Oldest Tulsa Race Massacre survivor Viola Fletcher passes away
Fletcher became a prominent voice for historical justice in 2021 when she testified before Congress, recounting her childhood memories of living through the devastating events.
The massacre, which unfolded over two days beginning on May 31, 1921, was triggered after a local newspaper published an article accusing a Black man of assaulting a white woman. As stated in reports, a white crowd gathered outside the courthouse holding the accused, prompting armed Black residents to arrive in hopes of preventing a lynching. Tensions escalated rapidly as white residents responded with violence.
The attack that followed left the prosperous, majority-Black neighborhood of Greenwood in ruins. Often referred to as “Black Wall Street” due to its thriving Black-owned businesses, the district was overrun by an armed white mob that killed and injured hundreds. More than 1,200 homes and numerous businesses were set ablaze, wiping out over 30 blocks and erasing decades of economic advancement.
The full death toll has never been conclusively established, with estimates differing significantly across historical records.
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