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Actor Tom Hanks recently learns about Tulsa Race Massacre, questions why

Like many Americans, Tom Hanks recently learned about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

The Academy Award winner wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times last year. In the piece, Hanks wrote about his studies and interest in American history, but never heard about the deadly attack on Black Wall Street.

Now, video of Hanks appearing on the “Another Act” podcast is going viral.

“How is that possible,” said Hanks. “I’ve heard about Custer’s Little Bighorn, I’ve heard about the Alamo, I’ve heard about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, I’ve heard about all kinds of disasters in which people died. But I had never heard of this thing that happened in 1921.”

Hanks said he studied American history throughout grade school, junior college, and for fun as an adult. Still, he never learned about Tulsa’s history.

“It made me mad that some body had somehow made an editorial process of what was appropriate about our own American history,” said Hanks. “It’s doing a disservice to all of America, in order to not point out some very, very, simple, dare I say it, facts.”

Tulsa gained international attention last year as Green Country recognized the centennial of the massacre. There were vigils held in honor of the lives lost, and Tulsans celebrated the opening of Greenwood Rising, a museum dedicated to telling the history of the massacre.

“Nobody alive today is guilty, nobody alive today is to blame for it, except perhaps, the people who said, ‘let’s not talk about that,’” said Hanks.


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