DOJ Report: Tulsa Race Massacre barbaric, evidence of officer involvement in murders
TULSA, Okla. (KFOR) – The United States Department of Justice has released an anticipated and first-ever formal federal review on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
The review, announced at the end of September, was undertaken by the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act. A synopsis in the report notes that it serves as a way to officially acknowledge, illuminate, and preserve for history the horrible ordeals of the massacre's victims. It also notes that it is the first full accounting of the massacre undertaken by the department.
The more than 100-page report notes that the process involved speaking with survivors and their families, examining firsthand accounts, and studying primary materials, including an investigative report by the department's Bureau of Investigation in 1921.
The review criticizes the 1921 report, saying that it was informal, took less than a week to research and write, characterized the incident as a small and half-hearted attempt at a lynching, and asserted that the riot was not the result of "racial feeling." Investigators believed the report implied that Black men in Tulsa were ultimately responsible for that day.
Investigators in the report call the massacre that impacted Tulsa's Greenwood district, horrific. They acknowledge the event killed at least 300 people and say there could be more victims. The report describes the massacre as being so systematic and coordinated that it "transcended mere mob violence," causing more than $32 million in damage to the community.
"I think it's an ugly history that needs to be shared," said Race Massacre survivor descendant, Heather Nash.
Nash said her relative was seven years old when the massacre happened and had to run and flee. Nash said that relative shared her story with very few family members, and she was lucky enough to get to hear it.
She said she's thankful the whole story is now permanently cemented in federal history.
"It legitimized our story from a federal level," said Nash.
The report says there's evidence Tulsa Police officers and Tulsa National Guardsmen agreed to destroy Greenwood through arson, murder, and looting. The report says officers deputized hundreds of white Tulsans with few questions, arming them with guns. One officer allegedly told a white witness to: "Go out and shoot any n***** you see, and the law'll be behind you."
Tulsa County Sheriff William McCullough is named in the report as a law enforcement leader who took few steps to prevent violence, according to investigators. The report says McCullough admitted to sleeping through the massacre, paying no attention when he heard gunshots.
Promises made by city leaders to help rebuild Greenwood in the aftermath, according to the report, fell flat, with a "Reconstruction Committee" that was headed by a Ku Klux Klansman.
As previously mentioned, an informal federal review was done shortly after the massacre, but the report notes it wasn't "seriously pursued."
"The federal government has allowed things to happen, and there was no justice for it, and I think that's good proof for us," said Nash.
Investigators note that the government, officers, public officials, and other participants could have been prosecuted for the destruction of churches, constitutional rights violations, and civil rights conspiracy in 1921, but that didn't happen. The report notes sufficient civil rights law changes have been addressed that could have seen hate crime charges if the same incident had happened in current time.
The report notes that it may be painful for some to process, but the perpetrators of the massacre are long dead, the statute of limitations to prosecute has expired, and there are "no viable avenues for further investigation."
Nash said that investigators prepared individuals who were interviewed during an October trip to the Greenwood district, but that the news is still tough.
"It hurts now because, I mean, we got robbed of generational wealth," said Nash.
News 4 reached out to the City of Tulsa for comment and received the following statement:
The City is committed to thoroughly reviewing the report and findings in the coming days, which includes a meeting with the DOJ officials who conducted the investigation. While we have not yet reviewed the complete details of this latest investigation, one thing is undeniable: the Tulsa Race Massacre has had a generational impact that we can no longer ignore. In the coming weeks, Mayor Nichols looks forward to unveiling a pathway to begin repairing the damage of the past and uniting our city as we move forward.
City of Tulsa
Nash says she's feeling optimistic about that happening.
"I think he's smart enough to do it, and I think he can do it," said Nash.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division released the following statement Friday:
The Tulsa Race Massacre stands out as a civil rights crime unique in its magnitude, barbarity,
Kristen Clark, Assistant Attorney General
racist hostility and its utter annihilation of a thriving Black community. In 1921, white
Tulsans murdered hundreds of residents of Greenwood, burned their homes and churches, looted their belongings, and locked the survivors in internment camps. Until this day, the Justice
Department has not spoken publicly about this race massacre or officially accounted for the
horrific events that transpired in Tulsa. This report breaks that silence by rigorous examination
and a full accounting of one of the darkest episodes of our nation’s past. This report lays bare
new information and shows that the massacre was the result not of uncontrolled mob violence,
but of a coordinated, military-style attack on Greenwood. Now, more than 100 years later, there
is no living perpetrator for the Justice Department to prosecute. But the historical reckoning for
the massacre continues. This report reflects our commitment to the pursuit of justice and truth,
even in the face of insurmountable obstacles. We issue this report with recognition of the
courageous survivors who continue to share their testimonies, acknowledgement of those who
tragically lost their lives and appreciation for other impacted individuals and advocates who
collectively push for us to never forget this tragic chapter of America’s history."
Clarke is expected to convene with members of the Greenwood District, survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre, the Tulsa civil rights community, and other stakeholders to address the department's findings.
The entire report is extensive and covers further details that may be difficult to read. The report can be reviewed below.