Homeland Security warns Tulsa events could be targeted by white supremacists: report

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned that events associated with the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre over the next few days could be targeted by white supremacists, a source familiar with the issue told CNN on Thursday.

The source told the news outlet that a bulletin issued to the department said the events “probably are attractive targets for some racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist-white supremacists to commit violence.”

There are no specific or credible reports of planned attacks for the anniversary at this time, and the memo was a routine analysis for prominent events, a DHS official said Friday morning.

“The Department of Homeland Security is committed to sharing information with our partners to ensure the safety and security of all communities across the country. DHS encourages the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to local and state law enforcement, and the FBI,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement Friday.

In 1921, white mobs took to the streets in Tulsa, burning down Black-owned businesses and killing as many as 300 people on what was known as Black Wall Street — a section of town called the Greenwood District. The harrowing event became know as the Tulsa Race Massacre.

May 31 marks the 100th anniversary of the tragic event.

There are several events set for the anniversary.

President Biden will also be going to Oklahoma next week for the anniversary.

The oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Fletcher, testified before Congress last week about her memories from the event.

“I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home,” she said. “I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lining the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams.”

Updated on Friday at 12:33 p.m.