Campaign Launched to Support the Last Two Survivors of Black Wall Street with Homes for Heroes Initiative
'"Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle have witnessed so much pain and loss, yet they continue to demonstrate an unparalleled strength and resilience.It is time for us to show up for them ....' — Paul Randall
TULSA, OK, UNITED STATES, February 9, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- In an effort to honor and support Viola Fletcher, 110, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, 110, the last two remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a new fundraising campaign titled Homes for Heroes has been launched. This initiative aims to raise $1.5 million to provide safe, comfortable homes and ongoing support services for these two extraordinary women who endured unimaginable trauma and loss as children during the massacre that destroyed Black Wall Street.
The campaign seeks to provide two homes—one for each survivor—along with vital ongoing support services such as healthcare, personal care, and education. With this effort, we not only acknowledge their resilience but also honor their place in our shared history. The $1.5 million goal will be broken down into:
$1,000,000 for the purchase of two homes, one for each survivor and their families.
$300,000 for ongoing support services, including healthcare and personal care.
$100,000 for educational initiatives and historical preservation efforts related to the Tulsa Race Massacre.
$100,000 as a contingency fund for unexpected expenses.
The Homes for Heroes campaign has gained momentum as an essential step toward repairing the historical injustices suffered by the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, which decimated the vibrant Black community of Greenwood and left its residents displaced and broken. By coming together, we can offer these remarkable women a peaceful, dignified space in which to spend their remaining years.
'Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle have witnessed so much pain and loss, yet they continue to demonstrate an unparalleled strength and resilience. It is time for us to show up for them as they showed up for so many others. By helping provide them with safe homes, we are not only offering them comfort and peace but also making a statement of solidarity and justice,' said Paul Randall .
How You Can Help:
Donate: Your financial contribution will directly impact the lives of Viola and Lessie by providing them with safe, stable homes and the support they need.
Share: Spread the word about this campaign and encourage others to join in this historic effort to right a wrong and support these women.
Volunteer: If you're able to donate your time and skills, we welcome your support as we work to make this vision a reality.
Timeline for the Campaign:
Month 1-2: Fundraising efforts and purchase of the homes.
Month 3 and beyond: Ongoing maintenance and support for the survivors, along with educational initiatives and preservation of the history of Black Wall Street.
This campaign represents more than just providing homes for Viola and Lessie—it's a step toward healing and justice for the community of Black Wall Street. By contributing, sharing, and volunteering, you can help change the lives of these incredible survivors.
Join us in this critical effort. Let's come together to honor the resilience and strength of Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle. With your support, we can give them the dignity, comfort, and security they deserve.
For more information and to donate https://www.gofundme.com/f/tulsas-last-survivors-need-your-help, please visit our website: www.violafordfletcherfoundation.org and
About the Tulsa Race Massacre:
The Tulsa Race Massacre, which occurred in 1921, resulted in the destruction of the prosperous Greenwood District, known as Black Wall Street, leaving hundreds of Black residents dead and thousands more displaced. The massacre has long been overlooked in mainstream history, but in recent years, there has been growing recognition of the need for reparations and justice for the victims and their descendants. The campaign Homes for Heroes is part of ongoing efforts to honor and support survivors and their families.
