TULSA, Okla. (KFOR) – White House officials say President Joe Biden will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre on Tuesday, June 1.
On May 31 and June 1 of 1921, the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma was burned down as a white mob attacked the community after a black man was accused of assaulting a white woman.
The Greenwood District was once called the “Black Wall Street,” a 35-block radius in the segregated community that was thriving with hundreds of businesses.
White residents burned down homes and businesses, killing hundreds of black residents and injuring 800 others.
Despite it being one of the worst instances of racial violence in the United States, the massacre was mostly swept under the rug.
Even though it’s been nearly 100 years since the attack, leaders say the community never fully recovered.
Businesses were never able to rebuild, and innocent families were not compensated for the losses caused by the mob.
Although there are estimates regarding the casualties that occurred during the attack, officials have been working for more than a year to find all of the victims.
Crews have been excavating Tulsa cemeteries in search of unmarked graves that may contain the remains of the massacre victims.
In October, excavations began on two parts of the Oaklawn Cemetery.
As the search for victims continues, officials say it is time the nation learned about the dark day in Oklahoma history.
