The two remaining survivors of a racist massacre in Oklahoma have had their decades-long lawsuit for justice in the ongoing aftermath, rejected by the state’s highest court.
Two survivors of a devastating attack on a prosperous Black community, which resulted in the deaths of many and the displacement of hundreds, have seen their lawsuit dismissed by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The incident occurred over a century ago, when a violent white mob destroyed the neighborhood.
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Last year, the lawsuit filed by Lessie Benningfield Randle, 109, and Viola Ford Fletcher, 110, who were both small children during the attack, persisted even after the passing of Fletcher’s brother, Hughes Van Ellis, who lived to be 102 years old.
In the year 1921, specifically on May 31, a violent incident occurred in the prosperous “Black Wall Street” of Greenwood, Tulsa. Members of a white mob, who were deputized by law enforcement, brazenly shot at Black Americans in the streets without discrimination.
No crime charges were ever filed against anyone.
The impact of the massacre that occurred in Oklahoma decades ago is still being felt today in the form of racial disparities, economic inequalities, and trauma among survivors and their descendants. Recently, a lawsuit was filed against Oklahoma’s public nuisance law, which aims to address this ongoing issue. The lawsuit argues that the effects of the massacre are still prevalent and need to be recognized and addressed.
The story is currently in its developmental phase.
