Tulsa's Reparations Efforts Gain Momentum As 'Beyond Apology' Commission Meets For First Time

The City of Tulsa launched the most serious effort yet on reparations over the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre with the creation of a “Beyond Apology” Commission that met for the first time Friday.

The group will meet regularly, as often as once a week, with the mayor asking them for something actionable before he leaves office on Dec. 1.

Their first area of focus will be housing. “That does not mean that's the only thing we want this commission to look at,” said Bynum, “We want the commission to take a 360-degree view of all aspects of reparations, but you have to start somewhere, so we asked them to start with this area that for the council and me has been such a top priority.”

Nine seats on the 11-member commission are filled, and Bynum said there were many more applicants eager to take part.

The issue of reparations has long been controversial in Tulsa, or ignored, but City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper said it will be no more.

“We're going to do the work of reparative justice because that's what this is about – repair,” she said.

Bynum said it was an important conversation.

“I think there's some folks suspicious of this commission because it's associated with the city, or maybe we shouldn't be talking about reparations, but my ask is that you let the commission do its work and see what they propose before you make up your mind.”

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a cold-case investigation of the massacre, but so far not engaged the city to gather information, according to Bynum, who said he hoped the department would soon.

Related: DOJ Investigates 1921 Race Massacre, Hears Stories From Descendants And Survivors

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