Oklahoma Judge Dismisses Reparations Lawsuit for Tulsa Race Massacre
An Oklahoma judge dismissed the lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, delivering a blow to the survivors’ quest for legal justice. Judge Caroline Wall of Tulsa County District Court issued an order dismissing the lawsuit with prejudice. Three survivors of the attack brought legal action – Lessie Benningfield Randle, Viola Fletcher, and Hughes Van Ellis – all over 100 years old. They filed the lawsuit in 2020, hoping to obtain “justice in their lifetime.”
Judge Wall based her decision on arguments put forth by the city, the regional chamber of commerce, and other state and local government agencies. According to NPR, Judge Wall has identified herself as a “Constitutional Conservative” in past campaign questionnaires.
About the ‘Tulsa Race Massacre’ Reparations Lawsuit
The lawsuit aimed to hold the city of Tulsa and other entities accountable for destroying the once-vibrant Black district known as Greenwood. However, representatives from the city and the survivors’ lawyer did not provide immediate comments following the dismissal.
The lawsuit was filed under Oklahoma’s public nuisance law. It alledged that the repercussions of the violent actions of the white mob that attacked the Black community in 1921 still impact the city today. The mob descended upon a 35-block area, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Black residents and the destruction of what was once the nation’s most prosperous Black business district. In addition to the lives lost, thousands were left homeless and forced to live in improvised internment camps.
The plaintiffs argued that neither the city nor insurance companies compensated the victims for their losses. They contended that the racial and economic disparities in Tulsa today can be traced back to the massacre. The lawsuit sought a comprehensive assessment of the property and wealth lost or stolen during the incident, the construction of a hospital in north Tulsa, and establishment of a victims’ compensation fund, among other remedies.
An attorney for the Chamber of Commerce had previously acknowledged the atrocity of the massacre but argued that the associated nuisance was not ongoing.
‘Don’t Let Them Bury My Story’ Memoir
Meanwhile, Viola Fletcher, the oldest living survivor at 109 years old, plans to release a memoir next month, shedding light on her life in the aftermath of the massacre. “Don’t Let Them Bury My Story” will be published by Mocha Media Inc., and will release on August 15. She hopes to share the story of that day from her point of view.
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