b'COMMUNITYJUDGE RULES AGAINST TULSA SURVIVORSBlackMansStreet.today possibility of an appeal.Guardsmenassistedfiremeninputtingout fires, took African Americans out of the hands of ItstartedthiswaywithaWhitewoman\'s A nOklahomajudgerejecteddemandsfortears. vigilantes, and imprisoned all black Tulsans not reparationsresultingfromthe1920Tulsaalready interned. Over 6,000 people were held at Massacre in which more than 300 Blacks wereOnthemorningofMay30,1921,ayoungthe Convention Hall and the Fairgrounds, some killed, and hundreds were left homeless follow- black man named Dick Rowland was riding infor as long as eight days.ing an attack led by Whites of the Greenwoodthe elevator in the Drexel Building at Third andNo one has ever been tried for the massacre.Neighborhood.also known as Black Wall Street.Main white woman named Sarah Page. The lawsuit was brought by a Black man andTulsapolicearrestedRowlandthefol-two Black Women over the age of 102 who werelowingdayandbegananinvestigation.An children at the time. inflammatory report in the May 31 edition of Lewis Bennington Randle, 108, Viola Fletcher,theTulsaTribunespurredaconfrontation 109,andHughesVanEllis,102,suedTulsabetween black and white armed mobs around becausethecityhasrefusedtoaddressthethecourthousewherethesheriffandhis plaintiffsunjusttreatment.TheCityofTulsamen had barricaded the top floor to protect called for the dismissal of the lawsuit, and JudgeRowland. Shots were fired. African American Caroline Wall agreed. Judge Wall dismissed themen pulled out their rifles and fought back, lawsuit with prejudice, which meant the plain- according to the Tulsa Historical Society.tiffs could not bring the lawsuit again. Therewasnoturningofthecheek,but IkeHoward,thegrandsonofViolaFletcher,theywereeventuallyoverwhelmed.Whites saidhewasangryabouttheruling,Theyemployedlow-flyingairplanestostrafed were blighted and once again not made whole,Black-own homes by dropping bombs.Howard said."We remain blighted. We wish theIn the early morning hours of June 1, 1921, D.O.J would investigate.How can we get jus- Greenwood was looted and burned by white tice in the same city that created the nuisance?rioters. Governor Robertson declared martial Is justice only for the rich?" law,andNationalGuardtroopsarrivedinViola Ford Fletcher & Hughes Von Ellis, Tulsa Massacre SurvivorsAfamilyattorneyisexpectedtoaddresstheTulsa. 2 AUGUST 2023 BOCNEWS.com'