June 1, 2025 Story by: Publisher
On the 104th anniversary of one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in American history, Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols—the city’s first Black mayor—announced a sweeping $105 million initiative aimed at repairing the long-standing economic and social damages caused by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Dubbed the “Road to Repair,” the plan is not a legal admission of liability, but a sweeping moral commitment to invest in the Black communities most impacted by the destruction of Greenwood, historically known as Black Wall Street.
“This is not about guilt—it’s about responsibility,” Nichols said during a speech at the Greenwood Cultural Center. “It’s about repairing what was broken and building what was denied.”
The Greenwood District was a thriving Black economic hub in the early 20th century until it was decimated by a white mob over two days in 1921—leaving as many as 300 Black residents dead, over 1,200 homes destroyed, and generations of Black wealth erased.
What the $105 Million Package Includes
Rather than direct cash payments to individuals, the initiative focuses on investments in the descendants’ communities. The mayor’s office has proposed establishing a private charitable trust to oversee the initiative, with the goal of raising the full amount by June 1, 2026.
The plan includes:
- $60 million for infrastructure and economic development in North Tulsa, including street repairs, parks, and small business support.
- $24 million for housing, including down payment assistance and foreclosure relief.
- $21 million for educational scholarships, small business grants, no-interest loans, and funding for continued excavation of mass graves from the massacre.
A board of community members and an executive director will manage the trust, ensuring the community maintains oversight over how funds are spent.
Survivors and Descendants
While the plan marks the largest single reparative investment in Tulsa’s history, some have expressed disappointment that it does not include direct financial compensation to the few remaining survivors or their families.
Two known living survivors, Leslie Benningfield Randle (109) and Viola Fletcher (110), have not received compensation from the city or state despite national attention and court battles. The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed their reparations lawsuit in 2024.
A History of Injustice and a Modern Reckoning
The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre remains one of the most traumatic chapters in American racial history. For decades, the massacre was excluded from public school curricula, and survivors lived without justice, restitution, or public acknowledgment.
Only in recent years has the city—and the nation—begun to reckon with this legacy. In 2021, Tulsa initiated the excavation of mass graves at Oaklawn Cemetery, with at least three bodies confirmed to have died from gunshot wounds. One, C.L. Daniel, a World War I veteran, was positively identified through DNA testing in 2024.
Looking Ahead
Mayor Nichols said the “Road to Repair” initiative will not be the end of Tulsa’s efforts, but a foundation.
“We can’t change the past,” he said. “But we can take responsibility for the future.”
The Tulsa City Council is expected to review the proposed funding structure this summer. If fully funded, it would represent one of the most ambitious locally administered racial justice initiatives in U.S. history.
Source: AP News / New York Times / Road to Repair / Justice for Greenwood Foundation
