NBA superstar Russell Westbrook is executive producing a docuseries about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre to mark the 100th anniversary of one of America’s most horrific incidents of racial violence, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Between May 31 and June 1, 1921, over 300 Black Americans were killed and thousands more displaced when their white neighbors burned the Greenwood Distract — then known as Black Wall Street due to it’s prosperity and financial success — to the ground. Westbrook, who currently plays for the Houston Rockets, first learned about the Tulsa Massacre while he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“It’s upsetting that the atrocities that transpired then are still so relevant today,” Westbrook said in a statement. “It’s important we uncover the buried stories of African Americans in this country. We must amplify them now more than ever if we want to create change moving forward.” Westbrook went on to note how often pivotal moments in Black American history are not taught to future generations in an effort to gloss over the racial inequity baked into every facet of American life.
What a Real Descendant of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Thinks of Watchmen
Westbrook’s project, produced by Blackfin, will be one of three upcoming projects about the Tulsa Massacre — the other two will be produced by LeBron James and dream hampton. If you can’t wait an entire year to learn more about the Tulsa Massacre, we’d recommend streaming HBO’s Watchmen, which presented the tragedy and many of the brutal complications that followed.
Black lives matter. Text DEMANDS to 55156 to sign Color of Change’s petition to reform policing, and visit blacklivesmatters.carrd.co for more ways to donate, sign petitions, and protest safely.
Source : TVGuide
