Viola Ford Fletcher’s death at the age of 111 closes a chapter of living memory from one of the most devastating episodes of racial violence in United States history. Her long life, marked by survival, advocacy, and enduring grace, ensured that the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre remained in public consciousness long after the event faded from mainstream history books.
Even in her later years, Fletcher used her voice and her lived experience to remind the nation of the trauma inflicted on the Greenwood community and of the unfulfilled promise of justice for its victims. Her passing marks a moment of reflection for Tulsa, for the country, and for all who have fought to preserve the truth of the massacre.
Fletcher, known affectionately by many as “Mother Fletcher,” turned her personal tragedy into a lifelong campaign for recognition, accountability, and historical accuracy, becoming a symbol of resilience at a time when few survivors remained.
Early Life in Greenwood and the Violence of 1921
When Viola Ford Fletcher was born in 1913, Tulsa’s Greenwood District was one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States, often referred to as “Black Wall Street.” It was a neighborhood built through decades of collective effort, entrepreneurship, and community cohesion. Fletcher was just seven years old when that thriving community was destroyed. Her early childhood, like that of many Black children in Oklahoma at the time, existed within the harsh confines of Jim Crow segregation.
Despite the discriminatory laws and social barriers of the era, Greenwood’s Black residents built successful businesses, schools, and cultural institutions that rivaled those in many white communities. The events of May 31 and June 1, 1921 shattered that world. They began when 19-year-old Dick Rowland, a Black shoeshiner, was arrested over allegations that he had assaulted a white elevator operator named Sarah Page.
The accusation, which Page later declined to pursue, set off a chain reaction in a region already rife with racial tension. As white residents gathered at the courthouse, calling for Rowland’s lynching, members of the Greenwood community arrived in an attempt to protect him from mob violence. The confrontation that followed ignited chaos, escalating within hours into one of the largest acts of racial terror in American history.
Vigilantes and some local law enforcement officers descended on Greenwood, looting homes and businesses and setting entire blocks ablaze. Families fled through smoke-filled streets as gunfire echoed across the district. Fletcher would later recall the terror of the night: the flames, the screams, and the realization that everything her family had built was being destroyed before her eyes. Her family, like thousands of others, was left destitute. They lost their home, their security, and their life savings in a matter of hours.
Forced to flee the region, the family became sharecroppers, surviving on subsistence agriculture under an exploitative system in which laborers gave most of their crops to the landowner. Though estimates vary, contemporary reports suggest that as many as 300 Black residents were killed during the massacre and many more injured. Survivors were buried in unmarked graves, and the full death toll has never been conclusively documented.
Viola Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, has died. She was 111.
— PBS News (@NewsHour) November 24, 2025
"I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot," she told Congress in 2021.@GeoffRBennett has more. pic.twitter.com/5A4MQEyBUD
Over 35 blocks of Greenwood were burned, causing economic damage equivalent to more than $32 million in 2024 terms. The physical destruction was matched by decades of political, social, and economic erasure. The event received little national attention at the time, and local efforts to rebuild were met with resistance. For many families, including the Fords, the massacre permanently altered their prospects, generational wealth, and stability.
A Lifetime of Advocacy and the Fight for Recognition
For much of her life, the Tulsa Race Massacre remained largely unspoken outside the Black community. Survivors carried the trauma quietly, often discouraged from telling their stories or doubted by those who refused to acknowledge the extent of the violence. It was not until 1997, more than 75 years later, that the state of Oklahoma convened an official commission to investigate the events. Even then, efforts to secure compensation for survivors and descendants stalled.
A lawsuit filed in 2001 failed due to the statute of limitations, highlighting the structural barriers that had long prevented meaningful redress. Fletcher, however, refused to allow the story to fade. Her emergence as a public figure in her later years reflected not only the urgency of preserving firsthand testimony but also her personal conviction that history must be recorded truthfully.
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On the centennial anniversary of the massacre in 2021, at the age of 107, she testified before the U.S. Congress. Her words captured both the tragedy of her stolen childhood and the decades of struggle that followed. She spoke not simply for herself but for the hundreds who never received justice and for the thousands of descendants who continued to grapple with the legacy of the violence.
