Oldest Tulsa Race Massacre Survivor Viola Ford Fletcher Passes Away at 111

Viola Ford Fletcher known to many as Mother Fletcher has passed away at the age of 111 ending one of the last living links to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Her life stretched from the Jim Crow era to the present day and her voice became one of the most important in preserving the truth of what happened in Greenwood.

Fletcher was only seven years old when white mobs descended on the thriving Black community known as Black Wall Street. She carried those memories with her for the rest of her life remembering burning businesses the sound of explosions families fleeing for safety and airplanes flying overhead as the community she knew was destroyed. The massacre left thousands homeless and erased generations of Black wealth and opportunity.

Despite the trauma she endured Fletcher lived a life defined by strength hard work and service. She spent years working in a shipyard during World War Two moved back to Oklahoma raised her family and continued working well into her eighties. In her later years she became a powerful advocate for justice using her voice to testify before Congress and speak publicly about the need for recognition and reparations.

Her passing comes at a time when Tulsa continues to wrestle with its past and how to honor survivors and descendants. Fletcher’s life stood as a reminder of what was lost in Greenwood but also of the resilience of those who lived through it. With her death the urgency to preserve this history and push for meaningful accountability becomes even greater.

Mother Fletcher spent more than a century fighting to make sure the world never forgot what she saw as a child. Now it is up to all of us to carry that responsibility forward.