Viola Fletcher facts for kids

Viola Fletcher (born May 10, 1914), also known as Mother Fletcher, is an American woman. She is the oldest known living person who survived the Tulsa race massacre. She is also a supercentenarian, meaning she is 110 years old or older. One hundred years after the massacre, she spoke to the U.S. Congress. She talked about the importance of reparations for the harm caused.

Early Life and Family

Viola Fletcher was born on May 10, 1914. Her parents were Lucinda Ellis and John Wesley Ford. She was born in Comanche, Oklahoma. Viola was the second oldest of eight children. Her younger brother, Hughes Van Ellis, was a baby when the massacre happened. He passed away in October 2023 at 102 years old.

Her family's home did not have electricity. Before moving to Tulsa, her family worked as sharecroppers. This meant they farmed land owned by someone else and paid rent with a share of their crops. In Tulsa, her family went to St. Andrew, a Black Baptist church. After the massacre, Viola had to leave school. She finished only the 4th grade because of her family's situation.

Surviving the Tulsa Race Massacre

At the time of the massacre, Viola's family lived in Greenwood. This was a rich Black neighborhood in Tulsa. It was often called "Black Wall Street." Viola was seven years old when the terrible events began. She was asleep in her bed on May 31, 1921. Her mother woke the family up, and they had to run away.

Her family lost everything they owned. They only had the clothes they were wearing. Viola Fletcher is the oldest known living survivor of the massacre. She is a few months older than Lessie Benningfield Randle, who was born in the same year. Even today, Viola reportedly sleeps sitting up on her couch with the lights on. This shows how much the event affected her.

Seeking Justice: The Fight for Reparations

In 2020, Viola Fletcher and other survivors took legal action. They sued the city of Tulsa and other groups. They were seeking reparations, which are payments or actions to make up for past wrongs. However, a judge dismissed the lawsuit in July 2023.

On May 19, 2021, Viola spoke to the U.S. Congress. She testified about reparations. Her brother Hughes, who was 100, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, who was 106, also spoke. Viola told Congress about the violence she remembered. She said, "I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire." She also said that Tulsa had used the victims' names and images of the massacre to make money for the city. In 2022, a kind person named Ed Mitzen gave Viola, her brother, and Lessie Randle $1 million.

Visiting Ghana

In August 2021, Viola Fletcher and her brother Hughes traveled to Ghana. They met with the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo. While there, Viola was honored as a queen mother. This is a respected title in some African cultures. She was also given several Ghanaian names. One name, Naa Lamiley, means "Somebody who is strong. Somebody who stands the test of time." Another name, Naa Yaoteley, means "the first female child in a family or bloodline."

Sharing Her Story

In 2014, Viola Fletcher was interviewed for a special project. This project collected stories from people who lived through important events. It was done by Oklahoma State University.

In 2023, Viola wrote a book about her life. It is called Don’t Let Them Bury My Story. She wrote it with her grandson.

Personal Life and Work

In 1932, when she was 18, Viola married Robert Fletcher. They moved to California. There, they both worked in shipyards. Viola worked as an assistant welder. After World War II, they moved back to Oklahoma. They raised three children there. Viola worked cleaning houses until she was 85 years old.

Viola Fletcher is also known as Mother Fletcher or Mother Viola Fletcher. On May 10, 2024, she turned 110 years old. This made her a supercentenarian.