Mrs. Viola Ford Fletcher, 109, left, and Mrs. Lessie Benningfield Randle, 108, right, are survivors of the Tulsa Massacre and were part of the group seeking monetary damages © DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Tulsa, OK) – The Oklahoma Supreme Court has dismissed the case from survivors of the 1921 Tusla Race Massacre. The group was seeking compensation for the violence they endured after an angry mob killed hundreds of residents in the city’s Greenwood District, also known as “Black Wall Street”. The mob also burned down businesses as the violence continued for two full days.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2020 seeking damages under the state’s public nuisance law. The court concluded that while the complaints from the Plaintiffs are “legitimate” they have no standing under the public nuisance ordinance.
The City of Tulsa released a statement affirming the court’s decision. The city says they are committed to bettering North Tulsa and Greenwood through economic development and various planned projects.
