Sen. Matthews announces selection of project director for the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission

State Sen. Kevin Matthews, Chair of the 1921 Race Massacre Centennial Commission, announced Friday that Tulsan Phil Armstrong had been chosen to serve as project director. The Commission will facilitate actions, activities, and events that commemorate and educate citizens in Oklahoma and throughout the nation about the history surrounding the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in an area that was once known as the nation’s Black Wall Street.

The Commission named Armstrong after a detailed selection process from a pool of 28 applicants, with five finalists appearing before a panel consisting of the Commission’s sub-committee chairs for in-depth personal interviews.

“As project director, Phil will work with the Commission, its subcommittees and key Greenwood District organizations to execute plans for the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre,” Matthews said. “I’m very pleased with Phil’s selection and I know he will do an excellent job on behalf of the Commission.”

Matthews said Armstrong has a varied background in the corporate sector and as an entrepreneur in the restaurant business. A native of Ohio, Armstrong has made Tulsa his home for more than 20 years and has been actively engaged in the community by serving on several non-profit boards, including the Barthelmes School for Music, Community Service Council, Reading Partners of Tulsa and as chairman of the board for the Greenwood Cultural Center. Armstrong holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Akron. A gifted vocalist, Armstrong also sings for several events and organizations in the Tulsa metro, including performing the National Anthem for the Tulsa Drillers and Tulsa Roughnecks home games.