• Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols backs the Project Greenwood initiative for reparations.
• The plan aims to compensate survivors and descendants of the 1921 Race Massacre.
• Project Greenwood includes financial redress and job preference for descendants.
• Mayor Nichols emphasizes the importance of healing the historical wounds in Tulsa.
• The proposal seeks to address the generational impact of the racial violence.

The city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is taking significant steps towards addressing the historical injustices of the 1921 Race Massacre. Newly elected Mayor Monroe Nichols, the first Black mayor of Tulsa, has expressed strong support for Project Greenwood, a comprehensive plan designed to offer reparations and facilitate the restoration of the Greenwood neighborhood, which was devastated by a white mob nearly a century ago. At a recent press conference, Nichols indicated his intention to implement major components of the plan and shared his commitment to healing the city and addressing the lasting effects of the massacre. As reported by AP News, the initiative arose after previous attempts through local and state courts for reparations were met with obstacles.

The Project Greenwood proposal advocates for various reparations including funding for scholarships for descendants of the victims, financial compensation for the last two known survivors of the massacre, and job preference for their families within city contracts. Justice for Greenwood, a nonprofit organization leading the initiative, argues that such measures are essential for honoring the memory of those impacted by the violence. Furthermore, the plan seeks to grant descendants immunity from city taxes while also auditing city ownership of land that was unlawfully obtained after the massacre. As reported in a USA Today article, Nichols has committed to outlining the frameworks for these changes in upcoming weeks.

Damario Solomon-Simmons, the attorney advocating for reparations, articulated the urgency for justice for the two surviving witnesses—Leslie Benningfield Randle and Viola Fletcher, both aged 110. With multiple failures to achieve justice through the justice system, the community's push for reparations reflects a broader demand for acknowledgment and redress from historical racial violence. Mayor Nichols has recognized the depth of pain surrounding the Race Massacre, noting that it is essential to address these issues of racial equity and healing for the city. More details regarding this ongoing initiative can be found in the coverage by The New York Times.