Congressional Subcommittee Holds Hearing On 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

The United States Congress held a hearing Wednesday morning to discuss the Tulsa Race Massacre as the centennial approaches. 

Those who testified in front of the congressional subcommittee included Viola Fletcher and her brother Hughes Van Ellis who talked about waking up to shouting, fires, and paralyzing fear one hundred years ago. The purpose of Wednesday's hearing was to explore possible pathways of compensation for Tulsa Race Massacre survivors and their families. The three survivors who testified were emotional as they told the committee about the night their lives changed forever. This came before the discussion of the lawsuit filed last year by the survivors and their families that demands that those impacted by the massacre be compensated for the ongoing public nuisance the tragedy caused.

This is the second hearing held by the subcommittee, the original one was held in 2007 but was barred when the Supreme Court said it was past the statute of limitations, so it never made it out of the committee. Now with the 100 year anniversary of the massacre approaching, the survivors are begging Congress to right the massive wrong. 

“I am 107 years older and never seen justice...I’ve seen the best and worst of this country,” said Fletcher.

“I hope we all will work together, we are one, we are one,” said Van Ellis.

No decisions were made today as this meeting was just a first hearing on the topic.