Washington Wizards owner wants to raise public awareness of the 1921 case that ended with the death of 36 black citizens in Oklahoma City
The star of Washington Wizards and MVP of the 2016/17 season of NBA, the owner Russell Westbrook announced on Thursday, 18, that it is venturing into other businesses: the field of historical documentaries. The athlete, together with the The History Channel, are producing a documentary about the 1921 Tulsa massacre. The film’s name will be “Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre“. Russell is the executive producer and the direction is with the duo Marco Williams and the Emmy-Award winner, Stanley Nelson. The project is scheduled to air in the spring of 2021 at the station, on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre.
Excited to bring this project to life about such a significant event in American history. Coming this spring to @HISTORY pic.twitter.com/peQQSsjmq8
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) February 18, 2021
The massacre took place between May 31 and June 1, 1921, when crowds of white residents attacked black citizens and their homes and businesses in Tulsa’s Greenwood district, Oklahoma. It was called “the worst incident of racial violence American history ”ending in 36 deaths. It all started because a 19-year-old black man was accused of assaulting a white man in an elevator. The idea of the Westbrook documentary is to look deeply into the events of a century ago and how the impact is still felt today, in the hope of educating millions about the tragedy.
Russell commented that he only found out about the story in 2009, when he arrived at Oklahoma City Thunder, team that he defended for 11 years. “The Tulsa Race Massacre was not something I was taught at school or in any of my history books,” said Westbrook in a statement. “It was only after spending 11 years in Oklahoma that I learned about this deeply disturbing and moving event. This is one of the many forgotten stories of African Americans in this country that deserve to be told. These are the stories that we must honor and expand, so that we can learn from the past and create a better future ”, he added.
