2021 -- H 6386

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE

     Introduced By: Representatives Cassar, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Filippi, Alzate, Felix,
Williams, Morales, Batista, and Giraldo

     Date Introduced: June 03, 2021

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, In the early 1900s, many Black individuals and families settled throughout

Oklahoma, setting up vibrant communities and dozens of all-Black towns, the most famous and

prosperous of which was in Tulsa’s Greenwood District where individuals sought new

opportunities, freedom, and a chance for a better life; and

     WHEREAS, Segregation and the inaccessibility of resources led members of the Black

community to open a variety of commercial establishments, including rooming houses, grocery

stores, barber shops, beauty salons, restaurants, clothiers, pharmacies, movie theaters, dance halls,

pool halls, confectioneries, jitney services, and professional offices (such as for doctors, lawyers,

dentists, and accountants); and

     WHEREAS, The Greenwood District became a thriving community where Black

business owners, schools, and churches flourished and, by the late 1910s, it was the wealthiest

Black community in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, Churches such as Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church, Mt. Zion

Baptist Church, First Baptist Church North Tulsa, Paradise Baptist Church, Metropolitan Baptist

Church, and others became central to the family life and culture of the Greenwood District; and

     WHEREAS, By 1921, the community was home to thousands of Black residents who

lived and worked in the most prosperous Black community in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, The community earned the name the “Negro Wall Street of America” (later,

simply known as the “Black Wall Street”) from the famed African-American author and educator,

Booker T. Washington; and

     WHEREAS, As the opportunities for Black families grew, the community began to

attract more Black families, business owners, well-educated professionals, and individuals fleeing

racial oppression and discrimination in other States; and

     WHEREAS, An incident occurred on the elevator between Dick Rowland and Sarah

Paige an elevator operator, and she had screamed. The next day after a police investigation, Dick

Rowland was detained at the Tulsa Police Department for questioning before being moved to the

Tulsa Courthouse for additional security; and

     WHEREAS, On May 31, 1921, the Tulsa Tribune released a sensationalist story claiming

that a young Black male had attacked a white girl; and

     WHEREAS, That story and long-simmering tensions in the City led to a large group of

white individuals surrounding the courthouse and demanding that Dick Rowland be released so

that he could be lynched; and

     WHEREAS, A group of Black men traveled to the courthouse to help defend Dick

Rowland from the angry mob; and

     WHEREAS, After a scuffle at the downtown Tulsa courthouse, white rioters pursued

Black men to the Greenwood District and the violence escalated; and

     WHEREAS, Houses and businesses were looted and burned throughout the Greenwood

District and attacks lasted well into the next day before being quelled by the Oklahoma City

National Guard; and

     WHEREAS, In less than 24 hours, 35 city blocks were destroyed by fires and 6,000

African-American individuals were detained; and

     WHEREAS, It has been reported that 300 Black people died during these events, but it is

impossible to know for certain because, as part of the local cover-up of the massacre, the sheriff

banned funerals from taking place; and

     WHEREAS, Some Black people were charged with rioting-related offenses; however,

none of the estimated 1,500 white officials and citizens who participated were prosecuted for

violent criminal acts; and

     WHEREAS, Out of the 23 churches that were located in the Greenwood area prior to the

1921 Massacre, only 13 survived and only three churches were able to be rebuilt after being

destroyed: Paradise Baptist Church, Mount Zion Baptist Church, and Vernon AME Church; and

     WHEREAS, Outside of the massacre area, five churches were able to rebuild after being

destroyed; and

     WHEREAS, The Black citizens in Tulsa began rebuilding the Greenwood District

immediately, with Church services resuming the following Sunday; and

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     WHEREAS, One hundred years later, the residents and businesses in the Greenwood

District carry on the legacy of resilience and determination; and

     WHEREAS, Greenwood is home to thousands of individuals and families who make

important contributions to their city and the United States and there are countless minority-owned

businesses in Greenwood that drive the local economy; and

     WHEREAS, There is still much work to be done to heal the community and ensure all

people in Greenwood have the promise of a brighter tomorrow; and

     WHEREAS, Greenwood is a community still scarred by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre,

but not defined by it; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

commends the important work of groups such as the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial

Commission, the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, and others who work tirelessly to

ensure the story of the Greenwood District is accurately told and remembered; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House hereby believes that while significant progress has been

made in the 100 years since the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, there is still work to be done towards

racial reconciliation, which can only be accomplished through open, respectful, and frank

dialogue; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House hereby encourages families of all races to invite families of

different races to their homes to have discussions on race, with parents setting examples for their

children on how to engage in a conversation that will build better understanding of, and respect

for, people of different races; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House hereby urges all the people of Rhode Island and the United

States to continue seeking greater understanding, dialogue, and closer connections to people of

different races; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial

Commission, the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, the Honorable Joseph Biden,

President of the United States, and the Honorable Daniel McKee, Governor of the State of Rhode

Island.

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