A cornerstone event of the Tulsa Race Massacre commemoration in Oklahoma has been abruptly canceled, officials said.
“Remember & Rise” was touted as a headlining occasion featuring the Grammy Award-winning singer John Legend and the influential Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams to mark the 100th anniversary of the destruction of Black Wall Street.
“Due to unexpected circumstances with entertainers and speakers, the Centennial Commission is unable to fulfill our high expectations,” according to The Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission, which was sponsoring the gathering. “We have hopes to reschedule later in this 100th commemorative year. We apologize for the disappointment and any inconvenience caused to ticket holders.”
The Monday event was expected to be one of the highlights of this centennial weekend.
“It’s a big loss. It was something that everyone was looking forward to seeing,” said Colorado resident Rafell Williams, 52, who drove 10 hours back to his native Tulsa for the centennial. He said he tried to purchase tickets for the event but they were sold out in 27 minutes.
“I mean John Legend is a world renowned musician, everyone wanted to get a little taste of his music. Stacey Abrams a big hero for the Black community for the things she’s been doing in Georgia.”
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said he was saddened by the cancellation.
“But the work to honor our neighbors killed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and to build a better city moving forward is bigger than one event on a single night,” he said in a statement. “More than any disappointment over this cancellation, I feel profound gratitude for all the people working so hard to honor the lives lost and the work to be done.”
The commission said other programs including the Friday ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Pathway to Hope at Greenwood and a Monday night candlelight vigil are still scheduled.
The commission will also host a limited preview opening of the Greenwood Rising History Center next week.
May 31 will mark 100 years since a white mob started looting, burning and murdering in Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood, then known as Black Wall Street, killing up to 300 people and displacing thousands more.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
