2 Reflect, Repair or Renew: Responding to the Tulsa Race Massacre
Eunhye Hess; Svetlana Koltovskaia; and Amy Takebe
Introduction
On June 29, 2023, California’s Reparations Task Force proposed recommendations for reparations for Black residents in California after a two-year-long investigation (Bunn, 2023). Likewise, over the past years, U.S. societies have raised the issues of reparations for people who were the victims of slavery, racism, and discriminatory policies. Other states have also started their own approach to reparations due to racial discrimination. In the state of Oklahoma, the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 is a historical event that is “believed to be the single worst incident of racial violence in American history” (Ellsworth, n.d.). After years of efforts for reparations for the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre, a lawsuit was made by the surviving victims. On July 8, 2023, the case was dismissed by a lower court (Romero, 2023). However, in August 2023, the Oklahoma Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal. Like the ongoing movements for reparations for victims across the states, the discussion for reparations for the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre continues at various levels. In this simulation, you will learn the historical facts about the Tulsa Race Massacre and seek possible reparations for the victims.
Overview
This simulation aims for students to learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre that took place in Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. Students will critically evaluate this historical event from different frames and perspectives and come up with reparation plans for victims. The simulation will enable participants to develop academic language and critical thinking skills. Additionally, participants will learn about institutional racism and gain a deeper understanding of the history behind the issues strongly linked to the current rhetoric of racial injustice in America. As shown below, the simulation has five distinct phases.
How the simulation works
| Phase | Phase Description | Activities |
| 1 | Activation | Discussion 1, 2, and 3 |
| 2 | Comprehension | Listening 1 & 2
Reading 1 & 2 |
| 3 | Simulation | Role Assignment and Role Preparation
Role Play |
| 4 | Reflection | Debriefing Activity
Critical Reflections |
| 5 | Application | Letter to the Tulsa City Council or
Newspaper Report or Essay |
You will gain a number of important skills as you participate in the simulation. These skills are sequenced from simple tasks such as defining and describing to more complex tasks such as synthesizing and evaluating.
After completing this simulation, you will be able to:
- make connections between your own lived experiences and issues of racial and social justice.
- define key terms relating to the Tulsa Race Massacre and racial justice.
- describe the central arguments around reparations for the victims of the Tulsa Race massacre.
- make predictions about the key factors that influence the reparations.
- summarize issues related to the Tulsa Race Massacre.
- synthesize knowledge on the Tulsa Race Massacre.
- evaluate the positions taken in the simulation.
Phase 1: Activation
The purpose of this phase of the simulation is to bring your background knowledge and experiences related to the simulation topic. This is an important phase in the simulation as it introduces you to the broader scope of the topic of the simulation that relates to your everyday life.
Discussion Activity 1.
- Have you ever been compensated for a loss? Tell us about your personal experiences.
- In what circumstances might someone be compensated or paid damages by the government or a private company?
Discussion Activity 2.
Visit the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum and select two photos. In pairs, look closely at the photos and provide a detailed description of what you see to your partner.
Discussion Activity 3.
- Some people call the Oklahoma Landrun of 1889 as the pivotal moment in Oklahoma history. Some call it the first land run of the “unassigned lands” in Oklahoma to be open for settlement while others call the event as part of the “continuous removal and relocation of thousands of American Indians across Oklahoma.” (Oberly, 2014). Discuss further how these descriptions of events impact the way we view our society today.
- References
Oberly, J. (2014). April 22 marks anniversary of Oklahoma Land Run. Native Times. https://nativetimes.com/index.php/life/commentary/9815-aprill-22-marks-anniversary-of-oklahoma-land-run
Oklahoma Historical Society (n.d.). The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma history and culture.
https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=LA014
Phase 2: Comprehension
The purpose of this phase is to help you expand your knowledge of the Tulsa Race Massacre. You will watch one short video and read two texts. The video will provide you with some background information on the Tulsa Race Massacre and its ongoing efforts for reparations. Review the questions below before watching the video. For Reading 1 and Reading 2, you will answer a series of comprehension questions.
Listening Activity 1
Watch each part of the Vox Video “The massacre of Tulsa’s ‘Black Wall Street’” (VOX) and answer the following questions
- What was the Greenwood District known for?
