The Oklahoma Supreme Court docket dismissed a historic reparations lawsuit on Wednesday, filed by survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Bloodbath. The go well with, initiated in 2020, sought compensation for the estimated 300 Black People killed when a white mob destroyed Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood.
The lawsuit was introduced below Oklahoma’s public nuisance regulation, arguing that the destruction of the “Black Wall Road” continues to impression the group in the present day. Defendants included the Tulsa County sheriff, county commissioners, and the Oklahoma Army Division.
The court docket dominated that whereas the grievances have been reliable, they didn’t match the general public nuisance statute. This determination upheld a decrease court docket’s ruling from final July, which acknowledged {that a} historic occasion connection doesn’t grant limitless rights to hunt compensation.
Solely two identified survivors stay, Viola Fletcher, 110, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, 109. Their third co-plaintiff, Hughes Van Ellis, handed away final yr at 102.
Tulsa officers responded by expressing respect for the court docket’s determination and affirming their dedication to supporting the North Tulsa and Greenwood communities.
Legal professional Damario Solomon-Simmons, representing Ms. Fletcher and Ms. Randle, emphasised that this ruling seemingly marks the ultimate likelihood for the survivors to obtain compensation. The authorized workforce plans to petition for the Oklahoma Supreme Court docket to rehear the case and rethink its determination.
