The Reminder

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Amid all of the historical markers on the sidewalk in the Greenwood section of Tulsa that was known as Black Wall Street, the memorials in the park, and the state historical marker, there’s one thing that drives home the agony of May 31, 1921 better than any plaque can. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. The painting of the riot’s toll, near the Oklahoma State - Tulsa campus and the Vernon AME Church, is a vivid description of what happened. A woman holds her dead loved one in the foreground, while behind her the chaos reigns as others run while buildings burn. Most painful is a disinterested National Guard troop to the left of the painting. The painting was done by Michael Rosato, who has done a number of other works (including the popular one of Harriet Tubman, Take My Hand). It’s painful, haunting, and exactly what needs to be said…because words just don’t suffice.