The site of the Black Wall Street Massacre became a place of love and celebration on Saturday night.
While Donald Trump's raucous campaign rally in Tulsa embraced the misguided rage that's marked much of his divisive time in office, protesters across town took a different approach. There was dancing in the streets of the city's Greenwood District as residents joined protesters in embracing hope.
It was an especially meaningful display, given the location. In 1921, that same part of the city was the site of racist violence when a mob of local white residents staged an assault on the predominantly Black neighborhood, leaving scores of people dead. (This is the incident that was famously recreated in the opening scene of HBO's Watchmen.)
On Saturday, just weeks after the 99th anniversary of that terrible event, crowds gathered instead to let their voices be heard. While Trump was busy whipping his MAGA crowd into a frenzy of anti-"leftist" hate, the people of Greenwood joined with protesters to stage what amounted to a block party.
"The rally? I don’t even think about it,” local Imam Arthur Farahkhan told The Oklahoman. "If I’m thinking about Trump, I can’t be thinking about this, about a brighter future." The local community was still charged by the Juneteenth festivities of the previous day, and it created a welcoming environment for protesters who left the rally.
The street scenes really speak for themselves. Much has been said about the violence that's unfolded at protests in the weeks following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. You won't see anything of the sort here. By most people's calculation, Trump is still a looming threat to our democracy. But scenes like these offer a worthwhile reminder that love always trumps (Trump's) hate.
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Topics Activism Social Good Donald Trump
