Tulsa Mayor Creates 'Beyond Apology' Commission To Create Plan For Race Massacre Reparations

Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum is creating a commission to help create a plan to give reparations to the two surviving victims of the race massacre, their families and people who live in that area now.

It's called "Beyond Apology" and the goal is to create a program to help with housing that could then lead to wealth that will last for generations. 

Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper says this process is going to be uncomfortable for Tulsans, but she says the commission will demand to be heard.

Hall-Harper says state lawmakers have failed to give reparations, so this city commission is needed. 

"When we make laws at the state level, the legislative level that basically keeps cities, communities from making decisions that improve quality of life, and that's intentional and that's unfortunate, but it's just a fact that we have to deal with in Oklahoma," she said.

The Beyond Apology Commission will be made up of 13 people chosen by the mayor, of different ages and backgrounds.

The Mayor wants the commission to come up with a plan on how to use housing money from the city budget.

"In our program how can we use that program to benefit the descendants of victims and their families and really start improving homeownership and the creation of intergenerational wealth amongst their families," he said.

Hall-Harper says the commission needs the right people.

"Those who really believe to stand up and be vocal about it right and shut down the naysayers and the racists who don't want to see progress made, but we have to be diligent and we have to be unapologetic when it comes to this type of work. It's not easy," said Hall-Harper. 

Mayor Bynum says the hardest part about giving reparations is finding families of the victims because he says their descendants are all over the world.

"What can we do to bring those people together and do right by them? That's a challenge, that is, and anybody that's done reparation programs that been a challenge for them," said Bynum. 

People can apply to be on the commission here and have until the end of August to do so.

The commission is expected to come up with a plan by November 30th.