Dec 31, 2024 Story by: Editor
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The federal government’s ongoing review of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, with a hopeful deadline fast approaching, is encountering growing doubts.
The investigation into the massacre was initiated in late September by the U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. At that time, Clarke revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) was assessing available documents, witness testimonies, scholarly research, and other sources related to the tragic event.
During the announcement, Clarke shared the DOJ’s goal to complete the review by the end of the year and to release a report. The report was expected to examine the massacre within the context of both the civil rights laws of the time and modern-day standards.
Following a visit by DOJ investigators to Tulsa in October, Damario Solomon-Simmons, the lead attorney representing the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, held a press conference. Solomon-Simmons highlighted that investigators had conducted interviews and toured the Greenwood district. “We desperately needed this federal lifeline amidst the state and city’s ongoing efforts to gaslight us into our graves,” Solomon-Simmons remarked at the time.
Since then, apart from a November letter from the Solomon-Simmons legal team outlining numerous concerns, there has been no public update from the DOJ on the progress of the review or whether the December deadline is still in place.
News 4 reached out to the DOJ in October and December for comments but has yet to receive a response.
Deon Osborne, managing editor of the Black Wall Street Times, expressed concerns about the lack of communication. “Taking up this probe, getting people’s hopes up and not following through with any tangible action would be a death blow,” Osborne said. “Not only to the hopes and aspirations of this community but other Black communities who’ve suffered at the hands of the state who are simply asking to be treated equally under the law.”
Osborne, who was present in Tulsa for the 2021 centennial of the massacre and President Joe Biden’s visit, noted that the federal review seemed like a promising step forward. However, community members have expressed their frustration over the absence of updates. “With Christmas having passed and still no update on the release of that report, it’s really left the community wondering, you know, what’s going to happen, if the report comes out at all,” Osborne added.
The November letter from the Solomon-Simmons firm raised specific concerns, accusing the DOJ of failing to transcribe or record witness interviews, neglecting possible leads, and ignoring information related to recently discovered mass grave sites. The letter also warned that a change in federal administration in January could result in policy shifts, further diminishing the likelihood of further investigation.
“It’s pretty unanimous among Greenwood supporters of this review that if action isn’t taken before Trump takes office, there won’t be any action taken, you know,” Osborne said. Source: News 4
