Fox 23: Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols shares creation of Greenwood Trust as part of Road to Repair Plan
Paris Rain, FOX23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols shared his plans to help reunify Tulsans and heal multi-generational wounds from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre on Sunday at the Greenwood Cultural Center.
The Road to Repair event started at 2:30 p.m. and Mayor Nichols spoke at 3:30 p.m.
Mayor Nichols discussed the steps needed to heal the past pain and build a stronger future for the city. He announced the creation of the Greenwood Trust and released historical 1921 Race Massacre records.
The Greenwood Trust is a private charitable trust that will serve as a way to stimulate economic growth and development in north Tulsa, Greenwood, and surrounding neighborhoods. The trust is designed to address disparities experienced by residents and businesses of north Tulsa and Greenwood.
“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,” said Mayor Nichols. “The Greenwood Trust is really a bridge that connects what we as a community can bring to the table and what the community needs. 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.”
Mayor Nichols said the idea came after he took office and received recommendations from the Beyond Apology Commission and the Justice for Greenwood Foundation.
“It’s about reconciliation. It’s about repair. It’s about renewal. It’s about righteousness,” said Mayor Nichols. “Make no mistake, this is not a question about politics. This is a question of your faith and us finding our way back to each other.”
The trust has a goal of securing $105 million in assets and most if the funding has been secured or committed as of June 1. Assets could include property, philanthropic funding and public funding.
The trust will have an executive director, a board of trustees, and a board of advisors. The first operational year of the trust will act as a planning year.
Some of the Greenwood Trust’s focus areas include:
A Legacy Fund of $21 million allowing the development of trust-owned land for the benefit of Race Massacre survivors and descendants. Some of this money will also be used to fund scholarships for Tulsa children.
A housing fund of $24 million to help Greenwood and north Tulsa residents with securing housing and homeownership.
A Cultural Preservation Fund of $60 million to improve infrastructure and implement part of the Kirkpatrick Heights-Greenwood Master Plan.
“At this moment in our nation’s history, this work will allow us to stand together and become a national model for how cities confront their history while charting a new path forward, rooted in unity and truth,” said Mayor Nichols. “I firmly believe we have a community that is ready to take this step forward based on the advocacy work that has already taken place. 104 years after the massacre it is up to us to provide the framework that will build up a community that has been left out for far too long.”
Earlier this year, Mayor Nichols marked June 1 as an annual day of observation for the lives lost during the tragic event that destroyed Black Wall Street. Sunday marked 104 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre.
The trust should be fully operational by June 1, 2026.
For more information on Mayor Nichols’ Road to Repair, click here.
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