TULSA, Okla. — The two remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre will appear in court for what could be the final time April 2 at the state capitol.
Carnage spanning the entirety of the once vibrant Black Wall Street has shaped much of the lives of Mother Lessie Benningfield Randle and Mother Viola Ford Fletcher, both age 109.
Mobs of white Tulsans killed hundreds in the Greenwood District and left thousands wounded, homeless, or both.
To this day, no person or entity has received compensation or reparations of any kind from the City of Tulsa specifically for the destruction.
Janean, a Charlotte, North Carolina, resident visiting Tulsa, decided to spend her Easter evening learning about the district's legacy.
"When I looked at all the plaques that were on the street, this was definitely a thriving community in the past," said Janean, who preferred not to give her last name.
"Doing what they could do within the constraints of segregation, and then that was just totally destroyed in the 1920s because of hate."
The survivors' attorneys allege the City of Tulsa should be held responsible for their trauma and pay reparations.
Hughes "Uncle Red" Van Ellis advocated directly to Washington lawmakers in 2021.
"We aren't just black and white pictures on a screen. We are flesh and blood," Van Ellis said.
Uncle Red told Congress he didn't want to die without receiving the justice he sought. He passed away last November without making a final appearance in front of the state supreme court.
Tuesday, the remaining survivors will get their chance.
Justices on the bench agreed to hear arguments after reviewing the lawyers' brief filed in August, just weeks after a district judge in Tulsa County sided with the city and dismissed the suit with prejudice.
"This is it. This is the last opportunity," Senior Attorney for the survivors Damario Solomon-Simmons told 2 News in October 2023. The good news is the Oklahoma Supreme Court has the chance and they have the power. They can do it."
Janean said she thinks the survivors deserve justice, too, even if it comes almost 103 years later.
"I really feel that they should get restitution for the damage that was done."
The arguments are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the state supreme court chambers.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
