Full Breakdown
Tulsa Race Massacre Reparations Campaign Gains Momentum
5/11/2026, 6:25:12 AM
Core Event
Civil-rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons is leading a renewed push for reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. His new book, *Redeem a Nation*, proposes cash compensation for the last living survivor, 111-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle, restitution of seized land, and a scholarship fund for descendants. The effort follows a 2020 lawsuit that reached the Oklahoma Supreme Court before being dismissed in 2024. In 2025, Tulsa’s first Black mayor, Monroe Nichols, endorsed “Project Greenwood,” echoing Solomon-Simmons’s demands.
Background & Context
On June 1-2 1921, white mobs destroyed Greenwood, “Black Wall Street,” razing over 35 city blocks, 191 businesses, and displacing roughly 11,000 Black residents. Official records list 36 deaths, while scholars estimate 75-300 fatalities. The massacre erased a thriving Black economic hub and left a lasting wealth gap.
Official Statements & Responses
Mayor Nichols called Project Greenwood “a comprehensive path toward financial redress and community healing.” The Justice Department’s final report, issued at the end of the Biden administration, concluded there is no remaining criminal prosecution avenue for the massacre. Solomon-Simmons, speaking for Justice for Greenwood, emphasized that the community seeks both monetary compensation and formal acknowledgment of the historic wrong.
Criticism & Opposition
Opponents argue reparations are legally untenable because no living perpetrators of slavery exist and quantifying historic harm for courts is impossible. They contend that responsibility rests with institutions rather than individuals, complicating any payout scheme.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The death toll remains disputed, with official figures far lower than scholarly estimates. No criminal charges have been filed, and the state has not identified a funding source for reparations, leaving legal and fiscal pathways unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If you can ignore Greenwood, which was the beacon of Black prosperity and Black progress in the history of this country, then you can ignore Black people in general,” — Damario Solomon-Simmons, civil-rights attorney
- “America has never had a soul.” — Damario Solomon-Simmons, author
- “I don’t think that we’re talking about individuals who owe anybody else reparations. I think we’re talking about states, about institutions, about the nation,” — Jennifer L. Morgan, NYU professor of history
- “We know who did the massacre — the perpetrators are still living in Tulsa,” — Damario Solomon-Simmons, civil-rights attorney
- “People want reparations, but people (also) want acknowledgment. They want to be seen. They want people to understand that something happened to them and their family, and they want an apology.” — Damario Solomon-Simmons
What’s Next
Project Greenwood seeks legislative approval for cash payments to Randle and descendants, a scholarship fund, and the designation of June 1 as Tulsa Race Massacre Observance Day. Advocacy groups plan further lawsuits for land restitution, while federal lawmakers debate broader reparations for slavery and Jim Crow, potentially shaping the national context for Tulsa’s claims.
