Tulsa Mayor Launches $105M Fund To Repair Massacre Legacy

By Stacy M. Brown
Senior National Correspondent
Black Press USA

After months of denying that there would be cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget bill that would lead to cuts in both programs into the billions of dollars. The budget legislation would represent the largest cut to Medicaid in history if enacted. But the U.S. Senate is expected to make changes to the House version of the bill.

If a large cut to Medicaid does take place, that change is likely to damage the financial health of rural hospitals around the U.S. The Trump Budget, known formally as “HR. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” was a struggle for Republican leadership to confirm votes as hardliners pushed for even deeper cuts to social programs and health care claiming fraud and waste were the reason cuts were needed, though – no evidence of mass fraud or waste were presented.

“Republicans just voted for the largest cuts to health care in American history – cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act. At least 13.7 million will now lose their health care as a result. And why? To pay for tax cuts for billionaires and special interests,” Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), the senior Democrat on the House Budget Committee, wrote after the vote.

“I voted NO because this bill would strip health care from 14 million Americans – including nearly 130,000 people in my district who rely on Medicaid.

(A bridge) that connects what we as a community can bring to the table and what the community needs.”

The Trust will focus on housing, cultural preservation, and economic development. Of the total goal, $24 million will support housing and homeownership in Greenwood and North Tulsa. Another $60 million will go toward building revitalization and the Kirkpatrick Heights Greenwood Master Plan. 

Advertisement

The remaining $21 million, through a Legacy Fund, will support land acquisition, scholarships for descendants, and grants to small businesses and organizations. Nichols said the Trust’s first year will focus on staffing, planning, and launching its initial programs. It will be led by a privately funded executive director and governed by a board of trustees and advisors.

He noted that while city council approval isn’t needed to establish the Trust, any transfer of public land will require a vote. Nichols said he expects support from lawmakers. The Trust is expected to meet its asset goal by June 1, 2026, the 105th anniversary of the massacre. Contributions may include private donations, public funds, and property transfers.

“As we seek to make this framework a reality, I am eager to work alongside my fellow Tulsans and partners across the country to create a fundamental shift in how we further establish generational wealth, housing opportunities, and repair for so many Tulsans,” Nichols said.

Since taking office in December 2024, Nichols has established Tulsa Race Massacre Observance Day, released more than 45,000 historical records, and remains committed to the city’s 1921 Graves Investigation.  His proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes nearly $1 million for excavation work at Oaklawn Cemetery.

Nichols also continues the city’s Community Engagement Genealogy Project, funded in part by a Department of Justice Emmett Till Grant, with ongoing genealogy workshops, cold case training, and a new exhibit at the Greenwood Cultural Center.

“The massacre was hidden from history books, only to be followed by the intentional acts of redlining, a highway built to choke off economic vitality, and the perpetual underinvestment of local, state, and federal governments,” Nichols said. “Now it’s time to take the next big steps to restore.”

Advertisement