[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 1, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E595-E597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             REMEMBERING 1921 TULSA-GREENWOOD RACE MASSACRE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 1, 2021

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in sadness and heartbreak in 
remembrance of the Tulsa-Greenwood Race Massacre, that occurred in the 
African American Greenwood community of Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 31-June 
1, 1921 and is perhaps the preeminent example in this nation's history 
of man's inhumanity to man.
  I was honored to be in Tulsa this past week and take part in the 
Black Wall Street Legacy Fest,'' held to remember the souls lost in 
Tulsa-Greenwood Race Massacre and to mark the centennial of those days 
of horror and evil.
  I was doubly honored to be asked, as the author and sponsor of H. 
Res. 398, to give the keynote address at the Black Wall Street Legacy 
Fest Luncheon honoring the victims and remaining survivors of this 
American Kristallnacht.
  I include in the Record the text of my speech on that occasion.
  Madam Speaker, not a single member of the invading, riotous, and 
murderous white mob that destroyed Greenwood in 1921 was ever sent to 
prison for any of the murders or arson committed against the Black 
residents.
  Adding insult to this injustice, the 1921 Tulsa grand jury indicted 
85 people, the majority of whom were African Americans, with massacre-
related offenses.
  Why? Because in the eyes of the grand jury, a group of armed Black 
residents standing up for equal rights understandably provoked the 
White crowd, and therefore, the entire Black community in Greenwood 
essentially deserved what happened.
  But we know that no lie can live forever and, as the poet William 
Cullen Bryant prophesied, ``truth crushed to earth will rise again.''
  That is why we came to Tulsa.
  We came to tell the world that we know what really happened, and that 
we will always remember, and never stop pursuing justice for the 
victims and survivors of the Tulsa-Greenwood Race Massacre and their 
descendants.
  Whatever it takes and for how long it takes.
  Some might ask'' ``Why dwell on the past? Let us forget unpleasant 
things and move on into the future.''
  My answer is to quote the great southern writer William Faulkner: 
``The past is never dead. It is not even the past.''
  The hatreds, prejudices, resentments, and white supremacy that Black 
Americans witnessed and suffered in Greenwood a century ago are not 
dead; they are not even past.
  We wanted to remind the nation that in 1921, Tulsa's Greenwood I 
District, known as ``Black Wall Street,'' was one of the most 
documented prosperous African American communities in the United 
States.
  The Greenwood community with a population of over 100,000 Black 
people had stores that sold luxury items, 21 restaurants, 30 grocery 
stores, a hospital, a savings and loan bank, a post office, three 
hotels, jewelry and clothing stores, two movie theaters, a library, 
pool halls, a bus and cab service, a nationally recognized school 
system, six private airplanes, and two black newspapers.
  But on May 31st of that year, the 35 city blocks of Greenwood went up 
in flames, at least 300 Black persons were murdered and more than 800 
were injured; it is estimated that not less than 9,000 were left 
homeless and destitute.
  The message of the Tulsa Race Massacre was clear to Black America: 
``Stay in your place. Do not attempt to accumulate and bequeath wealth 
or own property. Remember your history in America is as chattel 
property.''
  Were they still alive, the domestic terrorists of the mob in I 
Greenwood would see their evil reenacted--and then followed by a 
similar attempt to cover-up it and foster collective amnesia--a century 
later in the siege and desecration of the hallowed halls of the U.S. 
Capitol, the `Citadel of Democracy'.
  It should not be overlooked that the source of the January 6 white 
mob's irrational anger, hatred, and violent reaction was that Black

[[Page E596]]

Americans voted in overwhelming numbers in Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, 
Philadelphia, and other enclaves to oust the most pro-White supremacy 
President since the Civil War.
  So my message to the descendants of the survivors and victims of the 
Greenwood Race Massacre is to keep fighting for justice, to never be 
silent, to affirm the truth, and seek accountability.
  To accentuate this point, I shared the story of how we were able to 
pass H.R. 398, the House resolution recognizing the centennial of the 
1921 Tulsa Race Massacre when no one thought it possible because it 
appeared to violate a long-standing rule of the House prohibiting 
consideration of legislation ``commemorating'' dates, events, persons, 
and places.
  How did we get it done? By not taking no for an answer. By 
marshalling our allies and demonstrating our commitment and resolve.
  And by developing an alternative that was, if anything, more 
effective but not subject to a challenge that it violated the 
anticommemorative prohibition.
  And in the end, we won as opponents capitulated and acquiesced to the 
adoption of the resolution, which now stands for all time as a rebuke 
and condemnation of the utter moral depravity inflicted on the Black 
residents of Greenwood community of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
  This would not have happened without the steely determination of two 
special members of my personal staff: Lillie Coney, my Director of 
Policy, and Gregory Berry, my Chief Counsel.
  They were guided by the advice of the great Harriet Tubman, a black 
woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground 
Railroad:

     If you hear the dogs, keep going.
     If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.
     If they're shouting after you, keep going.
     Don't ever stop. Keep going.
     If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.

