Friday, June 14, 2024
Oklahoma Supreme Court rules against Tulsa Race Massacre victims, ending a century-long fight for justice Raynee Howell Staff Reporter
On Wednesday, Viola Ford Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, the last two living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, had their day in Oklahoma’s highest court. The Court sided with the District Court of Tulsa County in dismissing the case after a four-year battle, ending the survivors’ attempts to enact justice from the City of Tulsa. The lawsuit the survivors were appealing was originally filed in 2020 by Fletcher, Randle and a third survivor, Hughes Ellis Sr. The survivors attempted to sue the City of Tulsa and other corporations that contributed to the massacre under Oklahoma’s public nuisance law and unjust enrichment law. The three survivors presented their case in front of Caroline Wall, the district court judge of Tulsa County, a few times before Wall dismissed the case in July 2023. Ellis Sr. passed away at the age of 102 in late 2023, before the case could be appealed before the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Fletcher, 110, and Randle,
109, continued the fight. In the appeal to the Oklahoma Supreme Court dated June 12, it states the plaintiffs were seeking abatement of the public nuisance caused by the defendants’ unreasonable, unwarranted, unlawful acts and omissions that began with the massacre and continue to this day. Basic human needs, according to the plaintiffs, were placed behind barriers. Jobs, financial security, education, health, housing and justice were among the list of needs they felt were withheld. The plaintiffs also claimed the City of Tulsa and the other defendants violated the unjust enrichment statute. “Plaintiffs alleged that defendants appropriated the name “Black Wall Street,” a moniker for the Greenwood neighborhood, for use in marketing efforts to promote the City of Tulsa as a tourist attraction, without returning any of those benefits to members of the community,” the document stated. The survivors argued the social and economic consequences of the massacre still exist in Tulsa, and the promotion of “Black Wall Street” as a tourist attraction became an exploitation of their trauma. See Supreme Court on 3
Raynee Howell
Walking alone is a privilege most women don’t enjoy Kennedy Thomason Editor-in-Chief
Column
File Photo Stillwater residents will vote for a county commissioner, a representative and a senator June 18.
Here’s your guide to Payne County elections Raynee Howell Staff Reporter
College students who find Stillwater to be a temporary home may not find it important to vote in the local elections, yet some plan to start a future not far from their alma mater. Whether you plan to be here for the next four years or for a lifetime, the future of Payne County rests in the hands of voters who cast votes in the primary election on June 18. County commissioner, state representative and senate positions are up for re-election. With some categories being a fight between only Republicans, the June 18 election can determine who takes office. County Commissioner Chris Reding is running for his fourth term as County Commissioner for Payne County District 2. His opponent is newcomer Seth Condley. Reding has lived his entire life in Stillwater. He graduated from Stillwater High School and attended OSU. Condley is a Muskogee native who moved to Stillwater to attend OSU. He played football under Bob Simmons during his college years, and after graduating, he worked in the OSU athletic department until 2007. During that time, he also became a coach, and later, a teacher for Stillwater Public Schools. As an active voter, Condley said he felt there was no candidate he agreed with and decided to run himself. One of the main issues addressed in the County Commission Candidate Forum hosted by the Stillwater Frontier Rotary Club on May 30 was the difficulties surrounding implementation of a radio system between police, fire and other first responders. Reding has been working toward
the radio system since 2012, but has encountered many “bumps in the road.” Working with the other commissioners to fund the plan proved to be difficult. Condley scrutinized Redley’s communication skills and his plan to bring the system to fruition. With the recent charge of embezzlement against the Sheriff’s department, the mediator asked Reding to comment. Reding explained the woman allegedly behind the embezzlement was masterful and able to manipulate the accounts. He said there are now safeguards in place to prevent it from happening again. Condley said he thinks they need to continue to have multiple people involved in transactions and purchasing in the department. He said he would like to ban stamping documents until they are in open meetings, out in the public, to prevent further fraud. Condley is in favor of removing the cap on the County Bridge and Road Improvement fund. “In 2019, the cost to asphalt one mile of road was just under $200,000,” Condley said. “Now, it’s almost $400,000.” Opening the cap would provide more revenue and resources to fix roads and bridges in all three districts in Payne County. Reding agrees that the cap needs to be removed to maintain the county highway system. Reding said he plans to approach the commissioner position as he has for the past three terms if re-elected. Condley said he does not wish to see the commissioner office remain the same. He said he wants open communication and the opportunity to repair fractured relationships with officials. With no democratic candidate running, the primary election will determine who will take office for the next term. See Elections on 2
There is no peace being a woman. When you’re walking outside. When you’re on a run. When you want a breath of fresh air. Wednesday evening, the Stillwater Police Department reported a female runner was groped at Boomer Lake. Unfortunately, Stillwater is no exception to crimes like that. In February, a female student was sexually assaulted off campus near Theta Pond. She was walking home around 2 a.m. alone. Being alone shouldn’t warrant precautionary measures, but it does. There’s a reason I have a Birdie alarm on my keychain and why my friends have pepper spray on theirs. As a runner, I’ve always been told to take precautionary measures. Before every solo run, my mom used to go through a checklist. “Put your hair in a bun; don’t put it in a ponytail,” she said. “Don’t wear headphones. Or at the very least, only wear one. Make sure to pay attention to your surroundings.” As I pound pavement every morning, I stick to areas with lights. Places I know I will see other people. I try to switch up my routes. I look over my shoulder periodically to make sure I don’t have someone following me.
But even daylight can’t spare you from accosters. About two weeks ago, I was on a mid-afternoon run in Stillwater when a man driving a work truck catcalled me. I brushed it off, convincing myself that he wasn’t yelling at me. I didn’t catch what he said because of the music playing in my headphones. “Maybe he was just singing really loud,” I thought. Less than a mile later, the truck was back. And the driver was yelling at me again. This time, I knew he was yelling at me. I was uncomfortable, but because it was broad daylight and there were people around, I still felt mostly safe. I called a loved one and had them stay on the phone until I was back home. The day before, my younger sister was also catcalled. Walking with our family dog, she was making her way around Boomer Lake. A truck full of boys pulled up next to her, yelling at her. They followed her briefly while she ignored them. Instances like these are everyday experiences for women. It should probably bother me more than it does. As a runner, I know things like this will periodically happen. It doesn’t change the fact that it shouldn’t. It also doesn’t mean harassment stops at a few words. In February, Laken Hope Riley was killed during a run on the University of Georgia’s Athens campus. Although I hope catcalling is the worst I ever experience, I have to take precautions for much worse. It’s not fair, but it’s the way it is. news.ed@ocolly.com
Payton Little Women have to take precautionary measures to ensure safety when walking or running alone.