Remaining survivors of Tulsa Race Massacre make case for reparations before State Supreme Court

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The last two remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre went before the Oklahoma State Supreme Court on Tuesday to make their case for reparations. The last two survivors, Mother Lessie Benningfield Randle and Mother Viola Ford Fletcher are both 109 years old. The survivors said when it comes to reparations, they really don’t want money. “Time is of the essence for these two 109-year-old survivors who are here with us today,” said Demario Solomon-Simmons, an attorney representing the survivors. The survivor’s legal team said this is a crucial moment, Randle and Fletcher were both in court for the arguments. They’re suing the City of Tulsa and others for reparations saying the massacre violated public nuisance laws. They also said Greenwood is still blighted and that needs to be corrected, which is the nuisance. The case is asking, not for repatriations in money, but reparations over property claiming there are over 1,500 properties that were and still are affected by the massacre and that those need to be given back to the community. “The defendants destroyed over 1,500 pieces of property and we allege that many of those properties are still uninhabitable, still blighted, still...