Viola Fletcher, the oldest survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, is receiving praise, especially after her powerful recollections of her horrific childhood experience.
Fletcher shared her testimony with news outlets as well as members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee, hoping to present a good case in the general fight for reparations. According to the 107-year-old witness who was 7 at the time of the incident, she was awakened by her family and informed that she had to leave.
“I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home, I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lining the street,” she recalled.
“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 am 107 years old and have never 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 horror inflicted upon Black people in this country every day.”
Since telling her story, Fletcher has been receiving lots of love on social media.
“Honored to have met Viola Fletcher, the 107 year-oldest surviving witness to the destruction of #BlackWallStreet,” wrote journalist Jelani Cobb. “An inspiring advocate for the other survivors and their descendants.”
“I honor you, Viola Fletcher,” added Bernice King. “You are a powerful vessel for remembrance of a savage tragedy that the world need not forget. We have come over a way that with tears has been watered. We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered.”
Another Twitter user shared her thoughts on those who fail to empathize with Fletcher. “If you weren’t moved by 107 yr old Viola Fletcher- the sole survivor from Tulsa Race Massacre the need to not only educate- but also REPARATIONS for the generations of Black people…then you’re just not human,” she wrote.
Aside from being praised by Twitter users, Fletcher has been honored amid events commemorating the Tulsa Race Massacre. Per social media posts, she got her first pair of Air Jordans and has been showing off her new shoes since.
Look at the tweets honoring Fletcher below.