- Where is this district located?
- Why was Black Wall Street an anomaly?
- Who are Dick Rowland and Sarah Page? What happened to them?
- What is Martial Law?
- How many victims were there and what was the damage like for Black Wall Street?
- Why did they name this event “riot”?
- Discuss the meaning of the following vocabulary: discrimination, segregation, and equality
READING Activity 1
- Reading material: Messer, C. M., & Bell, P. A. (2010). Mass media and governmental framing of riots: The case of Tulsa, 1921. Journal of Black Studies, 40(5), 851–870. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934708318607
- Read the following sections: Description of the Reported Events (p.853) and Reparations Movement and Tulsa (p.854)
After reading the sections, put the following items (a – g) in chronological order.
- Dick Rowland was accused of assaulting Sarah Page, an elevator operator in the Drexel Building.
- Gun discharges outside the courthouse where hundreds of people have gathered.
- Black residents are forced to march to Convention Hall (now the Brady Theater) with their hands in the air.
- The Tulsa Tribune publishes a front-page story about the incident with the headline “Nab Negro for Attacking Girl In an Elevator.”
- Martial Law was declared.
- Around 1,000 whites invaded Greenwood, looting and burning much of the district.
- Rowland was moved to the more secure jail on the top floor of the Tulsa County Courthouse.
- Martial Law was lifted.
Reading Activity 2
- Reading material: Moreno, C. (2021). Black Wall Street’s second destruction. Next City. https://nextcity.org/features/black-wall-streets-second-destruction
- Read the entire article.
After reading the article, discuss the following questions in groups.
- In this article, the author discusses the “second destruction” in Tulsa Greenwood district that happened years after the massacre. Identify and discuss the second destruction and how it relates to the broader notion of social injustices in the present day U.S.
- The author of the article concludes with the importance of having conversations with local community members to bring changes to public policies. Discuss the challenges of making this conversation happen based on what the author has described or based on your own experience in civic engagement.
Phase 3: Simulation
In this phase, you will be given a role to play in a simulated discussion event (e.g., a 45-minute panel discussion). It is important that you understand the context and your role to prepare for the role-playing.
The Context
Several teams appear before the Tulsa Funding Board and present a reparation plan and a method for funding the plan to seek justice for Tusla Race Massacre survivors. After carefully hearing up to six reparation proposals, the Funding Board Members determine which proposal or perhaps a combination of proposals to fund. Alternatively, the Funding Board Members may decide not to fund any of the reparation proposals.
Agenda: Which reparation plans should we adopt to bring justice to the Tulsa Race Massacre victims, descendants and to the Greenwood district?
Roles
You will be assigned a role to play in this phase of the simulation. There are five participant roles on each side of the debate and one moderator role.
Moderator: The Tulsa Funding Board
- The Funding Board will organize a meeting to hear proposals and discuss options regarding the possibility of race massacre reparation funding.
- After each team presents its proposal, the Board should ask team members questions about their proposal. The Board should also allow some time for other teams to ask questions.
- After hearing all of the arguments, the Funding Board will determine which proposal (or combination of proposals) receives reparation funding. The Funding Board may also decide NOT to fund any of the reparation proposals. The Board’s decision is final.
- Tasks:
- Establish rules and time limits for the team presentations and question/answer periods.
- Write some questions to ask the teams about their proposals. You may want to write some questions before the proposals and some questions you may want to ask in response to something said during the proposal.
- Think of a way to determine which proposal(s) will receive funding or why you think funding reparations is not in the city’s best interest.
Role 1. Repayment of Actual Losses
Description
- You support repayment of actual losses (lost property, homes, businesses, lives, etc.) to race riot survivors and descendants
- Tasks:
- Create a name for your team.
- Design a visual presentation outlining your reparation proposal.
- Suggest a way to fund your proposal and explain why this method is the most acceptable option.
- As part of your preparation, think about ways to highlight the positive benefits of your proposal while also addressing some of the challenges.
- Be prepared to answer questions about your proposal. Think about ways to question and challenge the other teams’ proposals.
Role 2. Scholarship Fund
Description
- You support a scholarship fund for race riot descendants
- Tasks:
- Create a name for your team.
