Tulsa Theater Hangs 'Black Lives Matter' Banner to Distance Itself From Racist History

According to Tulsa World, Tulsa Theater has hung a large "Black Lives Matter" banner on the side of its building.

The banner was unveiled on Thursday morning, and the ceremony included representatives of Tulsa's Black Lives Matter chapter.

"We have seen a detachment from hate, from racism, and we are seeing allyship with Black Lives Matter and that's huge for us today," Rev. Mareo Johnson said. "It is a monumental, special, important day."

The theater's owner, Peter Mayo, said that they want to distance themselves from the racism-related history in the city, specifically the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, when the theater was used as a detention center. The venue used to be named for W. Tate Brady, an early Tulsa businessman with Ku Klux Klan connections. The name was changed in 2018.

"It is part of history," Mayo said. "You can't deny history. But the Tulsa Theater is going to do everything it can to be distanced away from that and to start a new chapter."

"The Tulsa Theater is in support of application of laws for all individuals, all Americans - the uniform application of laws, not just for some, not different for different people," Mayo said. "We want the policing and the laws to be uniformly applied to everyone."

The banner will be illuminated by LED lighting at night, and will remain on the theater for one week. It will return next year for the 100th anniversary of the race massacre.

Read more on Tulsa World.