After his speech in Tulsa, Biden met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who brought up the need for H.R. 40, which would create a commission to study reparations. According to those involved in the conversations, Biden let them down gently.
President Joe Biden listens as he is introduced to speak to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, at the Greenwood Cultural Center, Tuesday, June 1, 2021, in Tulsa, Okla. | Evan Vucci/AP PhotoJoe Biden was more blunt about racism than perhaps any president before him — and than many in the crowd expected — in his remarks commemorating 100 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday.
As a candidate, Biden said he supported a commission on reparations. But the administration has yet to endorse the actual bill. After his speech Tuesday, the president met with the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who brought up the need for H.R. 40, which is named after the “40 acres and a mule” promise that now symbolizes the lack of support formerly enslaved people received from the federal government. According to those involved in the conversations, Biden let them down gently.
For the nearly all-Black crowd inside the cultural center, which included the three remaining survivors of the massacre, descendants, local leaders and activists, the Tulsa speech was a milestone. They watched and clapped as Biden went into detail about the massacre and drew a throughline to issues Black people still face today.
“Look, it was not in the speech, but he was gracious enough to be here. He was gracious enough to take the steps. He was open to the conversation. A lot more than I can say for some folks,” Goodwin said. Last year, Heath published a report on reparations for survivors of the massacre, saying it could and should serve as a test case for any larger federal reparations study or program.
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