Poll: Oklahomans opposed to paying riot reparations
BY ROB MARTINDALE World Senior Writer
Jan 10, 2000
1/20/13 at 8:17 AM
A majority of Oklahomans are opposed to reparations in any form in connection with
the 1921 Tulsa race riot, a statewide survey shows.
The quarterly Oklahoma Poll found that 57 percent don't think reparations should be
paid, with the strongest support for this view coming from Tulsa.
The Oklahoma Poll of 750 persons statewide was taken by Tulsa Surveys in late
December with a margin of error rate of plus or minus 3.5 percent. The poll is
sponsored by the Tulsa World.
Those surveyed were asked if they felt:
1. Reparations should be paid with tax dollars.
2. Reparations should be paid only if no tax dollars are used.
3. Reparations should be paid at all.
Twelve percent said any reparations should be paid with tax dollars.
The greatest support for this option -- 15 percent of those surveyed -- came from
Oklahoma City. The least support at nine percent came from the more rural areas
outside the state's two major metropolitan areas.
Thirteen percent of Tulsans said they would support the payment of reparations with
tax dollars.
Twenty-six percent of those polled said they would support reparations if no tax
dollars are used.
Only 20 percent of those surveyed in Tulsa agreed with this option, while 29
percent in Oklahoma City and 27 percent in the rest of the state supported it.
While 57 percent statewide
said they didn't believe reparations should be paid at all, the percentage was much
higher in Tulsa where it was 62 percent.
Fifty-two percent in Oklahoma City and 57 percent in the rest of the state felt
reparations shouldn't be paid.
As to political party affiliation, 67 percent of the registered Republicans
surveyed were opposed to reparations compared with 59 percent of the Democrats.
Of those who favored reparations, the favored option was scholarships. No. 2 was a
memorial and No. 3 was in the form
of cash payments.
If reparations were to be made, 42 percent said it should only go to actual
survivors.
Fifty-three percent said reparations should be made available to families of the
victims.
That, said Al Soltow of the University of Tulsa, isn't surprising since there are
few survivors.
Soltow, director of research at the University of Tulsa, said the margin of error
rates for each of the two metropolitan areas and the more rural areas were much
higher than the 3.5 percent statewide rate because the sam
ples were smaller.
Blacks, Soltow added, felt more strongly about reparations than members of other
ethnic groups.
Rob Martindale, World senior writer, can be reached at 581-8367 or via e-
mail at rob.martindale@tulsaworld.com .
