Centennial Commemoration of the Tulsa Race Massacre as Topic for Park University's Yearly Black History Discourse
In the 2021 edition of Park University's Spencer Cave Black History Month Lecture Series, Randy Krehbiel, a staff writer at the Tulsa World, will delve into the significant events surrounding the Tulsa Race Massacre. The lecture, scheduled for February 22, 2021, will be held virtually at our website/spencercavelecture starting at 3 p.m.
The Tulsa Race Massacre, also known as the Tulsa Race Riot, is a pivotal moment in American history. It took place in 1921 in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a prosperous Black community often known as "Black Wall Street." The massacre was sparked by an alleged incident involving a young Black man, Dick Rowland, and a white woman, Sarah Page, which led to heightened racial tensions. White mobs attacked Greenwood, resulting in widespread destruction over roughly 24 hours. Homes, businesses, and churches were burned, and many Black residents were killed or injured.
Estimates of deaths vary, but dozens to potentially hundreds of Black residents lost their lives. Thousands were left homeless, and the community suffered catastrophic economic losses. For decades, the massacre was largely omitted from mainstream history and public discourse. Survivors and their descendants faced significant challenges in seeking recognition and reparations.
Randy Krehbiel's speech will address these events, emphasising the importance of acknowledging this event to understand systemic racism in the U.S. and the ongoing impacts of racial violence. Krehbiel, an Oklahoma native and a graduate of Oklahoma State University, has been with the Tulsa World since 1979, starting as a sports writer. His research and reporting on the Tulsa Race Massacre spanned two decades.
Krehbiel's work on the Tulsa Race Massacre was recognised with the naming of his book, Tulsa 1921: Reporting a Massacre, as Oklahoma Department of Libraries' Nonfiction Book of the Year and the Oklahoma Historical Society's Book of the Year. The book was published by the University of Oklahoma Press in September 2019.
The Spencer Cave Black History Month Lecture Series is held to expound on the many contributions African Americans have made toward our nation's success. It was established by Park University in honour of Spencer Cave, a man born into slavery at the start of the Civil War. Cave worked for Park University for more than 70 years before his death in 1947.
Join us for this crucial discussion on the Tulsa Race Massacre and its lasting impact on American history.
The Tulsa Race Massacre, a significant event in American history, will be the focus of Randy Krehbiel's lecture at the Spencer Cave Black History Month Lecture Series, held virtually at our website/spencercavelecture on February 22, 2021. This event, sparked by racial tensions in 1921 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, resulted in widespread destruction, deaths, and economic losses, often overlooked in mainstream history and public discourse. Krehbiel's speech aims to shed light on this overlooked part of history to understand systemic racism and the ongoing impacts of racial violence in U.S. politics and general-news.
