Tulsa, Oklahoma – The Supreme Court of Oklahoma made a significant ruling on Wednesday, dismissing a lawsuit brought forth by the last known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The court’s decision was in response to a plea for reparations by survivors of one of the most horrific incidents of racial violence against Black individuals in American history.
Four years ago, survivors Lessie Benningfield Randle, Viola Fletcher, and Hughes Van Ellis initiated the lawsuit against the city of Tulsa, along with several local and state entities. The lawsuit claimed that these organizations were accountable for a “public nuisance” in 1921, as they failed to protect the Black community from a White mob that inflicted severe damage upon the prosperous Greenwood neighborhood, famously known as Black Wall Street.
Despite the survivors’ efforts, the court ruled against them in the initial filing at the Tulsa district court. The subsequent appeal by the massacre survivors led to the Wednesday decision by the state Supreme Court, which upheld the previous ruling. The state Supreme Court explained that the survivors’ requests for redress due to the “harms flowing from the massacre” did not fall under the state’s “public nuisance” law.
Attorneys representing Fletcher and Randle have expressed their intention to challenge the court’s decision by filing a petition for a reconsideration. They argue that the destruction and devastation resulting from the events of May 31, 1921, should be defined as a public nuisance under Oklahoma law.
The massacre that unfolded on that fateful day in 1921 involved a White mob descending upon Greenwood, indiscriminately targeting Black individuals, and causing extensive destruction. Survivors recounted witnessing the destruction of over 1,200 homes, a Black-owned hospital, numerous Black-owned businesses, churches, and schools. The survivors also reported seeing airplanes dropping turpentine bombs on houses during the chaos.
Furthermore, survivors of the massacre alleged that city law enforcement agencies and the county sheriff’s office played a role in deputizing and arming White individuals to carry out the destruction in the Greenwood District. The lawsuit also claimed that the State National Guard collaborated with the mob in attacking Black residents of Greenwood, while community leaders and massacre victims were wrongfully targeted for prosecution.
Despite the harrowing events of that time, no White individuals were ever arrested or charged in connection to the tragic massacre. In recent years, efforts were made to uncover the truth behind the events of the Tulsa Race Massacre, with a focus on locating possible mass graves. Scientists discovered a mass grave in the city-owned Oaklawn Cemetery in 2020 and have been conducting DNA testing on remains to identify any descendants.
The repercussions of the Tulsa Race Massacre continue to impact the Greenwood community, prompting calls for accountability and justice from survivors and their legal representatives. The journey towards reconciliation and healing from this dark chapter in American history remains ongoing.