'How Can We Do More?' Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum Introduces 'Beyond Apology' Commission For 1921 Race Massacre

In a recent interview, Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum discussed the city's plans to establish a new commission aimed at addressing the legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

The "Beyond Apology" Commission will be tasked with leading a public dialogue on how the community can better support the descendants of the massacre victims.

Addressing the Nuances of Reparations

Mayor Bynum explained that the commission's formation stems from a desire among Tulsans to do more for the descendants of the massacre victims.

"We have done a tremendous amount around economic development in North Tulsa. We've launched a search for the graves of victims, and we've done a lot of other things. But what we found the city council and I authorized a kind of public engagement process to talk with residents and the descendants of victims about, what does that look like to you?" Bynum said.

He noted that while the term "reparations" can be polarizing, the public engagement process revealed a more nuanced understanding of what residents want, such as scholarship opportunities, economic development, and housing access for the descendants.

"Reparations, unfortunately, is such a loaded term here in the United States in the 21st century. And a lot of people hear that, and they immediately think, well, 'people just want checks written to them. I'm against it.' But what we found in that public analysis was that a lot of folks actually want to talk about scholarship opportunities for the descendants of victims, or economic development opportunities for the descendants of victims or housing opportunities, or access to housing opportunities for the descendants of victims," Bynum said.

Bynum emphasized the importance of having an open and thoughtful discussion on this complex issue, rather than dismissing it outright due to the loaded nature of the term "reparations."

"And I think what that caused, at least, I'll just speak for myself, what that caused me to realize is there's a lot more nuance on this issue than people have been allowed to have in a public discussion. And what that public engagement process ultimately asked for was, let's have a commission that can do the deeper dive on this," he said.

Composition and Goals of the Commission

The Beyond Apology Commission will comprise 10 community members, including various leaders and experts. Bynum expressed his hope that the commission will be able to lead a deeper public dialogue and provide recommendations on how the city can best support the victims' descendants, even in the limited time remaining in his mayoral term.

"I could have said, well, I don't have enough time, so I'm just not going to do anything, or I'm opposed to it, but I think I wanted to get it started. And again, I think here in Tulsa, we have two great strengths. One, we rally around our neighbors in hard times. If, if a part of our city were hit by a tornado tomorrow, everybody in town would be trying to do what they could to help the victims of that event," he said.

Ongoing Initiatives and Priorities

In addition to the new commission, Bynum discussed the city's progress on other initiatives, such as the Tulsa Safety Center real estate transaction and the upcoming Fire Academy graduation, which will be his last as mayor.

"This is my last Fire Academy graduation as mayor. I think we've had the largest increase in staffing in the Tulsa fire department in the history of the city during my time in office. And even I really encourage my fellow Tulsans, if you ever get a chance to attend one of these Academy graduations or a police department Academy graduation, it just fills you with so much pride to see our neighbors who are stepping into these careers to keep all of us safe."

Bynum emphasized the importance of supporting public safety personnel and encouraged Tulsans to attend such events to show their appreciation for those who keep the community safe.

Conclusion

Mayor Bynum said that his time as mayor draws to a close, the establishment of the Beyond Apology Commission represents a significant step in Tulsa's ongoing efforts to address the legacy of the 1921 Race Massacre and support the affected community.

The commission's work will be closely watched as the city grapples with this complex and important issue.