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Westbrook to executive-produce Tulsa race massacre docuseries

Cato Cataldo / National Basketball Association / Getty

Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook is partnering with documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson and producer Blackfin on a documentary series surrounding the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, according to Will Thorne of Variety.

The series, titled "Terror in Tulsa: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street," will explore an incident in Oklahoma in which mobs of white people attacked and destroyed a predominantly black neighborhood in Tulsa over an 18-hour period. It is "believed to be the single worst incident of racial violence in American history," according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Westbrook will serve as the series' executive producer. He says he felt inspired to help produce the project due to his long history in Oklahoma with the Thunder.

"Spending 11 years in Oklahoma opened my eyes to the rich and sordid history of the state," he said in a statement. "When I learned about the heartbreaking events that happened in Tulsa nearly 100 years ago, I knew this was a story I wanted to tell.

"It's upsetting that the atrocities that transpired then, are still so relevant today. It's important we uncover the buried stories of African-Americans in this country. We must amplify them now more than ever if we want to create change moving forward."

SpringHill Entertainment, the production company founded by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, is also producing a documentary on the 1921 massacre.

Westbrook is one of several NBA stars who have protested against racial injustice in the United States following the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25.

On Sunday, Westbrook was joined by San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan at a peaceful march in Compton, California.

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