By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
On Tulsa Race Massacre Observance Day, Mayor Monroe Nichols, the city’s first African American mayor, announced the Greenwood Trust, a $105 million private charitable fund created to address the long-term harm caused by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Speaking at the Greenwood Cultural Center on Sunday, June 1, Nichols called the Trust a cornerstone of his “Road to Repair” initiative, a plan to unify Tulsa and support the healing of survivors, descendants, and the Historic Greenwood District—once known as Black Wall Street. In Tulsa, only two known survivors of the 1921 Race Massacre remain: 110-year-old Leslie Benningfield Randle and Viola Fletcher, who recently celebrated her 111th birthday. Both women attended the observance and neither has ever received compensation from the city or the state. “This is a critical step to help unify Tulsans and heal the wounds that for so long prevented generations of our neighbors from being able to recover from the Race Massacre,” Nichols said. “The Greenwood Trust is really a bridge that connects what we as a community can bring to the table and what the community needs.”
The Trust will focus on housing, cultural preservation, and economic development. Of the total goal, $24 million will support housing and homeownership in Greenwood and North Tulsa. Another $60 million will go toward building revitalization and the Kirkpatrick Heights Greenwood Master Plan. The remaining $21 million, through a Legacy Fund, will support land acquisition, scholarships for descendants, and grants to small businesses and organizations. Nichols said the Trust’s first year will focus on staffing, planning, and launching its initial programs. It will be led by a privately funded executive director and governed by a board of trustees and advisors. He noted that while city council approval isn’t needed to establish the Trust, any transfer of public land will require a vote. Nichols said he expects support from lawmakers. The Trust is expected to meet its asset goal by June 1, 2026, the 105th anniversary of the massacre. Contributions may include private donations, public funds, and property transfers. “As we seek to make this framework a reality, I am eager to work alongside my fellow Tulsans and partners across the country to create a fundamental shift in how we further establish generational wealth, housing opportunities, and repair for so many Tulsans,” Nichols said.
Since taking office in December 2024, Nichols has established Tulsa Race Massacre Observance Day, released more than 45,000 historical records, and remains committed to the city’s 1921 Graves Investigation. His proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes nearly $1 million for excavation work at Oaklawn Cemetery. Nichols also continues the city’s Community Engagement Genealogy Project, funded in part by a Department of Justice Emmett Till Grant, with ongoing genealogy workshops, cold case training, and a new exhibit at the Greenwood Cultural Center. “The massacre was hidden from history books, only to be followed by the intentional acts of redlining, a highway built to choke off economic vitality, and the perpetual underinvestment of local, state, and federal governments,” Nichols said. “Now it’s time to take the next big steps to restore.”
