Tulsa Race Massacre: After the national spotlight fades ….

The national spotlight will shine on our state in the coming days as we gather to commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre and its aftermath. 

Soon, however, this attention will fade and many long-standing issues will remain for Oklahomans to address. In addition to wrestling with the question of reparations, we need to address Oklahoma’s immense racial inequalities. We need to face head-on the wide disparity that Black Oklahomans experience in economic security, income inequality, employment rates, health outcomes, insurance coverage, life expectancy, educational attainment, contact with law enforcement and the justice system, incarceration rates, and so much more. 

America prides itself as being a nation of laws, but we should recognize that our laws — whether by negligence or malice — are too often wielded to disadvantage and endanger people of color. We must acknowledge the racism entrenched within our economic, political, and legal systems. And at long last, we must heed our Black community as they seek to claim the space, power, and resources to lead our way forward in the creation of anti-racist policies and laws.

This is the path forward towards healing, reconciliation, and justice. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Oklahoma Policy Insititute (OK Policy) advances equitable and fiscally responsible policies that expand opportunity for all Oklahomans through non-partisan research, analysis, and advocacy.

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