Tulsa Race & Reconciliation

About the Week

In 1830, the “Indian Removal Act” was signed by President Andrew Jackson, pushing 60,000 indigenous communities, including the Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Choctaw, and Chickasaw, off their lands in the Southeastern United States. These communities walked hundreds of miles to what is now Oklahoma on what is known as the Trail of Tears. In the early 1900s, the Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa was home to one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States. But in 1921, over 1400 Black businesses and homes were burned and an estimated 300 people died during the Tulsa Race Massacre. Tulsa Race and Reconciliation weeks are centered around a justice-focused biblical curriculum based on Luke and Matthew. Weeks are heavily education centered, although youth will have some opportunities to serve with local ministries and social service organizations. Youth will look back at the history of racism in order to understand why and how to address racism today and into the future. Youth will learn about types of racism, about differences between equity and equality, and about the racial wealth gap. Groups will have an opportunity to plan how they can work toward racial justice in their own communities. *Tulsa Race & Reconciliation weeks are intense and cover painful events in American history. Groups that participate in Race & Reconciliation weeks should have engaged in preliminary anti-racism conversations prior to the trip. The week is most appropriate for youth who have completed grades 8-12, but mixed groups with a small number of 6th and 7th graders are welcome. Cost is $375 per participant and includes: • Breakfast and Lunch, Monday morning through Friday morning. (Dinners are on your own.) • Lodging in a local church • A dedicated Site-Coordinator & trained young adult staff to facilitate your week • Fully planned service and educational experiences • Honorariums for speakers, costs for activities, entrance fees • A t-shirt for each participant • Printed discussion guides for small groups • Online consultation with Be the Neighbor planning staff in the spring • Online training for your adult leaders in late May or early June Note that your group is responsible for transportation during the week.