In a significant legal development, attorneys representing the last two remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre have petitioned the Oklahoma Supreme Court to review their previously dismissed case. In addition, they are appealing to the Biden administration for assistance in their pursuit of justice. Viola Fletcher, aged 110, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, aged 109, are the sole surviving witnesses of one of the most horrifying acts of violence against Black individuals in American history.

During the Tulsa Race Massacre, an estimated 300 Black individuals lost their lives, and over 1,200 homes, businesses, schools, and churches were destroyed in what was once known as the prosperous Greenwood District, or Black Wall Street. Thousands were forcibly placed in internment camps under the supervision of the National Guard. The violence was carried out by a white mob, some of whom were deputized by authorities.

In their request for a rehearing, Fletcher and Randle implored the Oklahoma Supreme Court to reconsider its 8-1 decision, which upheld a district court's dismissal of their case last year. The survivors declared that both Oklahoma and the United States as a whole have failed their Black citizens. They spoke of witnessing firsthand the destruction, killings, and looting perpetrated by white Americans, yet no indictments were handed out, insurance claims largely went unpaid or were settled for mere pennies, and Black residents of Tulsa were compelled to flee their homes and live in constant fear.

Damario Solomon Simmons, one of the attorneys representing the survivors, is also urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to initiate an investigation into the Tulsa Race Massacre under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007. This act allows for the reopening of cold cases involving violent crimes against Black individuals that occurred before 1970. At present, the DOJ has not responded to requests for comment regarding this matter.

The lawsuit against the city of Tulsa and other defendants was filed under Oklahoma's public nuisance law as an endeavor to secure restitution for the extensive destruction caused by the massacre. The legal team further argued that Tulsa has capitalized on the historical significance of Black Wall Street for its own financial and reputational gain. They contend that any revenue derived from promoting Greenwood or Black Wall Street, including funds generated by the Greenwood Rising History Center, should be allocated to a compensation fund for the victims and their descendants.

As Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, the last witnesses and survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, continue to seek justice, their plea for the Oklahoma Supreme Court's reconsideration and their call for federal assistance have brought renewed attention to the need for accountability and reparations for this dark chapter in American history.