TULSA, Okla. (AP) 鈥� The commission formed to observe the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre announced Friday that it had booted Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt from his seat on the panel a week after he signed a bill outlawing the teaching of some race and racism concepts in public schools.
A statement from the commission did not indicate the reason for the parting, and a spokeswoman said the commission had no further comment. However, commission project manager Phil Armstrong this week had sharply criticized the Republican governor for that prohibits the teaching of so-called critical race theory in Oklahoma schools.
鈥淭he 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commissioners met Tuesday and agreed through consensus to part ways with Governor Stitt,鈥� the commission's statement said.
It went on to say that while the commission 鈥渋s disheartened to part ways with Governor Stitt, we are thankful for the things accomplished together.鈥� It also said, 鈥淣o elected officials, nor representatives of elected officials, were involved in this decision.鈥�
The Republican governor was informed of his ouster only when the commission issued its statement, said Stitt spokeswoman Carly Atchison.
Stitt鈥檚 role 鈥渉as been purely ceremonial and he had not been invited to attend a meeting until this week,鈥� her statement said.
The commission was formed to organize events for the anniversary of the massacre that occurred May 31 and June 1 in 1921. A white mob killed an estimated 300 people and wounded 800 while burning 30 blocks of Black-owned businesses and homes and neighborhood churches in Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood, also known as 鈥淏lack Wall Street.鈥� Planes were even used to drop explosives on the area, burning it to the ground.
Armstrong said the commission was 鈥済ravely disappointed鈥� that neither Stitt nor a representative chose to attend a meeting Monday night to discuss the signing of the GOP-backed legislation on "critical race theory,鈥� which examines systemic racism and how race influences U.S. politics, legal systems and society. Among the concepts that are prohibited are that individuals, by virtue of race or gender, are inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Armstrong had said Stitt鈥檚 signing of the bill on May 7 was 鈥渄iametrically opposite to the mission of the Centennial Commission and reflects your desire to end your affiliation.鈥�
Atchison decried the commission's move in her statement Friday.
鈥淚t is disappointing to see an organization of such importance spend so much effort to sow division based on falsehoods and political rhetoric two weeks before the centennial and a month before the commission is scheduled to sunset," her statement said.
Another member of the commission, state Rep. Monroe Nichols of Tulsa, resigned from the panel Tuesday over Stitt鈥檚 signing of the bill, saying it 鈥渃ast an ugly shadow on the phenomenal work done over the last five years.鈥�
The commission has to remember the 1921 massacre and memorialize its victims. are 鈥淕reenwood: An American Dream Destroyed,鈥� a presentation that wraps a monthlong run this weekend, and 鈥淕reenwood Rising: The Black Wall Street History Center," which is scheduled to be unveiled June 2.
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Wallace reported from Dallas.
Sean Murphy And Terry Wallace, The Associated Press
