During a MahoganyBooks event at National Harbor, Dr. Greg Carr and featured author and civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons discussed his first book, *Redeem a Nation*. Solomon-Simmons revealed that he learned about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre only while in college, highlighting the long-standing “conspiracy of silence” surrounding this historical event. He detailed the violence, destruction, and aftermath of the massacre, which included internment camps, rebuilding restrictions, a lack of services, and subsequent urban renewal.
He connected the concept of reparations to Black self-determination, drawing on his Black Creek ancestry. Solomon-Simmons emphasized the significance of the 1866 Creek treaty that granted citizenship to Creeks of African descent and recognized the contributions of Black Creeks in establishing Greenwood. He also shared his legal struggles, the mentorship he received from Bryan Stevenson, and insights from major law firms.
Additionally, Solomon-Simmons outlined the "Think Greenwood" principles, which focus on community love, a freedom mindset, ownership, wealth circulation, and willful resilience. During the audience Q&A session, topics included ways to support Justice for Greenwood, the importance of preserving history, and finding hope for the future.
Takeaways:
- The author explains learning of the 1921 Tulsa Greenwood massacre late in life because of an official conspiracy of silence.
- The speakers detail atrocities, mass destruction, missing people, and post‑massacre repression, including internment camps and denial of services.
- The author links Greenwood's origins to Black Creeks and the 1866 treaty that granted citizenship and land rights to people of African descent in the Creek Nation.
- The authors recount systemic erasure tactics including deleted newspaper pages, threats to researchers, gentrification, discriminatory rebuilding laws, and municipal neglect that obstructed restitution for decades.
- The author describes the legal strategy and alliances with mentors, public interest lawyers, and national law firms to pursue reparations litigation.
- The author outlines the Think Greenwood reparations principles: community love, a freedom mind state, ownership, wealth circulation, and willful resilience.
- The speakers call for concrete support now: join Justice for Greenwood, aid genealogy and legacy protection, preserve physical books, and press for durable legal recognition and local ordinance.