DOJO – Viola Ford Fletcher, one of the last surviving witnesses of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has died at the age of 111, her family confirmed Monday. Fletcher spent much of her later life seeking justice for the devastating attack on Greenwood, a thriving Black community known as Black Wall Street, where she lived as a child.
Her grandson, Ike Howard, said Fletcher passed away surrounded by family in a Tulsa hospital. Known for her resilience and faith, she raised three children, worked as a shipyard welder during World War II, and cared for families for decades as a housekeeper.
Remembering Greenwood
Fletcher was only seven when a white mob attacked Greenwood on May 31, 1921, following sensationalized media coverage of a Black man accused of assaulting a white woman. The violence left hundreds dead, destroyed more than 30 city blocks, and forced thousands into displacement.
“I could never forget the charred remains of our once-thriving community, the smoke billowing in the air, and the terror-stricken faces of my neighbors,” Fletcher wrote in her 2023 memoir, Don’t Let Them Bury My Story.
She described fleeing with her family in a horse-drawn buggy, witnessing bodies in the streets and the chaos engulfing her neighborhood. Fear of reprisals kept her mostly silent about the massacre for decades.
Advocate for Justice
Fletcher’s later years were marked by advocacy. She testified before Congress in 2021 alongside her younger brother Hughes Van Ellis and survivor Lessie Benningfield Randle, seeking reparations for survivors and descendants. A lawsuit filed in 2020 was dismissed by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2024.
Fletcher’s grandson said her motivation was clear: “We don’t want history to repeat itself… we need to educate people about what happened and why reparations are necessary.”
The Justice Department, under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, released a review in January 2024 acknowledging that federal prosecution may have been possible a century ago, though no criminal case can now be pursued.
A Life of Perseverance
Born May 10, 1914, Fletcher grew up in Greenwood before being forced from her home. She returned to Tulsa as a teenager, worked in retail, and later moved to California, where she welded in a shipyard during World War II. She raised three children, including Robert Ford Fletcher, James Edward Ford, and Debra Stein Ford, often while working as a housekeeper until age 85.
Mayor Monroe Nichols paid tribute, calling Fletcher a woman who “endured more than anyone should” and “spent her life lighting a path forward with purpose.” Fletcher’s life and advocacy highlighted the lasting impact of the massacre and the importance of remembering Greenwood’s legacy.
Legacy and Remembrance
Fletcher’s death leaves Lessie Benningfield Randle as the last known living survivor of the Tulsa Massacre. The city of Tulsa has been exploring ways to support descendants of survivors through programs like the $105 million “Road to Repair” initiative, which aims to address economic and health disparities stemming from the 1921 violence.
Fletcher’s story serves as a powerful reminder of resilience, justice, and the ongoing fight to repair generational harm caused by one of America’s darkest chapters.
