Legal Team and Survivors Map Out New Tulsa Reparations Strategy

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GREENWOOD DISTRICT, OKLA. — Viola Fletcher, 110, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, 109, will hold a press conference on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at 11 a.m. Central Time in the Greenwood district, known as Black Wall Street. This event will mark their first public response since the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed their historic lawsuit on June 12. Randle’s and Fletcher’s legal team plan to map out their Tulsa Reparations next-step strategies. The press conference will be live-streamed at justiceforgreenwood.org/stream.

No Justice for Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors

On July 7, 2024, the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit brought by the last two living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Lessie Benningfield Randle and Viola Fletcher. The court ruled that the plaintiffs’ grievances, though legitimate, did not fall under the state’s public nuisance statute or support claims of unjust enrichment. 

The decision, which upheld a 2023 district court ruling, means the plaintiffs’ request for reparations will not proceed. The lawsuit was initially filed in 2020 and aimed to address the long-standing economic and racial disparities resulting from the massacre. The city of Tulsa has stated it remains committed to supporting the Greenwood community through various initiatives.?

Civil rights advocates widely condemned the June 12 decision, which marks another setback in the fight for justice and reparations. The survivors and descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre still seek accountability. Despite the destruction of the thriving Black community by a White mob 103 years ago, no court has ever held a trial to address the massacre. No perpetrator has been held accountable. 

Survivors and Legal Team to Address Next Steps in Quest for Justice and Tulsa Reparations Following Court Dismissal

Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle will speak alongside their lead attorney, Damario Solomon-Simmons. He is the founder and executive director of Justice for Greenwood. Randall Adams, a litigation partner at Schulte Roth & Zabel, will join them. Sara Sofanelli, special counsel for pro bono initiatives at Schulte Roth & Zabel, will also be present. McKenzei Haynes, a litigation associate at Schulte Roth & Zabel, will participate. Tiffany Crutcher, a massacre descendant and executive director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation, will also be there.

The survivors and their legal team will outline their next steps following the court’s dismissal, continuing their quest for justice and reparations. Organizers anticipate that this press conference will draw significant attention. It underscores the ongoing struggle for accountability and redress for the atrocities committed in Tulsa over a century ago.