Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors' Reparations Lawsuit dismissed by Oklahoma Judge

Tulsa Race Massacre survivors from left Lessie Benningfield Randle, Viola Fletcher, and Hughes Van Ellis in June 2021. (Brandon Bell/ Getty Images)

By: Adonis Armstrong

An Oklahoma judge has dismissed a reparations lawsuit filed on behalf of the three remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, putting an end to the legal fight that aimed to rebuild the former Greenwood community and establish a survivors fund. The ruling was delivered on Friday July 7th.

Lessie Benningfield Randle, aged 108, Viola Fletcher, aged 109, and Hughes Van Ellis, aged 102, who were all young children at the time, are among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The devastating event saw their prosperous Black community, known as the "Black Wall Street," burned to the ground by a violent mob of white individuals following allegations of an assault. The massacre resulted in the displacement of thousands of people and the estimated loss of hundreds of lives.

In May 2022, New York philanthropist and co-founder of the nonprofit Business for Good, Ed Mitzen, generously contributed $1 million to Fletcher, Randle, and Ellis, aiming to alleviate financial hardships for their families and express solidarity towards their experiences. Mitzen expressed his deep disappointment and described the dismissal of their lawsuit as an "incredibly sad development," he told NBC News, emphasizing the significance of supporting the centenarians and acknowledging the importance of their stories.

Attorneys representing the city of Tulsa presented their case for the dismissal, contending that, “Simply being connected to a historical event does not provide a person with unlimited rights to seek compensation from any project in any way related to that historical event.” Judge Caroline Wall ruled in favor with them.

“Upon hearing the arguments of counsel and considering the briefs filed by counsel for plaintiffs and counsel for defendants, the court respectfully finds and order the plaintiffs’ second amended petition should and shall be dismissed with prejudice,” according to documents on the state's court network, Wall stated in her ruling. The ruling bars the lawsuit from being resubmitted in state court, although the survivors still have the option to pursue an appeal.

---

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

SHARE TO SOCIAL MEDIA