- Design a visual presentation outlining your reparation proposal.
- Suggest a way to fund your proposal and explain why this method is the most acceptable option.
- As part of your preparation, think about ways to highlight the positive benefits of your proposal while also addressing some of the challenges.
- Be prepared to answer questions about your proposal. Think about ways to question and challenge the other teams’ proposals.
Role 3. A Memorial and a Cemetery
Description
- You support a memorial and a cemetery for race riot victims
- Tasks:
- Create a name for your team.
- Design a visual presentation outlining your reparation proposal. You may also want to create a design for the memorial itself.
- Suggest a way to fund your proposal and explain why this method is the most acceptable option.
- As part of your preparation, think about ways to highlight the positive benefits of your proposal while also addressing some of the challenges.
- Be prepared to answer questions about your proposal. Think about ways to question and challenge the other teams’ proposals.
Role 4. Rebuild the Greenwood Economic Zone
Description
- You support funding to rebuild the Greenwood economic zone in North Tulsa
- Tasks:
- Create a name for your team.
- Design a visual presentation outlining your reparation proposal.
- Suggest a way to fund your proposal and explain why this method is the most acceptable option.
- As part of your preparation, think about ways to highlight the positive benefits of your proposal while also addressing some of the challenges.
- Be prepared to answer questions about your proposal. Think about ways to question and challenge the other teams’ proposals.
Phase 4: Reflection
Debriefing Activity: In small groups, discuss the following questions. Be prepared to share your thoughts with the whole class.
- What did you think about the topic for this simulation? Were you already familiar with it?
- Was it easy or difficult to create an argument for your side of the issue? Why?
- What did you think of your role in the simulation? Did you personally agree or disagree with your role’s required stance on the issue?
Critical Reflection Activity
- Did any of the participants/ groups make particularly persuasive arguments? If so, which one/s? What made the arguments more persuasive?
- Did any of the participants/groups make arguments that you thought were weak? If so, what were the arguments? What made them weak?
- Which individual participant did you find the most knowledgeable / most persuasive in the role play? Why?
- Which group did you find most persuasive? Why?
Phase 5: Application
OPTION 1: A Letter to the Tulsa City Council
You are writing an opinion letter to the Tulsa City Council after hearing the reparation recommendations for the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Prompt: In the form of an opinion letter, write to the Tulsa City Council recommending the city’s reparation acts for the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre. In your letter, summarize key issues of concern, analyze and evaluate two or more reparation proposals from the simulation, and recommend one plan with specific solutions. Use sources from your role, other roles, and outside sources.
OPTION 2: Newspaper Report
Prompt: The legacy of Black Wall Street did not end with the Tulsa Race Masacre. Visit Tulsa Greenwood district or search on the Internet about the district, and report on how local business owners are keeping the communities alive.
Option 3: Argumentative Essay
Prompt: In the form of an informative essay, reflect on cases of social injustices that have been long overdue in your own community. Your instructor can give you some examples. Provide a timeline of the events surrounding the injustice and discuss what it means to make amends to the community and how that could be done.
References
Bunn, C. (2023). Everything you need to know about California’s reparations report. NBC News. Retrieved on July 23, 2023 from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/california-black-reparations-report-what-know-eligible-pay-rcna87811
Messer, C. M., & Bell, P. A. (2010). Mass Media and Governmental Framing of Riots: The Case of Tulsa, 1921. Journal of Black Studies, 40(5), 851–870. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934708318607
Ellsworth, S. (n.d.), Tulsa Race Massacre. Oklahoma Historical Society. https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=TU013
Messer, C. M., Shriver, T. E., & Beamon, K. K. (2018). Official Frames and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921: The Struggle for Reparations. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), 4(3), 386–399. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332649217742414
Romero, D. (2023). Lawsuit seeking reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre is dismissed. NBC News. Retrieved on July 23, 2023 from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lawsuit-seeking-reparations-tulsa-race-massacre-dismissed-rcna93257
Smythe, J. (2013). “Repairing” Past Injustices: Revisiting the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. In G. Halleck (Ed.), English composition simulations (pp. 201-212 ). Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.