State Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit from last survivors of Tulsa Race Massacre

By Zach Rael

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    TULSA, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Survivors and their families trying to get reparations for the Tulsa Race Massacre were left disappointed as the State Supreme Court dismissed their lawsuit Wednesday.

In an 8-1 ruling, the court upheld a decision made by a Tulsa District judge last year. That ruling said the Tulsa Race Massacre survivor’s grievances, although legitimate, did not qualify for reparations.

“If they were going to do reparations the easy way, it would have already been done,” said Willie Sells, owner of Tee’s Barbershop

The barbershop is the longest-standing business on Black Wall Street since its rebirth right after the massacre.

“Those people that were here suffered a terrible loss, and I think it’s affected the city down through the years,” Sells said.

It’s estimated that up to 300 black Tulsans were killed, and over 30 blocks of the city were devastated by a white mob in 1921.

The city insurance companies never compensated victims of the massacre for their losses, and the massacre ultimately resulted in racial and economic disparities that still exist today, according to the lawsuit.

Neither Tulsa City officials nor the attorney representing the survivors returned messages for comment on the court’s ruling.

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