John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation Condemns Racist Imagery and Reaffirms Commitment to Truth and Dignity
(TULSA, OK – February 16, 2026) In response to the racist imagery posted on social media of President and Mrs. Obama at the beginning of Black History Month 2026 the following is important to note. While such rhetoric and symbolism denigrate all Americans, they are particularly painful and dangerous for the Black community, as they reinforce racist tropes that generations have struggled, often at great personal cost, to confront and dismantle. These are images and ideas we have no desire to see resurrected or normalized.
History teaches us that racist imagery is never benign. It does not exist in isolation. It functions as a signal that legitimizes racist thought and, more troublingly, creates the conditions in which racist action can follow. The Tulsa Race Massacre stands as a stark and tragic reminder of this reality. Long before homes were burned and lives were taken, dehumanizing narratives and imagery laid the groundwork for violence. The Massacre did not begin with fire; it began with permission granted by silence and unchecked spread of racist ideas. It is precisely because we know this history that moments such as this demand moral clarity. Silence risks acquiescence, and acquiescence risks the erosion of hard-won progress.
The John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, whose mission is rooted in the belief that honest engagement with history is essential to building a more just and unified future. The Center exists not to inflame division, but to confront truth, generate trust, and create space for constructive dialogue grounded in scholarship, and shared humanity.
Social media is a platform that functions as a powerful bullhorn. When it amplifies racist imagery or symbolism, it tests the resolve of institutions and leaders committed to justice, truth, and responsible stewardship of the public good. This moment calls not for partisan reaction, but for a principled response that rejects dehumanization while affirming our collective responsibility to one another.
In the spirit of Dr. John Hope Franklin, the Center remains committed to the difficult but necessary work of reconciliation. Reconciliation does not mean avoiding or erasing harm; it means confronting history honestly, naming injustice, and choosing to move toward common ground with dignity and respect, even amid efforts to deny it. Through education, dialogue, and dedicated community engagement, we continue to pursue reconciliation that leads to growth, mutual understanding, and genuine progress that promotes social harmony.
This is such a moment. We are called to reaffirm our values, not in anger, but in resolve, not in division, but in defense of human dignity. By doing so, we honor the legacy of Dr. Franklin and the enduring mission of the Center: to learn from the past, confront the present with courage, and help build a future rooted in reconciliation, growth, and shared progress.
Respectfully,
Michael Pegues, President
JHFC-Board of Directors
Reuben Gant
JHFC-Executive Director