The families of the last living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre met with federal detectives from the Department of Justice’s Cold Case Unit the week of Oct. 14, seeking justice and accountability. The meeting marks the first-ever federal review of the massacre that destroyed the Black community of Greenwood, also known as “Black Wall Street.”
Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, both over 100 years old, are the last known living survivors of the massacre. While they could not attend the meeting, their attorney, Damario Solomon-Simmons, along with their family members, urged the DOJ to pursue a full investigation.
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“Everyone wants actual accountability for the massacre,” Solomon-Simmons said. “They want those who perpetrated this harm that started in 1921 and continues to today, to be held accountable.”
The DOJ launched the review under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, which allows the reopening of civil rights cases before 1979. The attack began after a Black teenager, Dick Rowland, was falsely accused of assaulting a white woman, leading to two days of destruction and death as a white mob burned and looted the prosperous Black neighborhood.
The Tulsa Race Massacre is alleged to have been heavily suppressed in American history education, with many citing first learning about it just recently in an episode of HBO’s ‘Watchmen’ series.
In a joint statement read by Solomon-Simmons, the survivors’ families emphasized that secrets about the massacre remain hidden in unshared documents and records. They expressed hope that the DOJ’s review will reveal the full extent of the massacre and the plot to destroy Greenwood.
“This community will never stop fighting for reparations,” Solomon-Simmons said, echoing the families’ demands for restitution.
FAMILIES OF THE LAST LIVING SURVIVORS OF THE 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE ARE CALLING FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY, MORE THAN A CENTURY AFTER THE VIOLENT DESTRUCTION OF TULSA’S GREENWOOD DISTRICT, ONCE KNOWN AS “BLACK WALL STREET.” THIS WEEK, THEY MET WITH DETECTIVES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE’S COLD CASE UNIT AS PART OF A NEWLY LAUNCHED FEDERAL REVIEW OF THE MASSACRE.
BOTH SURVIVORS, VIOLA FLETCHER AND LESSIE BENNINGFIELD RANDLE ARE OVER 100 YEARS OLD. ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT PRESENT AT THE MEETING, THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR ATTORNEY, DAMARIO SOLOMON-SIMMONS, VOICED DEMANDS FOR A FULL INVESTIGATION.
Damario Solomon-Simmons. National Civil Rights Attorney
“For the first time in 103 years… the department of justice came to tulsa, in relation to the tulsa race massacre”
“It is very clear from everyone they met with over the last 48 hours… including the survivors… that everyone wants a full investigation. Everyone wants actual accountability for the massacre. They want those who perpetrated this harm that started in 1921 and continues to today, to be held accountable.”
THE SURVIVORS’ FAMILIES HAVE LONG FOUGHT FOR REPARATIONS, BUT IN JULY, THE OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT DISMISSED THEIR LAWSUIT, WHICH SOUGHT COMPENSATION FOR THE LIVES, HOMES AND BUSINESSES DESTROYED BY THE MOB IN 1921. NOW, THEY ARE TURNING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS MARKS THE FIRST TIME THE DOJ HAS LAUNCHED A FULL REVIEW OF THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE AND THE FAMILIES BELIEVE THIS IS A CRUCIAL STEP TOWARD THE TRUTH BEING REVEALED.
THE MASSACRE BEGAN MAY 31, 1921, AFTER A BLACK TEENAGER NAMED DICK ROWLAND WAS ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING A WHITE WOMAN IN AN ELEVATOR. ALTHOUGH THE CLAIM WAS NEVER SUBSTANTIATED, IT SPARKED AN EXPLOSION OF RACIAL VIOLENCE. ARMED MOBS DESCENDED ON GREENWOOD, LOOTING AND BURNING THE COMMUNITY, KILLING AN ESTIMATED 300 BLACK RESIDENTS. DESPITE THE SCALE OF THE VIOLENCE, NO ONE WAS EVER HELD ACCOUNTABLE. NOW, OVER 100 YEARS LATER, THE DOJ IS DIGGING INTO THE DETAILS OF THIS TRAGEDY.
THE REVIEW COMES AFTER THE DEPARTMENT INVOKED THE EMMETT TILL UNSOLVED CIVIL RIGHTS CRIME ACT, WHICH ALLOWS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REOPEN CIVIL RIGHTS CASES, INCLUDING THOSE INVOLVING RACIAL VIOLENCE BEFORE 1979. LIKE THAT CASE, THE DOJ SAYS IT HAS NO EXPECTATION THAT THERE ARE LIVING PERPETRATORS WHO CAN BE PROSECUTED, BUT IT DOES HOPE THIS PROCESS WILL BRING JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS’ FAMILIES AND A RECKONING WITH HISTORY.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M KARAH RUCKER.
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