On the day marking 100 years since the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation in remembrance of the event.

“The Federal Government must reckon with and acknowledge the role that it has played in stripping wealth and opportunity from Black communities. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to acknowledging the role Federal policy played in Greenwood and other Black communities and addressing longstanding racial inequities through historic investments in the economic security of children and families, programs to provide capital for small businesses in economically disadvantaged areas, including minority-owned businesses, and ensuring that infrastructure projects increase opportunity, advance racial equity and environmental justice, and promote affordable access.” President Biden said.

The president quoted 107-year-old survivor Viola Fletcher, who testified before Congress last week.

“I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams. I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot.” Fletcher said.

“With this proclamation, I commit to the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, including Viola Fletcher, Hughes Van Ellis, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, the descendants of victims, and to this Nation that we will never forget. We honor the legacy of the Greenwood community, and of Black Wall Street, by reaffirming our commitment to advance racial justice through the whole of our government, and working to root out systemic racism from our laws, our policies, and our hearts.” Biden said.

Biden closed by proclaiming May 31, 2021, a Day of Remembrance: 100 Years After The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

President Biden will be in Tulsa on Tuesday, June 1, to visit the Greenwood District and deliver remarks to commemorate the centennial.

Read the full proclamation here

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