Censorship is a dangerous concept to mess with, but legislators in Oklahoma feel differently.
Educators in Oklahoma have recently added teachings about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre to their history curriculum, one of the most important racially motivated riots. Alongside “Red Summer” 1919, Detroit 1943, the Dr. Martin Luther King assassination riots of 1968 and the infamous Rodney King riots of 1992, it is neglectful of Oklahoma educators to only now start teaching about the Tulsa Race Massacre.
With the new curriculum, superintendents will provide age-appropriate materials and resources to aid teachers in discussing the massacre. The lessons will apply to all schools state-wide from elementary to high school.
The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre started when a black teenager named Dick Rowland entered an elevator. The white elevator operator, Sarah Page, screamed, and Rowland fled the scene. Police arrested Rowland under the pretense that he had assaulted Page.
In such a segregated community as Tulsa, word traveled fast, and an angry, white mob gathered in front of the courthouse with weapons. They began to fire at the black protesters showing up to the courthouse in support of Rowland. It was then that the white residents of Tulsa began to terrorize the black community of Greenwood, a neighborhood of Tulsa. According to the 2001 report from the Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, it was estimated between 100 and 300 people were killed, but only 39 people were confirmed.
As a major part of Oklahoma’s history, it is disheartening to learn that only now educators want to embed the massacre into their curriculum. The massacre is not only important to the state’s history, but African-American history as well. That sort of change is relevant to my recent column in that the American education system keeps shortchanging minority history.
Cutting out significant minority events is disrespectful and shows that their history does not matter. All history is important and is what shapes the world, but minority history is the foundation of America and needs to be discussed exactly the way it occurred. Every gory detail needs to be addressed so people will truly understand.
The censorship of the massacre could be because of Oklahoma’s embarrassment about the event since the massacre cultivated the rise of white supremacy in Oklahoma. Although a horrific moment in history, censoring students’ education is unacceptable because it leaves them unprepared for important dialogue about race.
There are congratulations due to the education system in Oklahoma, since they have finally decided to discuss such a significant event in their state and African-American history. Although that change only occurred because of Black History Month, congratulations are still in order because they are taking the first step to better inform students about all types of history and not only white history.
Iana Fields is a freshman studying English creative writing at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Iana? Tweet her @FieldsIana.
