Summary Tulsa Race Riot

Summary: As Survivors Dwindle, Tulsa Confronts Past

In Sulzberger’s article, he starts by explaining how the Tulsa race riot was rarely mentioned, being unknown for the Americans who interestingly, never heard of it even at school. But, at the time that a state government report revealed what really happened (and giving estimations of more than 300 killed people and more than 8,000 homeless), hope was seend with a possible opportunity of finding justice and also teaching what happened for the first time in Tulsa public schools on the following year.

Thanks to those who made it possible to publish what happened, people such as Barack Obama showed the interest on meeting some of the people who went through the riot and who are still alive, and others like Reggie Turner, dedicated to get reparations for people affected such as Otis Clark, Mr. Young and his wife, Cathryn.

The article continues relating how riots were seen right after World War I and started by white people, to the Tulsa riot, were there was an accusation of a black man who supposedly had sexually assaulted a white woman, causing a huge gathered outside a courthouse of white and black men that later became a battle that destroyed around 40 blocks, 1,256 homes, with an approximation of 100 to 300 death people who, for the next year were living in tents. Following this, the blacks were the blamed ones and nobody was ever convicted nor compensated for what had happened, making the story disappear years later.

But here is when Don Ross wanted to help as, in a magazine he published the riot that was written by a historian, 25 years later got the attention deserved. Still, the state’s legislature disagreed on getting justice for the affected people and even the federal court said that it had already expired, making the obstacles impossible to be adjusted as the Congress feared a possible thought on reparations concerning slavery. Still, more awareness is shown from the locals and, on a national level, it is possible to see how school textbook publishers like Pearson mentions the riot, and how Houghton Mifflin plans to do so on its textbooks.