Group tasked with looking into possible Race Massacre reparations holds first meeting

Kevin Canfield ,  Mike Simons Speaking before the first meeting of the Beyond Apology Commission meeting at City Hall on Friday, Mayor G.T. Bynum encouraged Tulsans to keep an open mind about the process and to participate in it. The commission is charged with making recommendations for possible reparations for those harmed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and in the years after. “The best way for us to determine the path forward for the city of Tulsa is to have Tulsans work together to talk through those different options for us as a community,” Bynum said. “We are at our best as a city when we are engaging in that dialogue, not just when we’re assuming the worst about somebody and refusing to talk.” Bynum used an analogy to address those in the community who might not trust the city or are opposed to the very idea of reparations. “If there were a tornado right now that hit Tulsa, you would see this community immediately move to assist our neighbors who were harmed in that,” Bynum said. “Well, in this case, we have neighbors of ours who lost far more than what you would lose in a tornado, and...