Her testimony drew national attention and prompted a renewed wave of public discussion about the massacre, reparations, and historical memory. Fletcher’s clarity, dignity, and unwavering commitment to truth resonated across political divides. She became a powerful reminder that the past is never as distant as it appears and that unresolved injustices continue to shape contemporary society.
Her activism extended beyond public testimony. In 2023, she co-authored a memoir titled Don’t Let Them Bury My Story with her grandson, ensuring that her account would be preserved for future generations. The memoir provided personal insight into her early life, the aftermath of the massacre, and her long journey toward recognition. Its publication served as an important contribution to historical documentation, personal storytelling, and community healing.
Her efforts were widely recognized. Leaders from around the country expressed admiration for her work and sorrow at her passing. Former President Barack Obama credited her with helping to ensure that the painful legacy of Tulsa would never be forgotten. Local officials in Tulsa echoed that sentiment, describing her as a symbol of truth, resilience, and progress. Mayor Monroe Nichols noted that she carried “111 years of truth, resilience, and grace,” framing her life as a testament to both survival and perseverance.
Legacy, National Memory, and the Path Forward
Viola Ford Fletcher’s death raises profound questions about how societies remember, acknowledge, and learn from episodes of racial violence. As one of the last known survivors of the massacre, she represented a direct human link to a historical event that reshaped the trajectory of the Black community in Tulsa and impacted the broader struggle for civil rights in the United States. With her passing, the responsibility of preserving the history of Greenwood now falls entirely to descendants, scholars, educators, and community leaders.
The legacy of the massacre remains a subject of public policy debate, particularly regarding reparations. Despite the 1997 investigation and subsequent findings acknowledging the severity of the violence and its long-term consequences, survivors and their families have not received formal compensation. Fletcher’s advocacy brought renewed visibility to this issue, but legal and political obstacles remain.
Her death also highlights the ongoing effort to identify and commemorate the victims of the massacre. In recent years, archaeologists and historians have worked to locate unmarked mass graves, attempting to piece together a fuller understanding of the death toll. The emotional weight of these discoveries underscores the long-lasting effects of the violence and the importance of continued historical inquiry.
For Tulsa and the nation, Fletcher’s life serves as a reminder that history must be actively preserved to be truly understood. Memory fades without deliberate effort, and unaddressed injustices leave lasting scars. Fletcher’s insistence on telling her story rejects the historical silence that often surrounds acts of racial violence. Her advocacy contributes to a broader national reckoning with the realities of the past and their influence on present-day inequalities.
Her personal story also illustrates the resilience found within communities targeted by systemic racism. Despite losing her home, her community, and the stability of her early childhood, she went on to live more than a century, raising a family, contributing to society, and ultimately shaping historical understanding. Her presence at public events, congressional hearings, and commemorations reminded Americans that the survivors of racial terror were not abstract figures but real individuals who endured immense suffering and continued to demand justice.
As the United States grapples with its complex past, Fletcher’s life encourages both remembrance and action. Her example calls for an honest examination of historical events and a commitment to addressing the lasting consequences of racial violence. The destruction of Greenwood was not simply a momentary tragedy; it was an economic, social, and generational trauma that continues to influence the descendants of those displaced.
Her passing marks the end of a living generation, but her story continues to shape the national conversation. Through her memoir, testimonies, and decades of public advocacy, she ensured that the Tulsa Race Massacre would not remain buried in obscurity. Her life’s work helps guarantee that the truth endures, providing future generations with the knowledge necessary to pursue justice, equity, and reconciliation.
Viola Ford Fletcher leaves behind a legacy defined not only by survival but by courage and moral clarity. She transformed a personal tragedy into a mission for truth that resonated across time and geography. As the oldest known survivor of the massacre, her voice carried the weight of history, urging the nation to remember, to reckon, and to learn. Her influence endures in the ongoing fight for historical recognition, civil rights, and the pursuit of justice.