Oklahoma Supreme Court Denies Tulsa Survivors' Lawsuit

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has denied a request to reconsider its dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the last two known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle. The court's decision, made without comment, upholds a previous ruling that dismissed the case, which sought reparations for the survivors of a massacre that resulted in the deaths of up to 300 Black individuals and the destruction of more than 1,200 properties. Fletcher and Randle's attorney, Damario Solomon-Simmons, has called for an investigation into the massacre under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, citing a promise from President Biden for justice. The ruling was criticized for not providing reparations to the survivors and for failing to acknowledge the massacre's historical significance. Justice James Edmondson expressed willingness to rehear the case, while Justice Richard Darby did not vote. The legal battle highlights ongoing discussions around accountability for historical racial violence.