HISTORY PROF. TOM HANKS
What did Tom Hanks say about the Tulsa race massacre?
AMERICA'S dad, Tom Hanks, has given his two cents on the Tulsa race massacre.
The lovable celebrity penned an opinion piece in The New York Times eloquently sharing his thoughts on the dark day in American history.
2
What did Tom Hanks say about the Tulsa race massacre?
Tom's title basically sums up his thoughts "."
He recalls that despite his many years of education and interest in American history he did not learn about the Tulsa massacre until last year when he read a about the horrific day.
"I never read a page of any school history book about how, in 1921, a mob of white people burned down a place called Black Wall Street, killed as many as 300 of its Black citizens and displaced thousands of Black Americans who lived in Tulsa, Okla."
And claims that "History was mostly written by white people about white people like me, while the history of Black people — including the horrors of Tulsa — was too often left out."
He goes on to describe some of the minimal Black history that is commonly taught in schools insisting that the brushing over of these issues is insufficient to express the immense horror but repetition of these atrocities throughout history.
Claiming that the Tulsa massacre along with many other stories of violence towards Black Americans by White Americans was "systematically ignored"; with the "predominantly white" education system "placing white feelings over Black experience."
He questions "How different would perspectives be had we all been taught about Tulsa in 1921?" finding the "omission tragic" and reiterating the belief that these attacks and setbacks to the Black community continue to skew the scale of equality in America today.
Tom ends his piece answering his own question and sums up his thoughts, "Should our schools now teach the truth about Tulsa? Yes, and they should also stop the battle to whitewash curriculums to avoid discomfort for students."
2
What was the Tulsa race massacre?
On the morning of May 30, 1921, a young black man named Dick Rowland was riding in the elevator with a white woman named Sarah Page.
The details of what happened in the elevator vary but Tulsa police arrested Rowland and began an investigation.
An incendiary article published in the Tulsa Tribune sparked a confrontation between black and white armed mobs leading to gunfire.
The Black mob retreated to the Greenwood District also known as Black Wall Street- one of the most affluent Black communities in the United States which thrived as the epicenter of Black business and culture.
On June 1, 1921, 35 city blocks were looted and burned to the ground by white rioters with more than 1,000s of houses destroyed, 800 people injured, and an initial 36 deaths reported- historians now believe as many as 300 were killed.
What is social media saying about Tom Hanks' article?
Most of Twitter seems to be commending Tom for his comments on the Tulsa race massacre and the American education curriculum.
Twitter user wrote: "Agree with me or not but if he wasn't already an amazing actor, Tom Hanks would have made an even greater scholar. "
Former New York Times Opinion writer tweeted: "Tom Hanks is still good and doing good, I see."
posted: "Tom Hanks truly is America’s dad. Just when I thought I couldn’t love him even more."
TOM HANKS
But some Twitter users had to mention their one point of contention with the actor- his son Chet.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
User teased: "Tom Hanks is trending with Twitter approval and good wishes .... then we all remember Chet ..."
And joked: "each move tom hanks makes is a way of silently screaming "so sorry about my son chet".
Topics