  I thank all of the Members, 99 in total, who joined me as sponsors of 
H. Res. 398 and the House leadership for their cooperation and 
assistance in ensuring that the condemnation of the 1921 Tulsa 
Greenwood Race Massacre is forever recorded in the annals of this body, 
and for their help in the work that lies ahead to bring justice to the 
survivors and to overcome and dismantle all remaining badges and 
vestiges of slavery, America's Original Sin.
  Madam Speaker, I also ask the House to observe a moment of silence in 
memory of the victims and survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, and 
their descendants who carry the terrible memories of that horrific day 
and still grieve over the loss of so many loved ones and of faith in 
the American system of justice.

     Honoring Descendants and Survivors of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

       Thank you for that generous introduction and to your team 
     for putting together this important and impressive event.
       As was just said, I am Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee 
     representing the 18th Congressional District of Texas, 
     hailing from the great city of Houston.
       I am also a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus 
     and the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on the 
     Constitution, Civil Rights and Liberties, and the Chair of 
     the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Homeland Security, and 
     Terrorism.
       So from these perches, I can tell you that there was no 
     way, no how, that I was going to let centennial of the one of 
     the greatest injustices in human history, the 1921 Tulsa Race 
     Massacre, be ignored or go unrecognized.
       And neither was the Congressional Black Caucus.
       And we were not going to let the Congress turn a deaf ear 
     to the cries of justice--and just compensation--to the 
     victims and survivors of perhaps the worst example in 
     American history of man's inhumanity to man.
       Not a single member of the invading, riotous, and murderous 
     white I mob was ever sent to prison for any of the murders or 
     arson committed against the Black residents of Greenwood on 
     May 31 and June 1, 1921.
       Adding insult to this injustice, the 1921 Tulsa grand jury 
     indicted 85 people, the majority of whom were African 
     Americans, with massacre-related offenses.
       Why? Because in the eyes of the grand jury, a group of 
     armed Black residents standing up for equal rights 
     understandably provoked the White crowd, and therefore, the 
     entire Black community in Greenwood essentially deserved what 
     happened.
       But we know that no lie can live forever and, as the poet 
     William Cullen Bryant prophesied, ``truth crushed to earth 
     will rise again.''
       That is why we are here.
       We are here to tell the world that we know what really 
     happened, and that we will always remember, and never stop 
     pursuing justice for the victims and survivors of the Tulsa-
     Greenwood Race Massacre and their descendants.
       Whatever it takes and for how long it takes.
       Some might ask ``Why dwell on the past? Let us forget 
     unpleasant things and move on into the future.''
       My answer is to quote the great southern writer William 
     Faulkner: ``The past is never dead. It is not even the 
     past.''
       The hatreds, prejudices, resentments, and white supremacy 
     that Black Americans witnessed and suffered in Greenwood a 
     century ago are not dead; they are not even past.
       A century ago, White rioters, local law enforcement, and 
     self-appointed vigilantes claimed to be acting reasonably and 
     in self-defense against what they feared was an upcoming 
     Black uprising.
       They resented the economic prosperity and self-sufficiency 
     of the Greenwood community, which was known nationally as 
     ``Black Wall Street.''
       They viewed Black males as fearsome physical threats to 
     their personal safety and as rivals to white women.
       These baseless, irrational concerns are not a relic of the 
     past, they are with us today and are what resulted in the 
     deaths of George Floyd, Terence Crutcher, Tamir Rice, Deonte 
     Wright, Stephon Clark, Amidou Diallo, and hundreds of others 
     too numerous to list.
       Were they still alive, the domestic terrorists of the mob 
     in Greenwood would see their evil reenacted a century later 
     in the siege and desecration of the hallowed halls of the 
     U.S. Capitol, the `Citadel of Democracy'.
       It should not be overlooked that the source of the January 
     6 white mob's irrational anger, hatred, and violent reaction 
     was that Black Americans voted in overwhelming numbers in the 
     Atlanta, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Detroit to oust the 
     most negative, divisive, racially hostile, and incompetent 
     President in history, the 45th President, who presided over 
     the deaths of more than 500,000 Americans, disproportionately 
     Black and Brown.
       So we will not be silent, we will not be still, we will not 
     ever forget what happened to the peaceful, law-abiding, and 
     America-loving Black residents of Greenwood a century ago.
       That is why earlier this year I introduced a resolution--
     some of you may have heard of it (H. Res. 215 later modified 
     as H. Res. 398)--joined by 86 cosponsors, recognizing the 
     centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
       We wanted to remind the nation that in 1921, Tulsa's 
     Greenwood District, known as ``Black Wall Street,'' was one 
     of the most documented prosperous African American 
     communities in the United States.
       The Greenwood community with a population of over 100,000 
     Black people had stores that sold luxury items, 21 
     restaurants, 30 grocery stores, a hospital, a savings and 
     loan bank, a post office, three hotels, jewelry and clothing 
     stores, two movie theaters, a library, pool halls, a bus and 
     cab service, a nationally recognized school system, six 
     private airplanes, and two black newspapers.
       But on May 31st of that year, the 35 city blocks of 
     Greenwood went up in flames, at least 300 Black persons were 
     murdered and more than 800 were injured; it is estimated that 
     not less than 9,000 were left homeless and destitute.
       The legacy of white mob violence inflicted upon the Black 
     community of Greenwood has scarred the descendants of the 
     victims of this American pogrom.
       H.R. 398 is a reminder to the nation of the ultimate 
     cruelty inflicted upon a people for dare believing that the 
     promise of America was attainable by them and their 
     achievements would be respected and protected by law.
       But it does more than that, it puts the House of 
     Representatives on record that the only way the United States 
     can achieve a more perfect union is:
       1. by condemning the violence and destruction perpetrated 
     against the African-American community of Greenwood, in 
     Tulsa, Oklahoma, the scene of the then-largest single 
     instance of domestic terror against American citizens;
       2. through the rejection and active opposition to the false 
     ideology of White supremacy and condemnation of all groups 
     and organizations that ascribe to this false system of belief 
     and seek to perpetuate their views through violence and 
     unlawful conduct;
       3. by promoting tolerance and unity and taking actions to 
     ensure that governmental policies and actions do not foster 
     division, disharmony, or intolerance;
       4. by calling upon all Americans to celebrate the ethnic, 
     racial, and religious diversity that has made the United 
     States the leader of the community of nations and the beacon 
     of hope and inspiration to oppressed persons everywhere;
       5. encouraging all persons in the United States to reflect 
     upon the history of the United States as an imperfect but 
     committed journey to establish a more perfect union and to 
     cherish and exercise the rights, privileges, and 
     responsibilities guaranteed by the Constitution; and
       6. recognizing the commitment of Congress to acknowledge 
     and learn from the history of racism and racial violence in 
     the United States, including the Tulsa Race Massacre, to 
     reverse the legacy of White supremacy and fight for racial 
     justice.
       But we must also ensure that the survivors and their 
     descendants finally receive the direct financial compensation 
     to redress the horrific injuries and losses sustained in the 
     Tulsa Race Massacre.
       Earlier this month, the House Judiciary Committee held a 
     hearing on the Tulsa Race Massacre and heard powerful and 
     heart-rending testimony from the remaining three survivors of 
     the Tulsa-Greenwood Race Massacre of the atrocities they 
     lived through and the malignant neglect of governmental 
     officials who failed in their duty to provide equal 
     protection under law.
       For any persons questioning why we will not move on or why 
     we continue the quest

