A Living Artifact
On May 19, 2021, Viola Ford Fletcher testified about her memory of the Tulsa race massacre that erupted from May 31 to June 1, 1921. Over the course of two days, an estimated 300 Black people were killed and another 10,000 were made homeless as nearly 40 blocks of homes, businesses, and churches were burned and looted by white mobs. The following words are transcribed from her speech to the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
In Her Own Words
“My name is Viola Ford Fletcher. I’m the daughter of Lucinda Ellis and John Wesley Ford of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’m the sister of Hughes Van Ellis, who is also here today. I’m a survivor of the Tulsa race massacre. Two weeks ago, I celebrated my 107 birthday.
“Today, I’m visiting Washington DC for the first time in my life. I’m here seeking justice and I’m asking my country to acknowledge what happened in Tulsa in 1921. On May 31st in ‘21, I went to bed in my family’s home in Greenwood, neighbors of Tulsa.
“The neighborhood I fell asleep in that night was rich, not just in terms of wealth, but in culture, humanity, heritage, and my family had a beautiful home. We had great neighbors, and I had friends to play with. I felt safe. I had everything a child could need. I had a bright future ahead of me. . .
“Within a few hours all of that was gone. The night of the massacre I was awakened by my family. My parents and five siblings were there. I was told we had to leave and that was it. I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams. I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot. I will not and other survivors do not, and our descendants do not.
“When my family was forced to leave Tulsa, I lost my chance of an education. I never finished school past the fourth grade. I have never made much money. . . My country, state and city took a lot from me. Despite this, I spent time supporting the war effort in the shipyards of California. But most of my life, I was a domestic worker serving white families.
“I never made much money. To this day, I can barely afford my everyday needs. All the while, the city of this Tulsa have unjustedly used the names and stories of victims like me to enrich [it]myself and its white allies. . . Millions were raised by the Tulsa Centennial Commissioner while I continued to live in poverty.
“I am 107 years old and have never been seen justice. I pray that one day I will. I have been blessed with a long life and have seen the best and the worst of this country. I think about the terror, horror inflicted upon black people in this country every day.
“This subcommittee has the power to lead us down a better path. I’m asking that my country acknowledge what has happened to me. The trauma and the pain, the loss. And I ask that survivors and descendants to be given the chance to seek justice. Open the door.
“All of you know how easy it is to deny that a violent mob threatened your lives and took your property. For 70 years, the city of Tulsa and its chamber of commerce told us that the massacre didn’t happen like we didn’t see it with our own eyes.
“You have me here right now. You see Mother Randall. You see my brother Hughes Van Ellis. We live this history and we can’t ignore it. . . Oh my goodness. We lost everything that day. Our homes, our churches, our newspapers, our theaters, our lives. Greenwood represented all the best of what was possible for black people in America and for all the people. No one cared about us for almost a hundred years. We and our history have been forgotten, washed away. This Congress must recognize us and our history for black America, for the white Americans, and for all Americans.”
Justice Won’t Be Denied
Justice is frequently delayed by this world’s authorities. As indicated by the title of Viola Ford Fletcher’s memoir, “Don’t Let Them Bury My Story.” Some powerful people will even try to cover up tragedies so that others will never suspect the injustices happened.
This isn’t a new theme, Jesus confronted religious rulers who distorted history to try to plead innocence and ignorance of its travesties. However, Jesus let them know that the blood of martyrs from Abel to Zacharias is still crying out for justice and those accumulated injuries will be repaid with interest (Matthew 23:35).
Jesus also told a story about an old widow who persisted in her quest for justice until she got it. He commended her faith as a model for the rest of us to follow in our prayer lives, because we are heard and will be answered (Luke 18:1-8).
Finally, the last book of the Bible describes the “blood of the slaughtered” calling for justice (Revelations 6:9-10). The verdict seems to take a long time, but the execution of God’s vengeance is swift and complete (Revelations 19:1-2).
Fear not.
Stay faithful.
Testify to truth.
When your time comes, rest in power, like Viola Ford Fletcher.
