Lessie Benningfield Randle, one of the last two remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre celebrated her 110th birthday on Nov. 10. Known as “Mother Randle,” she was joined by family, friends, and community leaders in Tulsa. U.S. Congressman Al Green honored the occasion by presentingher with a flag that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol in her name earlier this month.
Damario Solomon-Simmons, lead attorney for the survivors and founder of Justice for Greenwood said on Sunday, “Mother Randle has done a tremendous job of opening the country’s eyes to the horrors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, its enduring impact, and the need for accountability and restitution. And she’s made it clear that she’s not done yet,” he said. “At 110 years old, Mother Randle is still challenging America to live up to its purported values, which is the true measure of a patriot. She is not only living history – she is a source of inspiration and one of the strongest people I know.”
Randle’s life of activism fuels vote
The beloved centenarian also recently made waves when she announced that she’d cast her ballot for Kamala Harris in the presidential election, citing her hope to see an end to the growing efforts to ban the teaching of truthful American history. The media also followed 110- year-old Viola Ford Fletcher, the oldest living Massacre Survivor, as she cast her ballot on Election Day.
Both Randle and Fletcher were born before women had the right to vote and continue to fight for justice despite the United States’ failure to atone for the violent white supremacist ideologies that led to the destruction of Greenwood in 1921.
In a statement released earlier this month, Mother Randle expressed her gratitude for the right to vote and emphasized the importance of protecting future generations from political violence:
“As voters, we must protect our children from politicians who believe that retribution and violence are virtues. Because I have lived through that nightmare. And trust me, we can’t afford to go back.” she wrote in a statement to Public Radio Tulsa.
“My grandchildren deserve a world where taking care of their parents isn’t a financial struggle, medication is affordable, and women are free. And all of our children deserve a president who will inspire them to learn from history, not a tyrant who will try to erase it.”
Lessie Benningfield Randle, “Mother Randle”
“The mob that murdered my neighbors in Greenwood was so angry, and this country is at risk of allowing that same anger to take over its soul again. But voters can say no to a politician that incites white folks to turn against their darker skin neighbors. Voters can say no to giving rogue police officers full immunity to terrorize us. We can say no to the candidates who are taking away students’ freedom to learn about our country’s past. As voters, we must protect our children from politicians who believe that retribution and violence are virtues. Because I have lived through that nightmare. And trust me, we can’t afford to go back.”
Randle’s home razed during Tulsa Riots
Born in 1914, Randle was a child when the prosperous Black community of Greenwood, also known as Black Wall Street, was razed to the ground by a white mob of thousands of white Tulsans in the worst act of domestic terrorism ever perpetrated against American citizens. As a result of the massacre she haslived with the mental and emotional scars, and lack of financial resources to overcome the horror she survived. In 1980, Randle was forced to relocate from her family’s home in Greenwood due to the City ofTulsa’s racist urban development policies. Her family home was taken by the City of Tulsa through the racially discriminatory Urban Renewal program.
During her October 14, 2020 testimony in front of the U.S. Congress, Randle recalled the ongoing nightmares about Black bodies piled in the streets, reliving the horror of what happened on May 31 andJune 1, 1921. “I see it. I feel it. I can’t get it out of my mind,” she testified.
What is the Tulsa Race Massacre?
In the early 1900s, Greenwood, a district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, flourished as one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States, commonly referred to as “Black Wall Street.” Home to a wealth of Black-owned businesses, shops, theaters, and professional offices, Greenwood was a vibrant center of African American success and self-sufficiency. But racial tensions were fueled by resentment from the white community in Tulsa over the economic success and independence of the Black residents of Greenwood.
In May 1921, an incident involving a young Black man, Dick Rowland, and a white woman, Sarah Page, was sensationalized by local newspapers further fueling racial tensions. On May 31, 1921, a white mob descended on Greenwood, launching a violent attack that continued into June 1. The mob looted and set fire to homes, businesses, and community institutions, leaving over 36 square blocks in ruins. Historians estimate that hundreds of Black residents were killed, while thousands were left homeless. The financial damage was enormous; current estimates place the loss in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, along with their descendants, have long fought for reparations as compensation for the destruction of wealth and the trauma inflicted on their community. The loss of generational wealth impacted future generations as they were denied the inheritance of property, businesses, and opportunities that might have been passed down. The destruction in Greenwood wasn’t just about physical assets; it erased the economic foundations of the community, crippling chances for prosperity. Calls for reparations center around the ongoing impacts of the loss, arguing that justice demands restitution for those whose futures were irreparably altered by the act of racial terror.
Ongoing legal battle leads to DOJ Investigation
Survivors including Randle have been at the forefront of a historic legal battle seeking reparations for the devastation of their community. They filed a lawsuit against the City of Tulsa and other entities, arguing that the massacre caused lasting economic harm, psychological trauma, and severe disparities in wealth and opportunities that continue to affect the Black community of Tulsa today. They say city officials not only failed to protect Greenwood but also actively enabled the destruction by deputizing white mob members and suppressing investigations and recovery efforts. The lawsuit has sought reparations to rebuild what was lost and create opportunities for Greenwood’s descendants.
In June 2024, the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed the survivors’ reparations lawsuit, dealing a significant blow to their decades-long struggle for acknowledgment and compensation. But in September 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a federal investigation into the massacre, marking the first time the federal government has committed resources to reviewing the case.
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