[[Page E597]]

     for justice or who suggest that talking about the Tulsa Race 
     Massacre is racially divisive, they need to put themselves in 
     the shoes of 7-year old `Mother Fletcher' or 6-year old 
     `Mother Randle' or an infant `Uncle Red,' the three remaining 
     survivors of an 'American Kristallnacht,' that occurred on 
     United States soil 17 years before it was repeated in Nazi 
     Germany in 1938.
       Listen to Viola (``Mother'') Fletcher:

       ``On May 31st, 1921, I went to bed in my family's home in 
     the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa. The neighborhood I feel 
     asleep in that night was rich--not just in terms of wealth, 
     but in culture, community, and heritage. My family had a 
     beautiful home. We had great neighbors and I had friends to 
     play with. I felt safe. I had everything a child could need. 
     I had a bright future ahead of me. Greenwood could have given 
     me the chance to truly make it in this country.
       ``Within a few hours, all of that was gone. The night of 
     the Massacre I was woken up by my family. My parents and five 
     siblings were there. I was told we had to leave. And that was 
     it.
       ``I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we 
     left our house. I still see Black men being shot, and Black 
     bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. 
     I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear 
     airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams. I live through 
     the Massacre every day.
       ``When my family was forced to leave Tulsa, I lost my 
     chance at an education. I never finished school past the 
     fourth grade. I have never made much money.''

