Stecklein: Tulsa Race Massacre petition drive begs the question

Each year, Oklahoma leaders seem content to let June pass by without ordering our states’ flags be lowered in remembrance of one of the worst acts of racial violence in our nation’s history : the Tulsa Race Massacre .

In fact, for at least the past decade, a review of state records shows governors haven’t typically issued executive orders requiring flags be lowered to half-staff to commemorate the anniversary of the attack, including during the 100th anniversary events in 2021 that drew thousands to Tulsa.

The omission feels purposeful. Oklahoma officials lower flags frequently to memorialize the fallen of Sept. 11, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Pearl Harbor attack, the Vietnam War, Peace Officers Memorial Day and for federal holidays such as Veterans Day and Memorial Day. We, a