+1 305-988-9308
X
YouTube
TikTok
Other
Legal Disclaimer:
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Execution of Tennessee inmate with heart device can go forward despite claims it may shock him
Tennessee can move forward with next week's scheduled execution of a condemned man with a defibrillator after the state's highest court ruled the heart device does not need to be deactivated before he is put to death. Lawyers for inmate Byron Black, 69, had argued to a Davidson County Chancery Court last month that the device, if not disabled, may try to restore his heart and prolong his suffering as he is executed by lethal injection. But the Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday reversed the lower court's ruling, finding that requiring the implanted heart regulating device to be switched off essentially amounts to a "stay of execution," which the chancery court does not have the authority to implement. The state Supreme Court justices, however, did note that there's nothing preventing the state and Black's legal team from reaching an agreement for a deactivation procedure to be done before his execution Tuesday morning. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, is installed in a patient's chest to deliver electric shocks to those with dangerously fast heartbeats and helps restore a regular rhythm. Attorneys for Black filed a request Thursday to the state Supreme Court to temporarily halt the execution, writing that he could otherwise "be subject to the severe pain and suffering of having his heart repeatedly shocked back into rhythm during his execution." One of his lawyers, Kelley Henry, also said she is asking Gov. Bill Lee to grant clemency for her client so that "Tennessee does not move forward with this gruesome spectacle." She also argued that Black is intellectually disabled and that his execution would violate the state Constitution. Black was convicted in the 1988 shooting deaths of his girlfriend, Angela Clay, 29, and her two daughters, Latoya, 9, and Lakeisha, 6. Nashville police said that Black had previously threatened harm to Clay because she was considering ending their relationship, according to her sister. Black previously faced three execution dates but those procedures were delayed, in part, because of a pause in state executions in 2022 due to issues in testing its lethal injection drugs. Tennessee resumed executions in May under a new lethal injection protocol using pentobarbital, a sedative. State Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement Thursday that he will "continue fighting to seek justice for the Clay family and to hold Black accountable for his horrific crimes." He added that the state's experts do not believe Black would suffer severe pain during his execution and also rejected the description of him as being intellectually disabled. In testimony last month before the Davidson County Chancery Court, medical experts for the state and Black argued over whether his ICD would, in fact, cause prolonged pain. "Mr. Black will not be feeling the shocks as he will be in a coma" brought on by the lethal injection process, testified Dr. Litsa Lambrakos, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. But Dr. Gail Van Norman, an anesthesiology professor at the University of Washington who specializes in heart surgeries, suggested otherwise. She testified that the use of a potent amount of pentobarbital, which can cause death from respiratory failure, could unnecessarily trigger Black's defibrillator. "ICDs sometimes deliver shocks when they're not needed," she said. "This is devastating to patients." Black's execution is slated for Tuesday at 10 a.m., barring any court intervention or a reprieve from the governor. As the legal process plays out, whether Black would even find a medical professional to disable his device is unclear. At issue is also the timing of when his device would be deactivated — his health could be at risk if it were done too soon and his execution was put on hold at the last minute. Previously, a Tennessee Department of Correction official said that Nashville General Hospital would participate in such a procedure. But hospital spokeswoman Cathy Poole said the facility "has no role in state executions." "The correctional healthcare provider contracted by the Tennessee Department of Correction did not contact appropriate Nashville General Hospital leadership with its request to deactivate the implanted defibrillator," she said in a statement. "Our contract with the correctional healthcare provider is to support the ongoing medical care of its patients," Poole added. "This request is well outside of that agreement and would also require cooperation with several other entities, all of which have indicated they are unwilling to participate." The American Medical Association's code of ethics says physicians should not be forced to determine a prisoner's competency to stand execution or treat an incompetent condemned prisoner "if such activity is contrary to the physician's personal beliefs." "As a member of a profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so, a physician must not participate in a legally authorized execution," the code says. While Black's case doesn't involve a doctor or hospital participating in an execution directly, the idea that the procedure is still part of the process would raise ethical questions for medical professionals, said Robin Maher, executive director of the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. Black's legal team also says he suffers from other physical ailments, including advanced dementia, brain damage and kidney disease. "I fear we are going to see many more of these situations as this population grows older," Maher said of death row inmates, who can spend decades behind bars appealing their cases before they are put to death. Restoring their health, either mentally or physically, only so they can be executed presents a further moral quandary, she added. "This is the kind of case in which the governor should issue a reprieve that would be the saving grace for Mr. Black," Maher said. This article was originally published on


NBC News
5 hours ago
- NBC News
Execution of Tennessee inmate with heart device can go forward despite claims it may shock him
