<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/tulsa-race-massacre-restitution-oklahoma>
"The two remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, thought to be the
worst single act of white supremacist violence against African Americans in US
history, attended a momentous hearing on Tuesday. The supreme court of Oklahoma
considered an appeal in what is almost certainly the women’s final shot at
reparative justice.
Lessie Benningfield Randle, dressed all in black, and Viola Fletcher, huddled
under a mauve woollen blanket, listened intently as lawyers engaged in
technical legal arguments for almost two hours. It was no small feat, given
that both women are 109.
Mother Randle and Mother Fletcher, as they are known, were just children on 31
May 1921, when over a period of 24 hours, about 300 Black Tulsans were murdered
by a rampaging white mob.
Forty blocks of the Greenwood neighborhood – so thriving at the time that it
was dubbed Black Wall Street – were bombed from the air and razed to the
ground.
More than 100 lawsuits have been filed over the years since then, seeking
redress for the terrible events, which left 9,000 Black residents homeless and
drove an entire community into destitution. But not one survivor has ever had
their day in court until now.
In a joint statement before the proceedings began, Randle and Fletcher said
that they were grateful that their “now-weary bodies have held on long enough
to witness an America, and an Oklahoma, that provides race massacre survivors
with the opportunity to access the legal system”.
They added: “Many have come before us who have knocked and banged on the
courthouse doors, only to be turned around.”"
Via Lisa Stranger and Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
