Biden to become first president to participate in remembrances of Tulsa race massacre
Hundreds of people gathered outside a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the deadliest racist massacre in the US – and President Joe Biden is set to honour the victims later today.
The Tulsa race massacre took place between 31 May and 1 June 1921, when white residents in Tulsa’s Greenwood district attacked black residents and burned down businesses, with estimates of death tolls ranging from dozens to 300.
Earlier, civil rights leaders joined local faith leaders offering prayers outside Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was under construction at the time but largely destroyed during the massacre.
Edna Osborne (centre) holds her head down in prayer outside Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church. Pic AP
Reverend William Barber, a civil rights activist, said he was “humbled even to stand on this holy ground”.
“You can kill the people, but you cannot kill the voice of the blood,” he said.
Although the church was nearly destroyed, worshippers continued to meet in the basement and rebuilt it several years later – becoming a symbol of resilience in Tulsa’s black community.
Among those who spoke at the outdoor ceremony were Democratic representatives Barbara Lee, Lisa Blunt Rochester and Chris Coons.
“We’re here to remember, to mourn, to rebuild equitably,” Ms Rochester said.
A candlelight vigil was held to remember victims of the massacre. Pic AP
As the ceremony came to an end, participants put their hands on the prayer wall along the side of the sanctuary while soloist Santita Jackson sang Lift Every Voice and Sing.
Monday’s activities were supposed to culminate in a headline event at ONEOK Fields, with a performance from John Legend and a keynote speech from voting rights activist Stacey Abrams.
However, the event was cancelled last week after an agreement could not be reached over payments for three survivors of the attack.
Police Sargeant Joel Ward views the Field of Heroes at Centennial Park, which contains empty boots to represent Oklahoma’s fallen service members. Pic AP
Mr Biden will be the first president to be part of the remembrances of what happened in what used to be known as ‘Black Wall Street’. Pic AP
In a statement tweeted on Sunday, Legend did not specifically address the cancellation of the event but said: “The road to restorative justice is crooked and rough – and there is space for reasonable people to disagree about the best way to heal the collective trauma of white supremacy.
“But one thing that is not up for debate – one fact we must hold with conviction – is that the path to reconciliation runs through truth and accountability.”
Estimates of death tolls from the violence range from dozens to 300. Pic: AP
Other events included a joint service at the First Baptist Church of North Tulsa led by Reverend John Faison Sr. Pic AP
Meanwhile, other events included a joint service for the massacre at the First Baptist Church of North Tulsa led by Reverend John Faison Sr on Sunday.
On Monday, the Centennial Commission hosted a candlelight vigil to honour the victims of the massacre, and President Biden is scheduled to visit Tulsa on Tuesday.
He will be the first president to be part of the remembrances of what happened in what used to be known as “Black Wall Street”.
Last October, at least 10 bodies were found in an unmarked mass grave during a search for victims of the massacre.
The discovery of 10 coffins was described as significant by the city’s mayor, GT Bynum, who budgeted $100,000 (£71,000) to find victims after previous searches had failed.
Donald Trump has chosen TV host Dr Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Celebrity heart surgeon Dr Mehmet Oz rose to prominence working on Oprah Winfrey’s leading daytime television show before getting his own long-running series.
But how has he gone from TV personality to Donald Trump’s choice for overseeing a massive government agency?
The 64-year-old, who started out as Professor of Surgery at Columbia University, became a household name during 13 seasons of The Dr Oz Show, which ran from 2009 to 2022.
Dr Oz during a TV appearance in 2012. Pic: AP
He was popular, though his promotion of alternative medicine, faith healing and various paranormal beliefs earned him criticism from a number of medical publications and physicians.
The critics accused him of blurring the lines between medical advice and advertising, failing to make clear to his audience just how closely he worked with the companies he pitched.
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Despite the controversy, Dr Oz’s show was a hit and his net worth sat between $100m (£79m) and $315m (£249m) in 2022, according to a federal financial disclosure he filed that year.
Beyond being an Emmy-winning TV show host, he is also an author of New York Times bestsellers, radio talk show host, founder of a national nonprofit to educate teens about healthy habits, and self-styled ambassador for wellness.
He was also a regular Fox News commentator, and a champion of unproven treatments for COVID including hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug whose use against the disease was also backed by Trump.
Dr Oz holding his Emmy for outstanding talk show host in 2016. Pic: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
He became a fierce critic of Joe Biden’s government during the COVID pandemic, challenging its policies on social media.
