Make Me Smart Can reparations shrink the Black wealth gap in Tulsa?
Jun 12, 2025
Mitchell Hartman, a Marketplace reporter focused on economic injustice in Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood, discusses the city's groundbreaking $105 million reparations package aimed at addressing the lasting effects of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. He explores the historical significance of Greenwood, once dubbed America's Black Wall Street, and the ongoing struggles for justice in the community. Hartman delves into how this reparations initiative could revitalize Black Tulsans' wealth and encourage similar efforts in other cities dealing with similar legacies.
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Mass Graves Discovered
- Mitchell Hartman discovered a mural pointing to mass graves of Tulsa Race Massacre victims.
- Approximately 300 people died, with at least 60 unmarked graves found in Greenwood Cemetery.
Greenwood's Second Destruction
- After the 1921 Massacre, Greenwood was destroyed with no compensation or insurance for Black residents.
- The community rebuilt, but never regained its original prosperity or scale.
Highways and Black Displacement
- Urban highway construction disproportionately destroyed Black neighborhoods in Tulsa and many U.S. cities.
- This caused displacement, degradation of housing, and loss of Black homeownership, deepening the wealth gap.