Greenwood’s Last Witnesses Seek Justice for 1921 Tragedy
June 12 (Reuters) – The Oklahoma Supreme Court has dismissed a significant lawsuit from the last known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, who sought reparations for the devastating attack that claimed hundreds of Black lives and obliterated a thriving community.
On Wednesday, the court upheld a previous ruling, stating that the public nuisance law cannot be applied to the historical atrocities and their enduring repercussions. The court acknowledged the grievances but emphasized that resolving such deep-rooted societal issues lies beyond judicial reach.
The 1921 massacre, which saw a white mob decimate Tulsa’s prosperous Greenwood neighborhood—aptly dubbed “Black Wall Street”—left an estimated 300 people dead. Survivors Lessie Benningfield Randle, 109, and Viola Fletcher, 110, along with the late Hughes Van Ellis, pursued the lawsuit, arguing that the massacre inflicted long-term racial and economic harm that persists today.
Justice Dustin Rowe, writing for the majority, recognized the legitimacy of the plaintiffs’ grievances but clarified that the state’s public nuisance statute addresses criminal or property-based issues, not broader social injustices. He suggested that legislative action, rather than court intervention, is necessary to address such deep-seated inequities.
Rowe’s opinion, supported by seven other justices, faced partial dissent from Justice James Edmondson. In response, the plaintiffs’ legal team expressed their intent to seek a reconsideration and urged the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the massacre.
The massacre’s origin traces back to a white woman’s accusation against a Black man, which sparked a violent response, culminating in the destruction of 35 blocks of Greenwood. This tragic event occurred against a backdrop of racial segregation and significant Ku Klux Klan activity in Oklahoma.
As the fight for justice continues, the survivors’ call for acknowledgment and redress remains a poignant reminder of the unresolved scars of America’s racial history.
