Senator Lankford Joins Tulsa Leaders to Unveil Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford today joined State Senator Kevin Matthews, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, Oklahoma Historical Society Director Dr. Bob Blackburn, and others to formally announce the formation of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission. The purpose of the Commission is to educate Oklahomans and Americans about the Race Massacre and its impact on the state and nation; remember its victims and survivors; and create an environment conducive to fostering sustainable entrepreneurship and heritage tourism within North Tulsa.

“I am honored to be a part of the formation of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission,” said Lankford. “As the entire nation will turn to Tulsa and Oklahoma in a few years, this Commission will be at the forefront of retelling the story of the Race Riot that occurred almost 100 years ago. As some have tried to wipe that memory off the map, a generation has reached up, and leaders have stepped up to say ‘no, we should not forget.’ We should remember, instead of forget, because there is something we can learn from the past as we look towards the future.”

Racial reconciliation and the remembrance of the Race Massacre has been a priority for Senator Lankford. In May 2016, he visited the Greenwood Cultural Center and delivered a speech on the Senate floor to recognize the event’s 95th anniversary. In July, Lankford spoke on the Senate floor and wrote an op-ed about race-relations in America. In December, Lankford toured the Tulsa Race Massacre exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.

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