The U.S. Justice Department has completed its first-ever review of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, determining that while federal prosecution may have been possible a century ago, there is no longer a viable avenue to bring a criminal case more than 100 years after the tragic event. The investigation, spanning over 120 pages, shed light on the scope and impact of the massacre, which saw a white mob attack a prosperous Black district, resulting in the deaths of as many as 300 individuals and the destruction of 1,200 homes, businesses, schools, and churches.
The report highlighted that due to the passage of time, with the perpetrators deceased and statutes of limitations expired, there are no remaining options for pursuing criminal charges. Federal investigators uncovered reports from 1921, shortly after the massacre, but found no evidence that federal prosecutors had evaluated these reports. The report expressed disappointment over the lack of consideration for potential charges at the time.
Various entities, including the Tulsa Police Department, local sheriff, Oklahoma National Guard, and then-Tulsa Mayor T.D. Evans, were implicated in the chaos and devastation of the massacre, either through inaction or direct involvement in the attack. The last known survivors of the massacre, Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, both aged 110, have yet to comment on the report.
Author and historian Victor Luckerson emphasized the importance of establishing a factual record of the massacre, suggesting that it could pave the way for discussions on reparations. A 1999 estimate pegged the damage from the attack at $1.8 million in 1921 dollars, equivalent to approximately $32.2 million today.
However, hopes for financial redress were dampened when the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit by survivors in June, ruling that the grievances, while valid, did not fall within the state's public nuisance statute. The decision has left advocates for racial justice questioning the city's commitment to addressing the historical injustices of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
