obstacles that made it harder for residents to return.

Rather than seeking prosecution, the report aims to officially document what happened. Clarke plans to meet with the Greenwood community, survivors, and civil rights advocates to discuss the findings.