"As the last living survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, we are overcome with both gratitude and frustration by the release of the DOJ report. We thank the Lord for keeping us alive to see the DOJ finally validate what we know first-hand to be true: that government institutions coordinated with white supremacists to destroy Greenwood through systematic mass murder, arson, censorship, and disinformation. While it hasn’t been easy for us to relive the pain, we are relieved to see one of the biggest coverups in American history come crashing down.
Still, after meeting with us during the probe, DOJ investigators released a report that falls heartbreakingly short. The DOJ confirms the government’s role in the slaughter of our Greenwood neighbors but refuses to hold the institutions accountable under federal law. Justice is not saying to survivors that the entities that ran us out of town, hindered our rebuilding efforts, and erased us from history are absolved of their crimes. Justice is holding guilty parties to account so that the community can heal.
Even so, our unwavering belief in God continues to give us hope. To know what scripture says about restitution and repentance is to know that the DOJ report is not the end of the journey. It's an unmistakable call to action, which is already reverberating throughout Tulsa and the nation.
The tremendous outpouring of support from the public – including growing calls for justice and reparations – tells us that more people than ever care about what happened to us in Greenwood. And more doors are opening for the harm to finally be repaired. At 110-years-old we are weary, but we will not rest until justice for Greenwood is secured.