Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors Denied Reparations

A Painful Blow To Historic Justice

In a heart-wrenching blow to the remaining survivors of certainly one of America’s most horrific race massacres, the Oklahoma Supreme Court docket dismissed a lawsuit filed by survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Bloodbath. 

Plaintiffs Viola Ford Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, each over 100 years previous, sought reparations beneath town’s public nuisance statute, aiming to deal with the enduring social and financial inequities stemming from the bloodbath.

Survivors’ Heartfelt Plea

As BOSSIP beforehand reported, Fletcher and Randle, among the many final residing witnesses to the bloodbath, have carried the scars of that evening for over a century and have BEEN preventing. Their lawsuit argued that the devastation of forty sq. blocks of property on Could 31, 1921, by way of homicide and arson, met the definition of a public nuisance beneath Oklahoma legislation. 

Their attorneys passionately contended that these ladies deserved their day in courtroom. “The destruction of forty-square blocks of property on the evening of Could 31, 1921, by way of homicide and arson clearly meets the definition of a public nuisance beneath Oklahoma legislation,” the legal professionals argued.

Court docket’s Chilly Response

Regardless of the compelling arguments, the Oklahoma Supreme Court docket sided with a decrease courtroom’s ruling. In response to Information One, they acknowledged that “merely being related to a historic occasion doesn’t present an individual with limitless rights to hunt compensation.”

The courtroom acknowledged the legitimacy of the grievance relating to the social and financial inequities created by the Tulsa Race Bloodbath. But it claimed the legislation doesn’t allow extending the general public nuisance doctrine past legislative authorization.

Tulsa’s Profiteering: A Grim Irony

Including to the survivors’ ache is the irony of Tulsa’s profiteering from the bloodbath. 

The lawsuit highlighted how Tulsa promoted the bloodbath web site as a vacationer attraction, gaining “unjust enrichment” with out returning advantages to the group. 

This exploitation, whereas denying justice to the very individuals who suffered, underscores a deep-rooted hypocrisy in how historic injustices are managed.

A Political Tangle: The Court docket’s Stance

The courtroom’s dismissal is seen by many as a politically charged choice. Attorneys for Fletcher and Randle argued that the bloodbath’s destruction clearly constituted a public nuisance deserving of authorized redress.

Nevertheless, the courtroom seen the problem as a “political” query past its scope. This authorized stance ignores the profound human struggling and historic injustice. It dehumanizes a deeply private and social problem to a mere political debate.

Historic Denial Of Claims: A Sample of Injustice

The denial of justice is just not new. Shortly after the bloodbath, insurance coverage firms denied many claims filed by Black enterprise house owners for tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in property harm. 

This historic sample of denying Black victims their due compensation continues to hang-out the survivors and their descendants. Those that constructed this nation. It’s not up for debate. These insurance policies of disenfranchisement and incentivizing racist violence lengthen the racial wealth hole that robs generations of Black households throughout the U.S.

Subsequent Steps: The Combat for Justice Continues

The struggle is way from over. Attorneys for Fletcher and Randle plan to file a petition for the Oklahoma Supreme Court docket to rehear the case. 

In addition they referred to as on the U.S. Division of Justice to research the bloodbath beneath the Emmett Until Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007. 

The attorneys stay steadfast, believing the plaintiffs are entitled to a trial. They urged federal intervention to appropriate this grave historic mistaken.

Associated Laws: A Barrier To Justice

Including to the complexities, in 2021, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed a invoice prohibiting teachings that embody Important Race Principle in Okay-12 colleges.

In 2022, Stitt referred to as for an investigation into Tulsa Public Faculties for allegedly violating the state’s anti-CRT legislation. These legislative actions additional complicate the struggle for racial justice in Oklahoma, reinforcing systemic limitations.

Voices of Outrage & Hope

The dismissal of the lawsuit has sparked outrage and sorrow amongst those that proceed to struggle for justice.

The dismissal of the lawsuit by the Oklahoma Supreme Court docket is a stark reminder of the continuing battle for racial justice in America.

Because the survivors and their supporters proceed to struggle for recognition and reparations, their perseverance serves as a strong name to motion. 

The journey to justice for the Tulsa Race Bloodbath survivors is fraught with authorized and political hurdles, however their resilience stays a beacon of hope for future generations.