Justice Department says there are 'credible reports' law enforcement took part in 1921 Tulsa massacre
Source: Reuters
January 10, 2025 6:03 PM EST Updated 11 hours ago
WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Some law enforcement members participated in arson and murders that occurred during the 1921 race massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report released Friday. The report, which was released in the final days of President Joe Biden's administration, follows decades of advocacy efforts from massacre survivors, descendants and civil rights groups.
Efforts to rebuild the historic community have been underway for years but advocates have continued to seek justice -- including reparations and an official federal review. The DOJ's civil rights division launched the review and evaluation last September into the massacre, where white attackers killed as many as 300 people, mostly Black residents, living in Tulsa's prosperous Greenwood neighborhood.
But despite the gravity of the findings, the DOJ said "no avenue of prosecution now exists for crimes that occurred," citing the expiration of relevant statutes of limitations and the youngest potential defendants being more than 115 years old.
The report found law enforcement officers, both from the Tulsa Police and the National Guard, "disarmed Black residents, confiscated their weapons and detained many in makeshift camps under armed guard." "In addition, there are credible reports that at least some law enforcement officers did more than arrest and detain Black men; some participated in murder, arson and looting," the report said.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/justice-department-says-there-are-credible-reports-law-enforcement-took-part-2025-01-10/
Link to DOJ PRESS RELEASE - Justice Department Announces Results of Review and Evaluation of the Tulsa Race Massacre
Simeon Salus
(1,338 posts)Until the late nineties, the state was denying the event ever occurred.
Bernardo de La Paz
(51,706 posts)Lovie777
(15,421 posts)Immigration round up, they will try and cover it up as well, but its a different time.
What went on back then, was verbally passed on from generations, and its inhumane.
niyad
(121,031 posts)Aristus
(68,766 posts)Law enforcement officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 1920s? Im sure they all got a white hood to go with their badges.
Marthe48
(19,581 posts)the felon install incited an overthrow of the U.S. government on 2021. As far as I'm concerned, the physical death of elected representatives didn't happen, but the attack murdered my country. We badly need to address and redress that violence.
I think any people violently deprived of property, freedom, life, should be compensated. In the case of Tulsa survivors and descendants, it is too late to do anything but sympathize. I already know I wouldn't join in killing someone for their stuff or utterly destroying what they worked hard to gain, andmaybe the grim facts coming to light will turn some people away from being murderous racist bullies easily swayed to commit crimes against their fellow humans.
But in the case of instigators, ring leaders and goons who destroyed the country, it is not too late to make them pay for what they've done. It will be soon, and there won't be any going back. It was made to seem permissible, so it's open season on the rule of law.
OldBaldy1701E
(6,793 posts)I guess all the non-white people who were telling about this over and over were not 'credible'.
Typical whitewashing of history that is finally being brought to light. Of course, the timing is also suspect, as no one is around to be punished for this. I mean, there is the Tulsa Police Department, who allowed this to happen, but good luck with that.
Boomerproud
(8,536 posts)Now it's up the to the history books to tell the whole truth.
Shipwack
(2,364 posts)hadEnuf
(2,842 posts)Hence the war on "woke".
OldBaldy1701E
(6,793 posts)soldierant
(8,069 posts)must have missed Eric Berne's "Games People Play." Particularly the section on the life game of "Cops and Robbers" which is not being played by all of either group - but it is by enough people to make policing itself problematic.)
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(117,099 posts)lostnfound
(16,760 posts)Lots of is to dot and ts to cross.
Normally Id cheer this, but presently it is just insulting.