Viola Ford Fletcher, one of the last survivors of the devastating 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma, has passed away at the age of 111, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and determination.
Born on May 10, 1914, in Oklahoma, Fletcher spent her early years in the thriving Black community of Greenwood, which was known as "Black Wall Street." The area was a beacon of hope and prosperity during segregation, with everything from doctors to grocery stores to restaurants and banks. However, on May 31, 1921, a white mob stormed the district, leaving destruction and death in its wake.
Fletcher's family was forced to flee, becoming nomadic sharecroppers as they worked in the fields. She didn't finish school beyond the fourth grade but eventually returned to Tulsa at the age of 16, where she got a job cleaning and creating window displays in a department store. She met her husband, Robert Fletcher, and moved to California during World War II, working as a welder in a Los Angeles shipyard.
However, Fletcher's life took a tumultuous turn when she returned to Oklahoma, leaving her abusive husband behind. She eventually settled north of Tulsa in Bartlesville and began raising two more children from other relationships. Her faith and the close-knit Black community provided her with the support she needed to care for her family.
Fletcher's determination to seek justice for the massacre that took so many lives was unwavering. Alongside her younger brother, Hughes Van Ellis, and another survivor, Lessie Benningfield Randle, she joined a lawsuit seeking reparations. Although the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed their grievances in June 2024, Fletcher continued to speak out about the trauma and injustices she endured.
In her memoir, "Don't Let Them Bury My Story," Fletcher shared her harrowing experiences, including the charred remains of Greenwood's once-thriving community, the smoke billowing in the air, and the terror-stricken faces of her neighbors. She wrote about seeing piles of bodies in the streets and watching as a white man shot a Black man in the head before firing toward her family.
Fletcher's story is a testament to the strength and resilience of those who survived one of America's darkest moments. Her fight for justice and truth has inspired countless people, ensuring that the terror of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre will not be forgotten.
Born on May 10, 1914, in Oklahoma, Fletcher spent her early years in the thriving Black community of Greenwood, which was known as "Black Wall Street." The area was a beacon of hope and prosperity during segregation, with everything from doctors to grocery stores to restaurants and banks. However, on May 31, 1921, a white mob stormed the district, leaving destruction and death in its wake.
Fletcher's family was forced to flee, becoming nomadic sharecroppers as they worked in the fields. She didn't finish school beyond the fourth grade but eventually returned to Tulsa at the age of 16, where she got a job cleaning and creating window displays in a department store. She met her husband, Robert Fletcher, and moved to California during World War II, working as a welder in a Los Angeles shipyard.
However, Fletcher's life took a tumultuous turn when she returned to Oklahoma, leaving her abusive husband behind. She eventually settled north of Tulsa in Bartlesville and began raising two more children from other relationships. Her faith and the close-knit Black community provided her with the support she needed to care for her family.
Fletcher's determination to seek justice for the massacre that took so many lives was unwavering. Alongside her younger brother, Hughes Van Ellis, and another survivor, Lessie Benningfield Randle, she joined a lawsuit seeking reparations. Although the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed their grievances in June 2024, Fletcher continued to speak out about the trauma and injustices she endured.
In her memoir, "Don't Let Them Bury My Story," Fletcher shared her harrowing experiences, including the charred remains of Greenwood's once-thriving community, the smoke billowing in the air, and the terror-stricken faces of her neighbors. She wrote about seeing piles of bodies in the streets and watching as a white man shot a Black man in the head before firing toward her family.
Fletcher's story is a testament to the strength and resilience of those who survived one of America's darkest moments. Her fight for justice and truth has inspired countless people, ensuring that the terror of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre will not be forgotten.
her story is so crazy - from being part of "black wall street" to becoming a welder in cali 
and then fighting for justice all over again after leaving an abusive husband 
it's not every day you see someone who's been through that much trauma and still comes out on top 
i'm so glad she shared her story in her memoir - it's a reminder of the importance of speaking truth to power 
and never letting anyone bury your history 
111 years young 
she was an incredible woman who endured so much trauma & pain but never lost her spirit 
. it's amazing how much strength & resilience she showed in the face of such injustice & violence. i think it's so important that we remember stories like hers, not just to honor her memory but also to learn from our history & strive for a better future 
just can't believe she's gone 
. I mean, can you even imagine having to flee your home because of a mob of white people? 
and then being forced into sharecropping... it's just heartbreaking 
. But at the same time, I'm so inspired by her strength and determination 
. She refused to be silenced or forgotten, and she fought for justice even when others said she couldn't win. 
. Rest in peace, Viola Ford Fletcher 
. And can we talk about how she went from 'no school' to a lawsuit against the state? 
I guess you could say she made a 'window' into the past, but in a good way 
. Her legacy lives on & we should all take notes from her story of resilience & determination 
what's crazy is how much trauma Viola Ford Fletcher endured but still managed to keep going 
and it's amazing that her story kept inspiring people even after Oklahoma SC dismissed their case in 2024 
they gotta do better than that tbh 
! Did u know that Viola Ford Fletcher was only in her 20s when she had to become a nomadic sharecropper after the Tulsa Race Massacre? 
The damage from the riot was estimated at $1 million (which is equivalent to like, $17 billion in today's dollars)! 
. But she didn't let that break her spirit. She kept fighting for justice, even when nobody seemed to care 
.
. We gotta keep carrying the torch for justice and equality 
.
her life was so crazy from being forced to flee during the massacre to becoming a welder in cali and then taking on the system for justice it's wild how much she endured but never gave up 
But you gotta admire her spunk for fighting for justice all these years, even when the courts didn't have her back. It's a shame that Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed their grievances... it just goes to show how much progress we've still got to make as a society.