We are coming up on the anniversary of The Tulsa race massacre of 1921, also called Tulsa race riot of 1921, one of the worst recorded incidents of racial violence against Black people in U.S. history. It occurred in Tulsa Oklahoma, beginning on May 31, 1921, and lasted for two days. The massacre left somewhere between 30 and 300 people dead, and destroyed Tulsa’s thriving Black community of Greenwood, known as the “Black Wall Street.” More than 1,400 homes and businesses were burned, and nearly 10,000 people were left homeless. Despite its severity and destructiveness, the Tulsa race massacre was barely mentioned in history books until the late 1990s, when a state commission was formed to document the incident.
Fast forward almost exactly 100 years later to May 18th, 2021. Three of the last living survivors of the massacre, led by 107 year old, Queen Mother Viola Fletcher, testified before congress in favor of reparations for the survivors.
“I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams. I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot. I will not. And other survivors do not. And our descendants do not.”
The Tulsa Race Massacre, resulted in the decimation of the city’s Greenwood district, which back then was a Black economic hub. A mob of white rioters looted and burned the community. Contemporary reports of deaths began at 36, but historians now believe as many as 300 people died, according to the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum. Historical photos also show bodies of Black residents lying in the streets.
“I am 107 years old and have never seen justice. I pray that one day I will. I have been blessed with a long life — and have seen the best and worst of this country. I think about the terror inflicted upon Black people in this country every day,”
Fletcher was one of the three survivors of the massacre who shared their stories with lawmakers. Her younger brother Hughes Van Ellis and Lessie Benningfield Randle also appeared before the subcommittee. Both noted the community wasn’t able to rebuild and said survivors can still see the impact of the massacre.
