Like many Americans, Tom Hanks recently learned of the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921.
The Oscar winner wrote an op-ed for The New York Times last year. In the article, Hanks wrote about his studies and his interest in American history, but never heard of the deadly attack on Black Wall Street.
Now the video of Hanks appearing on the “Another Act” podcast is going viral.
“How is that possible,” Hanks said. “I’ve heard of Custer’s Little Bighorn, I’ve heard of the Alamo, I’ve heard of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, I’ve heard of all kinds of disasters where people have died. But I never heard of this thing that happened in 1921.”
Hanks said he studied American history in elementary school, middle school, and for fun as an adult. Yet he never learned Tulsa’s history.
“It drove me crazy that a body kind of did an editorial process of what was appropriate about our own American history,” Hanks said. “It’s doing all of America a disservice, so as not to point out some very, very, simple facts, dare I say it.”
Tulsa drew international attention last year when Green Country celebrated the centennial of the massacre. Vigils were held to honor the lives lost, and Tulsans celebrated the opening of Greenwood Rising, a museum dedicated to telling the story of the massacre.
“No one alive today is guilty, no one alive today is to blame for this, except maybe the people who said, ‘let’s not talk about this,'” Hanks said.
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