CENTER FOR “RACE,” CULTURE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
presents the 2024 Faculty Summer Research Grant Recipient Public Lecture featuring Kristal Brent Zook, PhD
Professor of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations
What a City Council Apology in Tulsa, OK, Tells Us About Race Relations in America Today
In 2021, the international media descended upon Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the centennial anniversary of the 1921 massacre of African American residents of the Greenwood District. It had been called a “riot” for decades, but this was a lie. Now, survivors and descendants, and historical records, indicate that white mobs killed more than 300 African Americans and decimated their community. This presentation looks at the farce of the 2021 Centennial Commission, purportedly created to honor and assist Greenwood survivors; the City Council’s decision to issue a Resolution Apology and subsequent efforts to help secure reparations; and what lies ahead for the community and for remaining descendants and survivors.
Dr. Kristal Brent Zook is an award-winning journalist and author of four books, including the memoir The Girl in the Yellow Poncho, a coming-of-age story about being biracial in America, searching for her missing white father, and finding her authentic identity. In 2023, it was chosen as a favorite book by Vanity Fair, BET, People, Ms., and The Root, and received praise in The New York Times Book Review and Kirkus. A former contributor to The Washington Post and Essence, Dr. Zook’s work on race, women, culture, and social justice has appeared in Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Time, Life, and The Guardian, among other outlets.
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
9:40-11:05 a.m.
Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, First Floor, South Campus
RSVP suggested. Visit events.hofstra.edu to register. This event is free and open to the public.
