July 5th 2023.
Viola Ford Fletcher is a woman whose life is defined by resilience and courage. At 109-year-old, she is the oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre. On July 4th of this year, she released her memoir, Don’t Let Them Bury My Story, to help preserve the narrative that was nearly lost due to the refusal of historians to acknowledge the brutality of the attack on “Black Wall Street” in 1921.
Fletcher’s story is one of tragedy and resilience. When she was just seven-years-old, her family and many other innocent Black families were subjected to a violent and brutal attack. In her memoir, she shares the graphic details of the massacre and expresses her confusion about why a mob of violent racists were given deadly weapons and encouraged to kill innocent people.
Despite the horror of the massacre, Fletcher and her family were amongst those who managed to make it out alive. She recounts how they passed piles of dead bodies heaped in the streets, some of whom had their eyes open as if they were still alive.
Fletcher has devoted her life to ensuring the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre is never forgotten. She believes that proper reparations should be given to those affected, yet the city of Tulsa has never sought to compensate its Black community. Now, her memoir is lighting up billboards in Times Square, and she can rest knowing that her story will be remembered.
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