       And listen to Lessie Evelyn Benningfield (``Mother'') 
     Randle:

       ``100 years ago, in 1921, I was a 6-year-old child. I was 
     blessed to live with my grandmother in a beautiful Black 
     community in Tulsa Oklahoma, called Greenwood. I was lucky. I 
     had a home. I had toys. I didn't have any fears as a young 
     child, and I felt very safe. My community was beautiful and 
     was filled with happy and successful Black people. Then 
     everything changed.
       ``It was like a war. White men with guns came and destroyed 
     my community. We couldn't understand why. What did we do to 
     them? We didn't understand. We were just living. But they 
     came, and they destroyed everything.
       ``They burned houses and businesses. They just took what 
     they wanted out of the buildings then they burned them. They 
     murdered people.
       ``We were told they just dumped the dead bodies into the 
     river. I remember running outside of our house. I ran past 
     dead bodies. It wasn't a pretty sight. I still see it today 
     in my mind--100 years later.
       ``I was so scared--I didn't think we would make it out 
     alive. I remember people were running everywhere. We waited 
     for the soldiers to come, and when they finally came, they 
     took us to the fairgrounds where we would be safe. It felt 
     like so long before they came.
       ``I survived the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. And I have 
     survived 100 years of painful memories and losses.''

       Or listen to World War II veteran Hughes (``Uncle Red'') 
     Van Ellis:

       ``I am 100 years old. And I am a survivor of the Tulsa Race 
     Massacre. Because of the Massacre, my family was driven from 
     our home. We were left with nothing. We were made refugees in 
     our own country.
       ``My childhood was hard, and we didn't have much. We 
     worried what little we had would be stolen from us. Just like 
     it was stolen in Tulsa. You may have been taught that when 
     something is stolen from you, you can go to the courts to be 
     made whole. You can go to the courts to get justice. This 
     wasn't the case for us. The courts in Oklahoma wouldn't hear 
     us. The federal courts said we were too late.
       ``We were made to feel that our struggles were unworthy of 
     justice. That we were less valued than whites, that we 
     weren't fully American. We were shown that in the United 
     States, not all men were equal under law. We were shown that 
     when Black voices called out for justice, no one cared.''

       Rarely have we seen a fellow citizen who exemplifies the 
     spirit of America--indomitable will, moral courage, faith, 
     determination, and optimism--as we saw `Mother Randle', 
     `Mother Fletcher', and `Uncle Red'.
       In addition to surviving the Tulsa-Greenwood Race Massacre, 
     Mother Fletcher and Mother Randle also lived through the 1918 
     and 2020 global pandemics, the era of racial terror against 
     Black Americans, and Jim Crow; and Uncle Red survived combat 
     in the Far East during World War II in the 234th AAA Gun 
     Battalion, an all-black battalion in the segregated U.S. 
     Army.
       So we should heed the wisdom of these remarkable Americans 
     who have retained their love for America but have yet to 
     receive just compensation for the horrendous crimes committed 
     against them and their community and honor their urgent plea 
     to enact H.R. 40, legislation I introduced establishing a 
     national commission to examine: (1) slavery and 
     discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 
     1619 to the present.
       As important, H.R. 40 also mandates that the Commission 
     recommend appropriate remedies to address and ameliorate the 
     lingering negative effects of slavery on living African-
     Americans and society.
       In closing, let me share with you the story of how we were 
     able to pass the House resolution recognizing the forthcoming 
     centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre when no one 
     thought it possible because it appeared to violate a long-
     standing rule of the House prohibiting consideration of 
     legislation ``commemorating'' dates, events, persons, and 
     places.
       How did we get it done? By not taking no for an answer. By 
     marshalling our allies and demonstrating our commitment and 
     resolve. And by developing an alternative that was, if 
     anything, more effective but not subject to a challenge that 
     it violated the anti-commemorative prohibition.
       And in the end, our opponents capitulated and gave in and 
     acquiesced to the adoption of the resolution, which now 
     stands for all time as a rebuke and condemnation of the utter 
     moral depravity inflicted on the Black residents of Greenwood 
     community of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
       So I close by leaving you with the advice we followed and 
     that you should always remember.
       It comes from the great Harriet Tubman, a black woman who 
     risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground 
     Railroad:

     If you hear the dogs, keep going.
     If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.
     If they're shouting after you, keep going.
     Don't ever stop. Keep going.
     If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.

       Thank you very much for inviting me to join you for this 
     important remembrance of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and 
     your fellowship to get justice for the victims and survivors 
     and their descendants.
       It is an honor to be with you today.

                          ____________________