Viola Ford Fletcher: Last Survivor of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Dies at 111 After Lifelong Pursuit of Justice

Nov 25, 2025 01:08 pm CST

Viola Ford Fletcher, the oldest survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has died at 111. Her remarkable life journey included witnessing the destruction of Tulsa's thriving Black Wall Street at age 7, working as a WWII welder, and dedicating her final years to seeking justice for one of America's darkest chapters of racial violence. Despite legal setbacks in her quest for reparations, Fletcher's testimony and memoir ensured that the massacre's history and impact would not be forgotten.