The Department of Justice announced on Sept. 30 the first-ever federal review of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, marking a crucial step in reexamining the deadliest attack on a Black American community in U.S. history.
The attack occurred in the Greenwood neighborhood, where Black Americans had built a thriving community known as “Black Wall Street.” However, a white mob later attacked the area, destroying homes and businesses and resulting in the deaths of 300 individuals.
Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, said there is “no expectation” that anyone involved is still alive to be prosecuted in the case. However, the historic probe is something the descendants of the survivors have long pursued.
“We acknowledge descendants of the survivors, and the victims continue to bear the trauma of this act of racial terrorism,” Clarke said in a speech shared on the DOJ website.
The federal review was initiated by the Civil Rights Division’s Cold Case Unit, which investigates crimes committed against Black Americans, particularly in the South, under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.
The news comes more than three months after the only two survivors of the attack, Lessie Benningfield Randle, 109, and Viola Ford Fletcher, 110, had their lawsuit for reparations dismissed by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in June, Blavity reported.
At the time, Damario Solomon-Simmons, the attorney for Fletcher and Randle, hoped the Justice Department would reopen the case, which is now being handled by the agency. He shared his thoughts on the victory following the announcement on Monday.
“I’m so excited to announce that this morning, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke announced that the United States Federal Government Department of Justice will open a review and evaluation of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre,” Solomon-Simmons told ABC News.
“It is about time! It only took 103 years,” he added.
The fight for justice has also taken a toll on the descendants of the survivors.
Tiffany Crutcher, a descendant of a massacre survivor and the founder and executive director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation, shared her thoughts on the news and how the attack has been overlooked for “too long.”
“Today, my family and community are deeply grateful that the U.S. Department of Justice is finally preparing to review the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. This tragedy has been ignored for far too long,” Crutcher said during a press conference statement obtained by ABC News.
Another descendant of a massacre victim, Eugenwale Amusan, discussed how the attack still has a lingering effect, but he said that he and others will continue to fight for justice.
“So people who may not understand this passion in those who have been part of this fight from the beginning, know this today: We will never stop fighting,” Amusan said at a press conference, per NBC News.
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