Day: May 30, 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden is headed Tuesday to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, a white mob’s terrifying 1921 destruction of a Black community that left 300 people dead and 10,000 homeless.

To this day, it is an episode in the country’s fraught history over racial violence that many Americans have little awareness of, even as the country grapples with a current-day racial reckoning to confront accusations of police abuse of minorities, racial economic inequity and contentious debates over newly enacted voting restrictions that critics say are aimed at curbing the turnout of Black and Hispanic voters to limit their influence.

There appear to only be three remaining survivors, all centenarians, of the destruction of the prosperous Tulsa community known as Black Wall Street. The racial attack occurred four decades before the often-violent Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s that secured voting rights for Black Americans even as the debate continues now over voting access.

As Biden arrives in the city of 400,000 in the southwestern United States for the commemoration of the horrors of May 31-June 1, 1921, a new museum is opening to chronicle what occurred. But questions remain over whether to pay reparations — and how much — to the remaining survivors and descendants of the assault and how to search the unmarked, suspected burial grounds for those killed in the massacre.

One of the survivors, Viola Fletcher, 107, recently appeared before a congressional panel in her first trip to Washington to make the case for reparations while recounting her memories from the attack on her neighborhood when she was a 7-year-old girl.

“On May 31, of ‘21, I went to bed in my family’s home in Greenwood,” she said. “The neighborhood I fell asleep in that night was rich, not just in terms of wealth, but in culture … and heritage. My family had a beautiful home. We had great neighbors. I had friends to play with. I felt safe. I had everything a child could need. I had a bright future.”

“Within a few hours,” Fletcher said, “all of that was gone.”

“The night of the massacre, I was awakened by my family,” she recalled. “My parents and five siblings were there. I was told we had to leave and that was it. I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams.”

Fletcher, her brother, Hughes “Uncle Red” Van Ellis, who is 100, and a third survivor, Lessie Benningfield Randle, 106, are the lead plaintiffs in a reparations lawsuit filed last year against the city of Tulsa, Tulsa County, the state of Oklahoma and the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce. They contend that the defendants are responsible for what happened during the massacre.

“I have lived through the massacre every day,” Viola Fletcher told the congressional panel. “Our country may forget this history, but I cannot. I will not. And other survivors do not. And our descendants do not.”

A hundred years ago, Greenwood — the Black Tulsa neighborhood that includes the area known as Black Wall Street — was burned to the ground and the virtually all-white Tulsa Police Department joined in the attack, deputizing white mobs and providing them with arms. The massacre was triggered by accusations that a 19-year-old Black man had assaulted a 17-year-old white girl in an elevator.

Numerous reports of the time described white policemen with badges setting fires and shooting Black people as part of the Greenwood invasion.

But the violence of 1921 was largely ignored for decades if not forgotten. Then-Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan stood in Greenwood in 2013 and apologized for the department’s role.

“I can’t apologize for the actions, inaction or derelictions of those individual officers and their chief,” Jordan said. “But as your chief today, I can apologize for our police department. I am sorry and distressed that the Tulsa Police Department did not protect its citizens during the tragic days in 1921.”

The commemoration of the events of 100 years ago, however, has been caught up in the disputes of 2021.

The Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission abruptly canceled a “Remember and Rise” concert “due to unexpected circumstances.” Singer John Legend had been scheduled to perform and a keynote speech by voting rights activist Stacey Abrams was planned.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt was ousted from the centennial commission after he signed legislation that would prohibit public school teachers from teaching about “critical race theory” that recounts the 17th century history of slavery in what more than a century later became the United States.

Greenwood Rising, a new museum to commemorate the 1921 massacre, is opening this week, but some in Tulsa are denouncing the commission and instead focusing on the remaining survivors and descendants of the attack. As Biden visits, the city is resuming its excavation of a suspected mass grave where victims of the massacre are believed to be buried.

WATCH: Biden visits Tulsa

The extent of reparations remains paramount to remembering the massacre. Oklahoma state Senator Kevin Matthews, who chairs the centennial commission, told reporters last week that lawyers for the survivors had initially sought $100,000 each and a $2 million donation to a reparations fund, which the commission had agreed to. But he balked at what he said were later demands for $1 million for each survivor and a $50 million for the fund, although the survivors’ lawyers disputed his claims.

