Establishes the Historic Greenwood District-Black Wall Street National Monument in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as part of the National Park System to preserve and interpret the history of the Greenwood District and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, and creates an advisory commission to assist the Secretary of the Interior in managing the monument.
James Lankford
Senator
OK
The "Historic Greenwood District—Black Wall Street National Monument Establishment Act" establishes the Historic Greenwood District-Black Wall Street National Monument in Oklahoma as part of the National Park System to preserve and interpret the history of the Greenwood District and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. It authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land for the monument and enter into cooperative agreements for its management. Additionally, it creates an advisory commission to assist the Secretary in developing and managing the National Monument. The commission will consist of descendants of individuals who lived or worked in Tulsa's Greenwood District in 1921, members with experience in historic preservation, and a member recommended by the Mayor of Tulsa.
This bill lays the groundwork for establishing the Historic Greenwood District-Black Wall Street National Monument in Oklahoma. The goal, according to the text, is to officially recognize and preserve the area tied to the historic Greenwood District, the success of Black Wall Street, and the tragic Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, making it a unit of the National Park System.
The core action here is creating the National Monument itself. This won't happen overnight; the Secretary of the Interior first needs to determine that enough land within the proposed boundary (defined by a specific map referenced in the bill, dated August 2024) has been acquired to make it a manageable park unit. Once that threshold is met, the Secretary will make it official via a notice in the Federal Register. How does the government get the land? The bill allows the Secretary to accept donations, buy land from willing sellers using donated or appropriated funds, or make land exchanges. It also explicitly states that the rights of private property owners within or near the monument boundary are not affected by this Act.
Once established, the monument needs a plan. The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to develop a comprehensive management plan within three years of funding becoming available. This plan will outline how the monument will be run, interpreted, and preserved, following standard National Park Service guidelines.
A key piece is the creation of the Historic Greenwood District-Black Wall Street National Monument Advisory Commission. This 11-member group is tasked with advising the Secretary on developing and managing the monument. Its makeup is notable: 7 members must be descendants of individuals who lived or worked in the Greenwood District in 1921, ensuring a direct link to the community's history. Three members will bring expertise in fields like historic preservation, and one will be recommended by Tulsa's Mayor. This commission is set to operate for 10 years after the monument's establishment, after which it terminates – a detail worth noting for long-term community involvement.