Library Of Congress Officially Changes 1921 Tulsa Race ‘Riot’ Heading To Massacre

For the past century, the Library of Congress has described the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre as a race “riot,” but on Monday they made the change to “massacre” official.

Historians and educators said the change in language from riot to massacre is a much better reflection of what really happened a century ago.

Lincoln Cochran is a Tulsa Public Schools educator and the creator of the 'Faces of Greenwood timeline experience.' The exhibit displays pictures and newspaper clippings from the past, showing how different the conversation around the massacre was 100 years ago.

"What happened here was so much more than a riot, it was a massacre," Cochran said. "There are points in history where things are named or referred to or phrased in a way that reflected the time and it does not reflect the reality of the situation."

Times have changed and Cochran said our knowledge of the events now more accurately portrays a massacre than a riot. Historians at the Greenwood Cultural Center and the University of Oklahoma agree. They say the difference matters.

A release sent by the task force of professors, archivists, and educators details what it took for the university to convince the Library of Congress to make the change.

"The updated subject heading will be used in library catalogs in the U.S. and internationally," task force member Todd Fuller said.

That means generations of students across the world will get a more accurate look at history when searching the term 'Tulsa Race Massacre.'

"In making this small but significant shift, the Library of Congress is helping to bring forward a more historically accurate perspective of what actually occurred," Chair of OU's Clara Luper Department of African and African American Studies Karlos Hill said.

Cochran encourages everyone to learn more about this history and said you can visit his exhibit every Saturday and Sunday.