“There was never a non-negotiable demand for $50 million dollars,” the lawyers said. “The non-negotiable issues were that the fund would provide direct financial support to survivors and descendants and that the fund would be administered by descendants and North Tulsa community members, and the fund be held in a Black bank.”

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said the city has been working with Oklahoma and federal officials to make sure “people who want to participate in activities and mourn this event, the worst event in our city’s history, feel comfortable being in public doing that with different groups coming to town.”

“It’s the classic case of hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” said Bynum, who reopened the search for mass graves from the massacre.

Source: Voice of America

The inaugural UAE-Netherlands Week began virtually today, hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of the Netherlands from May 30 until June 5, 2021.

The week comes against the backdrop of the two countries’ celebration of nearly fifty years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, as well as the UAE’s fiftieth anniversary since its founding as a nation.

In the opening session of the forum, titled “The UAE-Netherlands Friendship – 50 Years in the Making,” officials from the UAE and the Netherlands discussed the political, economic, and cultural ties that link the two nations.

Taking part in the session, His Excellency Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Public and Cultural Diplomacy at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, stated: “Today’s convening of high-level officials from government and civil society in the UAE and Netherlands reflects our strong desire to strengthen bilateral ties in all areas. For nearly half a century, our two countries have served as committed partners, and the activities of the UAE-Netherlands Week will enable us to continue building upon this enduring friendship.”

Her Excellency Hissa Abdulla Alotaiba, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, remarked: “The UAE and the Netherlands have much to offer each other.

Historically, our peoples have long valued cultural, educational, and tourism exchange, and at the governmental level, our two countries have worked together in times of crisis to address challenges to food security and boost scientific innovation for the betterment of our societies. It is our genuine honor today to explore additional pathways of Emirati-Dutch cooperation, and we look forward to hosting future iterations of the UAE-Netherlands Week.”

For his part, HE Lody Embrechts, Dutch Ambassador to the UAE, commented: “The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UAE is grateful for this wonderful chance to highlight the width and depth of our longstanding relationship. Covering issues such as food production and energy efficiency, arts, sciences, entrepreneurship, women empowerment and trade at large, the UAE-Netherlands Week is another milestone as our friendship goes from strength to strength. I am also elated to see more engagement between our youths and have them discuss a number of important subjects. I look forward to our shared future.”

The first day also offered a session on youth in the UAE and the Netherlands, wherein speakers from Abu Dhabi Youth Hub and the Dutch Embassy discussed efforts to generate opportunities for youth and empower them in key fields.

Other sessions throughout the week will address diverse topics, including ways to strengthen cooperation in the arts and cultural sectors, promote food security and energy efficiency, empower women in STEM fields, and foster entrepreneurship and innovation.

Attendees will also discuss Dutch participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, where the Netherlands will host a microclimate pavilion focused on the nexus between water, food, and energy security.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has sent a congratulatory message to President Zoran Milanovic of Croatia, on the occasion of his country’s Statehood Day celebrations.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, sent similar messages to President Milanovic.

Their Highnesses also sent congratulatory messages to the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on the occasion.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation

Minister of State for International Cooperation H.E. Reem Al Hashimy and Assistant Minister for Public and Cultural Diplomacy Omar Ghobash met virtually with members of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) at the United Nations. The objective of the meeting was to introduce the UAE candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the term 2022-2023.

During the virtual meeting, the ministers reflected on the UAE’s longstanding relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. Minister Al Hashimy said: “The way we will approach our seat at the Security Council is to ensure that we proactively listen, learn, and reflect the views of the entire membership. Peace and security are best served when the international community stands together.”

Assistant Minister Ghobash said: “Since the founding of the UAE 49 years ago, the physical distance between the Gulf and GRULAC members has not stopped our countries from pursuing deeper political ties and economic cooperation. The UAE has also been proud to partner with the Latin America and Caribbean region on development and humanitarian activities – most recently on supplies of personal protective equipment for COVID-19 relief.”

The ministers outlined the UAE’s priorities of the UAE’s “Stronger United” campaign for a Security Council seat, including its four main pillars: securing peace, advancing inclusion, building resilience, and spurring innovation. They reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to collaborating with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and also expressed hope for receiving support from the region during the elections on 11 June 2021.

The UAE is a candidate for the Arab seat of the UN Security Council for the term 2022-2023 and was endorsed by the League of Arab States in 2012 and the Asia-Pacific Group in 2020. The UAE previously served as an elected member on the UN Security Council in 1986-1987.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation