Biden Becomes First President To Commemorate Tulsa Race Massacre

President Joe Biden was in Tulsa on Tuesday, June 1, to remember and commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

“For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence, cloaked in darkness. But just because history is silent it doesn’t mean that it did not take place. While darkness can hide much, it erases nothing," Biden said.

“My fellow Americans, this was not a riot, this was a massacre.”

Biden is the first president to visit Tulsa to commemorate the 1921 events that left hundreds of Black residents dead and destroyed the Greenwood neighborhood.

During his trip, the president visited the Greenwood Cultural Center and privately met with the last three living survivors of the massacre: Viola “Mother” Fletcher, Hughes “Uncle Red” Van Ellis, and Lessie “Mother Randle” Benningfield Randle.

"You are the three known remaining survivors of a story seen in the mirror dimly. But no longer. Now, your story will be known in full view," the president publicly said.

Ahead of the visit, the Biden administration announced initiatives designed to improve racial disparities, including ending discrimination in the housing market and investing in communities of color. It was also announced Tuesday that Vice President Kamala Harris would lead efforts to improve voting rights.

Biden did not answer questions about the possibility of a presidential apology for the 1921 massacre or if survivors should be given reparations, Reuters reported.

Photo: Getty Images