Equity Lab: It’s been 100 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre. Why you should learn the story
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It’s Wednesday, June 2, 2021
My name is Marcus D. Smith, I’m the Black communities reporter for The Equity Lab.
Sac-town! Did you feel that triple-digit weather on Monday? I believe it was a record for a May day. It’s only getting hotter and hotter in Sacramento, needless to say, summer is around the corner for us.
It’s that time of year again where, if you have slacked on your New Year’s Day resolution to get in shape, well this is the time where you pick it back up. I know I fall under that category. I worked out for the first time in a very long time last evening — I even posted it on my Instagram story.
I tweeted that I’m starting a 30-day challenge of working out every day, whether it’s a workout or a mile run.
With fitness goals back into relevancy and the city on the brink of opening again, I spoke with local fitness trainer, Alphonso James, founder of Diamond Chest Fitness, to discuss those summer goals for people and how the industry took a toll during the height of the pandemic.
Note: This interview was edited for clarity purposes
Q: Tell me how everything’s going, how’s business? It’s [almost] summertime, that’s always a good time for trainers, especially with COVID restrictions being lifted soon.
A: Much better. COVID was dark for personal trainers, and made us feel like we were invaluable. The fact that people are now more capable of getting out, and with vaccines out, people are more comfortable. And there’s a growing need for personal trainers now — I’ve been grateful to stay training throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q: What programs are you working on for the summer?
A: I run a kids physical education program. I teach them how to lose weight and the importance of understanding carbs, fats and proteins. I want children to know the difference between processed sugar and natural sugar. I’d rather you eat strawberries than to go drink soda, things like that. We’re making it into an educational program where the kids go home with a binder and have homework.
Q: What would you say to those who are trying to lose weight this summer or obtain a body goal?
A: The biggest way to retool your fitness goals are to first break your goals into smaller, achievable goals. We have to break it into smaller goals. I need to take you two, three months goals and break it into weekly goals or daily goals. Don’t just look for the quick fix, because you’re going to find yourself in the endless cycle of every summer trying to lose weight.
Here’s what else you need to know this week:
Must-Read Stories
NEGRO LEAGUE 100TH ANNIVERSARY:
Todd Sullivan, the head coach of the Cosumnes River College baseball team, organized an exhibition baseball game at Sutter Health Park to commemorate Negro League Baseball and its 100-year anniversary. Nearly 400 people attended the game, which featured 80-degree weather, sunshine, and a slight breeze from the wind. Parents and kids were smiling in the stands, coaches were having a good time, and the players enjoyed themselves.
HOW JAPANESE AMERICANS WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II ARE BEING HONORED:
On June 5, Sacramento’s California Museum will host a virtual stamp release dedication ceremony to celebrate its release and the Japanese American men and women who served and sacrificed during WWII. U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, who was born in an internment camp, is among the scheduled speakers.
NEW BLACK LIVES MATTER MONUMENT:
A new Black Lives Matter monument, featuring the names of 407 unarmed Black people who were killed by police from across the nation, was unveiled in McClatchy Park in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood on Saturday.
More Interesting Reads
How a Sacramento ‘Buy Nothing’ Facebook group helped a community thrive in 2020 | The Sacramento Bee
West Nile-positive mosquitoes detected in Sacramento County, officials say | The Sacramento Bee
Photos show Black gun owners marching on Tulsa’s Black Wall Street | Vice News
Actor Ellie Kemper is under fire after photos of her being crowned queen of a “racist and elitist” ball resurfaced | Buzzfeed News
What we’re watching (and you should, too!)
While everyone celebrated Memorial Day for fallen veterans, the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma had their own day of remembrance.
Monday marked 100 years since the race massacre affecting over 10,000 Black lives in the Greenwood District known as “Black Wall Street.” I wrote a story on Sacramento’s version of a Black Wall Street with Florin Square — it was inspired by what was built in Tulsa.
The History Channel premiered the highly anticipated documentary “Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre,” which was executive produced by NBA superstar and philanthropist Russell Westbrook.
Here’s a quick backstory for those that don’t know or watch sports but happen to be reading this.
Westbrook played professional basketball in Oklahoma City from 2008-2019. He has said in interviews that the Tulsa Race Massacre is hardly discussed.
I have a good friend and colleague from college who is from Oklahoma, and he told me the same thing in a text conversation.
“As far as it being a part of the curriculum — essentially no. I remember seeing a small paragraph in one of my Oklahoma history textbooks. That was it, I went to Booker T Washington, the original school was on Greenwood,” he said.
When I watched the documentary — it’s about an hour-and-a-half long — I was immediately outraged. The undeniable wealth that Black entrepreneurs built was destroyed and stripped from them. They owned hotels, banks, restaurants and homes to name a few.
The Greenwood District was an affluent Black neighborhood, which would have turned into generational wealth for Black residents in that area and probably around the country.
Their neighborhood of over 35 blocks was dismantled and blown to pieces with hardly any remains to show for it.
It’s a piece of history that further doubles down on why the support for Black businesses is crucial, let alone the discussion for reparations.
“Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre” premiered on the History Channel on Sunday — however it is available through the History channel app. If you really want to watch it, I’m sure you can find it on YouTube.
— Marcus D. Smith
Where to find us
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Thank you for reading, and we will see you again next week!
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This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 2:48 PM.