Tulsa’s newly elected Black mayor has put forward a proposal to establish a $100 million trust fund aimed at repairing the long-lasting damage caused by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The initiative seeks to invest in community rebuilding, economic development, and restorative justice for the survivors and their descendants.
On Sunday, Tulsa’s newly elected mayor, Monroe Nichols, unveiled a proposal to establish a $100 million private trust as part of a reparative effort to support descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The initiative aims to provide scholarships and housing assistance as part of a city-backed plan to address the lasting harm from one of the deadliest racial attacks in American history.
Nichols, the first Black mayor of Oklahoma’s second-largest city, announced the plan at the Greenwood Cultural Center, located in the historic district that was devastated by a white mob nearly a century ago.
While Nichols avoided using the term “reparations,” which he described as politically charged, he framed the proposal as a “road to repair” focused on healing and restoration.
“It’s something that can unite us all. We can come together around housing support for affected communities and investing in revitalizing the Greenwood District to restore its status as an economic powerhouse.”
The plan would not provide direct cash payments to descendants or the two remaining centenarian survivors of the massacre.
The private charitable trust aims to secure $105 million in assets, with most funding expected to be committed or raised by June 1, 2026. Over the next year, an executive director and board of managers will develop detailed programs for the trust. The plan designates $60 million primarily for restoring buildings and revitalizing Tulsa’s north side, including the Greenwood District.
“At its peak, the Greenwood District was a thriving commercial hub,” Nichols said. “What was lost was not only a part of North Tulsa or the Black community — it robbed the entire city of Tulsa of an economic future that could have rivaled anywhere in the world.”