Moving into politics
Dr Oz played a lesser part in the first Trump administration from 2016, when he was appointed to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.
But it was in 2022, after his show concluded, when Dr Oz really transitioned into politics by running for US Senate as a Republican in Pennsylvania.
The campaign leaned heavily into his celebrity status, with his campaign logo almost identical to his TV show logo.
Mehmet Oz campaigning for Senate in 2022. Pic: AP
During his campaign rallies, he would talk up his “number one health show in the world,” give the odd piece of medical advice to supporters and spend a lengthy amount of time signing autographs and posing for photos.
Following a court battle that went all the way to the US Supreme Court, Dr Oz narrowly won the primary over Dave McCormick by 951 votes, becoming the Republican candidate, but lost to Democrat John Fetterman in the general election.
His relationship with Trump
Donald Trump stands behind Dr Oz during rally in 2022. Pic: Reuters
The surgeon has had a long, personal relationship with the president-elect spanning back to the early 2000s.
He said in an interview during his Senate campaign that the pair first met in 2004 or 2005, when Dr Oz asked Mr Trump to use his golf course for an event for his children’s charity.
Mr Trump agreed and, after that, they saw each other intermittently at social events before Dr Oz interviewed him about his health during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Mr Trump appeared on his show, where he also said his wife Melania was “a big fan” of the doctor.
The pair then worked together when Mr Trump won the election and put Dr Oz on the President’s Council.
Then in 2022, Mr Trump was integral to Dr Oz’s push for Senate, giving him his eagerly sought-after endorsement.
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“Women, in particular, are drawn to Dr Oz for his advice and counsel. I have seen this many times over the years. They know him, believe in him, and trust him,” Mr Trump said when he first backed him.
“You know when you’re in television for 18 years, that’s like a poll,” added the billionaire, who himself starred on 14 seasons of The Apprentice US.
“That means people like you.”
What will his role be?
If confirmed by the Senate to take the role, Dr Oz would oversee Medicare, Medicaid, children’s health insurance and the Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare”.
The programmes cover more than 160 million people, from new-borns to nursing home residents.
CMS also plays a central role in the nation’s $4.5trn health care economy, setting payment rates for hospitals, doctors, labs and other service providers.
“Dr Oz will be a leader in incentivising disease prevention, so we get the best results in the world for every dollar we spend on healthcare in our great country,” the president-elect said in a statement.
“He will also cut waste and fraud within our country’s most expensive government agency, which is a third of our nation’s healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire national budget.”
Dr Oz said he was “honoured” to be nominated for the role and looked forward to “serving my country to Make America Healthy Again”.
He, like all of Mr Trump’s picks, must be questioned by members of the Senate before it votes on his appointment. Even with the Republicans in control, some of the picks could be blocked.
Americans distraught by the re-election of Donald Trump are being offered an escape route – a €1 house in an Italian village.
Ollolai, on the island of Sardinia, is selling some dilapidated properties for the price of an espresso in an effort to boost its flagging population.
It has launched a web page to try to entice Americans to relocate, asking: “Are you worned out [sic] by global politics? Looking to embrace a more balanced lifestyle while securing new opportunities?
“It’s time to start building your European escape in the stunning paradise of Sardinia.”
The village is in the rural heart of Sardinia but the island’s famous beaches are little more than an hour’s drive away.
Ollolai authorities say a selection of houses for just over a dollar are available and that “many buyers” have already successfully renovated such properties.
Americans who don’t fancy a renovation project can also purchase a house that’s ready to move into, with these going for up to €100,000 (£83,000).
The village also promises expats will get help “finding contractors and navigating the necessary bureaucracy” as part of a fast-track procedure to get set up.
The exact state of the €1 “fixer-upper” properties is unclear as pictures haven’t yet been added to the site, though Ollolai promises these are coming soon.
Ollolai centre. Pic: Google Street View
Mayor Francesco Columbu told CNN the site was created specially after Donald Trump‘s convincing win in the presidential election left some Americans worried about the future of the country.
“We just really want, and will focus on, Americans above all,” said the mayor.
“We can’t of course ban people from other countries to apply, but Americans will have a fast-track procedure.
“We are betting on them to help us revive the village, they are our winning card.”
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Mr Columbu said the site had already received nearly 40,000 requests for information.
It’s not the first time Ollolai has offered such a deal – it launched the same bargain-basement property offer in 2018.
It is hoping to reverse a decline that has seen its population fall from 2,250 to about 1,300 in the last half century as young people move to bigger towns and cities.
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