Lawsuit seeking reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre is dismissed
NBCJul 02, 2023
DOJ Launches First Federal Probe Into 1921 Tulsa Race Riot
Image copyright: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Facts
The US Justice Department's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division announced Monday that it would, for the first time, investigate the race riot that took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, between May 31 and June 1, 1921.
The probe will utilize the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, which allows the federal government to probe civil rights crimes that occurred before 1979.
The Spin
Left narrative
Thanks to the determination of civil rights leaders and the victims of the massacre, the US government is finally reviewing this case. While it took over a century, those innocent Black Americans — who were robbed and killed simply due to their skin color — are getting justice. Hopefully, this investigation will lead to a broader conversation about the racism that continues to plague contemporary America.
Right narrative
While the tragedy of the Tulsa Massacre must not be dismissed, it also must not be used as a political tool to divide the US along racial lines and push the false narrative that white people are inherently intolerant and the US is systemically racist. Instead of pitting Blacks against whites, poor Americans of all races would be better served if their leaders cleaned up city streets, improved schools, and implemented economic growth-oriented fiscal policies.