T. D. Evans
15th Mayor of Tulsa
In office
1920–1922
Preceded byC. H. Hubbard
Succeeded byHerman Frederick Newblock
Tulsa Municipal Court Judge
In office
May 1917 – 1920

T. D. Evans was an American lawyer, judge, and the Mayor of Tulsa during the Tulsa race massacre.

Biography

Evans was appointed municipal judge for the city of Tulsa in May 1917 and was the judge who oversaw the Tulsa Outrage.[1]

Evans campaigned for Mayor of Tulsa in 1920 on a single issue platform: approve the Spavinaw Water Project.[2] He was considered a compromise candidate, having previously served as municipal judge.[3]

T. D. Evans was the Mayor of Tulsa from 1920 to 1922.[4] He was mayor during the 1921 Tulsa race massacre.[5] After the massacre, he blamed it on a "negro uprising" and advocated for building a railroad and rail station in the Greenwood District.[6][7]

There is conflicting reporting on Evans party affiliation with the Tulsa World reporting he was a Republican[2] and The Black Wall Street Times reporting he was a Democrat.[5]

References

  1. ^ Hopkins, Randy (22 August 2023). "Birthday of the Klan: The Tulsa Outrage of 1917". CfPS. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b Staff Reports (1 November 2022). "Search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre burials yields more unmarked graves". Tulsa World. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  3. ^ Krehbiel, Randy (31 May 2020). "Tulsa Race Massacre: Key figures in 1921". Tulsa World. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Gallery of Mayors". City of Tulsa. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  5. ^ a b Osborne, Deon (29 May 2021). "Tulsa County Democrats call out racism within party's past and present, supports reparations". The Black Wall Street Times. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  6. ^ Luckerson, Victor (28 July 2023). "Everything They Owned Burned, and They Still Can't Get Restitution 102 Years Later" (Opinion). The New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  7. ^ "The Case for Reparations in Tulsa, Oklahoma | Human Rights Watch". Human Rights Watch. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2024.


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