Tulsa Race Massacre survivors and descendants to host second annual 'Black Wall Street Legacy Festival' to commemorate the massacre, 101 years later

Press Contact: 

paige@terencecrutcherfoundation.org | +1 539.867.1304

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Overview:

Hosted by survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre and helmed by organizations based in the affected community, the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival seeks to elevate and amplify the hard work and voices of Black Tulsans over the last 101 years by offering opportunities to reflect, learn, and inspire through community-curated experiences. National partners include Human Rights Watch, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), FWD.us, The Who We Are Project, and more. Please visit blackwallstreetlegacyfest.com for additional information. 

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Full Content:

A series of community-led events will honor massacre victims, amplify the experiences of remaining survivors, and chart the future of Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood 

Tulsa, Oklahoma (March 20, 2022) -- Survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and descendants of victims will host the second annual Black Wall Street Legacy Festival from May 27-28 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to commemorate 101 years of one of the worst occurrences of violence against Black people in US history. The series of community-led events will take place in Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood and center the hundreds who lost their lives during the atrocity, as well as the survivors and descendants who continue fighting for justice a century later. 

Last year, this powerful event attracted visitors from across the country. Tens of thousands of people attended the event’s many concerts, panels and ceremonies. This year, we are proud to once again host this community-led and Greenwood-centered event to elevate the voices of survivors and descendants, celebrate what the ancestors of Greenwood built and continue the call for justice that has been too long denied.

As was true last year, The Festival is headlined by the last known massacre survivors -- 107-year-old Lessie Benningfield “Mother” Randle, 107-year-old Viola “Mother” Fletcher, and 101-year-old Hughes Van Ellis -- who will lead a procession and participate in an event honoring their legacy. 

“Each day that we have with the massacre survivors is a gift. It’s important to remember that folks have clawed through pain, trauma, and erasure to arrive at this moment, 101 years after the massacre,” said Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, one of the descendants of the massacre and lead organizers of the Festival. She also serves as founder and executive director of the Tulsa-based Terence Crutcher Foundation. “The Black Wall Street Legacy Festival is the Greenwood community’s tribute to the massacre victims who are no longer with us. It’s a love letter to those who have held on for dear life, and a chance to inspire the next generation to take the baton.” 

A full lineup of artists, speakers and events will be announced over the coming weeks! We are honored by the incredible turnout of last year’s Festival and honored to make the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival a mainstay for our community. We encourage everyone who is interested in learning more about the Festival (including details about events, volunteer opportunities, event sponsorship, vendor spaces and more) to follow us on social media, including on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Additional details about the festival will also soon be available at blackwallstreetlegacyfest.com.