This bill seeks to provide justice and financial compensation to the remaining living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa/Greenwood Race Massacre. It acknowledges that for over a century, various levels of government, including the Federal Government, have failed to ensure meaningful justice for the victims of this devastating event, which involved widespread violence, destruction, and racial terrorism. The legislation highlights the advanced age of the two known surviving victims, Viola Ford Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, emphasizing the urgent need for action after their recent lawsuit was dismissed on procedural grounds. The core provision mandates that the Secretary of the Treasury pay each living survivor, as of May 1, 2025, or their estate, a total of $20,796,736 , comprising equal amounts for compensatory and punitive damages. This payment is intended to compensate for the Federal Government's failure to prevent, investigate, prosecute, or litigate the massacre. The Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights is tasked with certifying payments upon proof of identity, specifically a birth certificate, without requiring additional information. These payments will be drawn from the Judgment Fund and will serve as full satisfaction of all claims a living survivor may have against the United States for the described harm, making them ineligible for further federal compensation related to the massacre.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Crime and Law Enforcement
Original Justice for living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa/Greenwood Race Massacre Act
USA119th CongressHR-4228| House
| Updated: 6/27/2025
This bill seeks to provide justice and financial compensation to the remaining living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa/Greenwood Race Massacre. It acknowledges that for over a century, various levels of government, including the Federal Government, have failed to ensure meaningful justice for the victims of this devastating event, which involved widespread violence, destruction, and racial terrorism. The legislation highlights the advanced age of the two known surviving victims, Viola Ford Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, emphasizing the urgent need for action after their recent lawsuit was dismissed on procedural grounds. The core provision mandates that the Secretary of the Treasury pay each living survivor, as of May 1, 2025, or their estate, a total of $20,796,736 , comprising equal amounts for compensatory and punitive damages. This payment is intended to compensate for the Federal Government's failure to prevent, investigate, prosecute, or litigate the massacre. The Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights is tasked with certifying payments upon proof of identity, specifically a birth certificate, without requiring additional information. These payments will be drawn from the Judgment Fund and will serve as full satisfaction of all claims a living survivor may have against the United States for the described harm, making them ineligible for further federal compensation related to the massacre.