TULSA, Okla. — The Justice for Greenwood Foundation hosted a press conference Thursday, ahead of its court hearing on Monday.
Ultimately, they're pushing for a fix for what they call ongoing problems stemming from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
"I'm hopeful," said Damario Solomon-Simmons, founder of the Justice for Greenwood Foundation.
"As long as my survivors are there saying let's do this, we have an opportunity."
Damario Solomon-Simmons is gearing up to argue why Justice for Greenwood should be allowed to move forward with the lawsuit against the city of Tulsa, Tulsa County, and other government entities. Dozens of people gathered inside the Greenwood Cultural Center on Thursday to show their support ahead of what they call a historic hearing.
“We are saying the massacre created a public nuisance and that public nuisance spawned additional nuisances that continue to this day,” said Solomon-Simmons.
He says the lawsuit ultimately is about improving the lives of people who live in north Tulsa.
“We want the opportunity to prove exactly what happened during the massacre, to prove the nuisances that the massacre created and continues, and to prove and to show what can be done to abate, to fix, to eradicate the nuisances so people's lives in north Tulsa can improve,” he said.
There’s a motion to dismiss the case from the defendants. Justice for Greenwood is arguing against the motion to dismiss Monday.
District 1 City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper says this lawsuit means a lot to the community she represents.
“We have to be honest about the ramifications and the remedies moving forward in all levels in the policy arena which I serve, as well as in the courtroom, and in the judicial system. All of these arenas are important to move forward and to really make progress in this city,” said Hall-Harper.
Justice for Greenwood is asking the community interested in "justice and reparations" to show up in support at the Tulsa County Courthouse at 1:30 Monday afternoon. They’re hoping the judge will allow them to move forward with the case.
“The community can be heard as far as what happened in 1921 and ultimately resolve it with justice with a decision that says a wrong was done and there are remedies to correct it, to abate it, to make right,” said Hall-Harper.
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