Tennessee can move forward with next week's scheduled execution of a condemned man with a defibrillator after the state's highest court ruled the heart device does not need to be deactivated before he is put to death. Lawyers for inmate Byron Black, 69, had argued to a Davidson County Chancery Court last month that the device, if not disabled, may try to restore his heart and prolong his suffering as he is executed by lethal injection. But the Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday reversed the lower court's ruling, finding that requiring the implanted heart regulating device to be switched off essentially amounts to a "stay of execution," which the chancery court does not have the authority to implement. The state Supreme Court justices, however, did note that there's nothing preventing the state and Black's legal team from reaching an agreement for a deactivation procedure to be done before his execution Tuesday morning. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, is installed in a patient's chest to deliver electric shocks to those with dangerously fast heartbeats and helps restore a regular rhythm. Attorneys for Black filed a request Thursday to the state Supreme Court to temporarily halt the execution, writing that he could otherwise "be subject to the severe pain and suffering of having his heart repeatedly shocked back into rhythm during his execution." One of his lawyers, Kelley Henry, also said she is asking Gov. Bill Lee to grant clemency for her client so that "Tennessee does not move forward with this gruesome spectacle." She also argued that Black is intellectually disabled and that his execution would violate the state Constitution. Black was convicted in the 1988 shooting deaths of his girlfriend, Angela Clay, 29, and her two daughters, Latoya, 9, and Lakeisha, 6. Nashville police said that Black had previously threatened harm to Clay because she was considering ending their relationship, according to her sister. Black previously faced three execution dates but those procedures were delayed, in part, because of a pause in state executions in 2022 due to issues in testing its lethal injection drugs. Tennessee resumed executions in May under a new lethal injection protocol using pentobarbital, a sedative. State Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement Thursday that he will "continue fighting to seek justice for the Clay family and to hold Black accountable for his horrific crimes." He added that the state's experts do not believe Black would suffer severe pain during his execution and also rejected the description of him as being intellectually disabled. In testimony last month before the Davidson County Chancery Court, medical experts for the state and Black argued over whether his ICD would, in fact, cause prolonged pain. "Mr. Black will not be feeling the shocks as he will be in a coma" brought on by the lethal injection process, testified Dr. Litsa Lambrakos, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. But Dr. Gail Van Norman, an anesthesiology professor at the University of Washington who specializes in heart surgeries, suggested otherwise. She testified that the use of a potent amount of pentobarbital, which can cause death from respiratory failure, could unnecessarily trigger Black's defibrillator. "ICDs sometimes deliver shocks when they're not needed," she said. "This is devastating to patients." Black's execution is slated for Tuesday at 10 a.m., barring any court intervention or a reprieve from the governor. As the legal process plays out, whether Black would even find a medical professional to disable his device is unclear. At issue is also the timing of when his device would be deactivated — his health could be at risk if it were done too soon and his execution was put on hold at the last minute. Previously, a Tennessee Department of Correction official said that Nashville General Hospital would participate in such a procedure. But hospital spokeswoman Cathy Poole said the facility "has no role in state executions." "The correctional healthcare provider contracted by the Tennessee Department of Correction did not contact appropriate Nashville General Hospital leadership with its request to deactivate the implanted defibrillator," she said in a statement. "Our contract with the correctional healthcare provider is to support the ongoing medical care of its patients," Poole added. "This request is well outside of that agreement and would also require cooperation with several other entities, all of which have indicated they are unwilling to participate." The American Medical Association's code of ethics says physicians should not be forced to determine a prisoner's competency to stand execution or treat an incompetent condemned prisoner "if such activity is contrary to the physician's personal beliefs." "As a member of a profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so, a physician must not participate in a legally authorized execution," the code says. While Black's case doesn't involve a doctor or hospital participating in an execution directly, the idea that the procedure is still part of the process would raise ethical questions for medical professionals, said Robin Maher, executive director of the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. Black's legal team also says he suffers from other physical ailments, including advanced dementia, brain damage and kidney disease. "I fear we are going to see many more of these situations as this population grows older," Maher said of death row inmates, who can spend decades behind bars appealing their cases before they are put to death. Restoring their health, either mentally or physically, only so they can be executed presents a further moral quandary, she added. "This is the kind of case in which the governor should issue a reprieve that would be the saving grace for Mr. Black," Maher said.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ohio politicians use Cincinnati fight for their agenda, ignoring tougher issues
Don't be fooled by politicians outraged about the ugly, viral brawl that left Cincinnati with a shiner so big the entire nation noticed. Vice President JD Vance, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Viviek Ramasamy, and U.S. senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted of Ohio aren't upset about the incident that also drew criticism to Columbus and other large American cities. The July 26 downtown Cincinnati fight that sent two to the hospital with non-life-threatening but shocking injuries was awful, but it was far from an example of the worst crime problems communities here or around the nation face. You wouldn't know that listening to Vance and the rest. That is by design and follows a very old playbook. The Cincinnati victims are White. The suspects are Black. Our Republican leaders' and possible future governor's collective outrage against it is "smart" but divisive politics that builds on a long tradition of freaking White people out about the scary Black uprising overtaking larger American cities. Hell, it traces back beyond slavery, it is so old. The rhetoric is shameful, but there are more substantial consequences. The political games played by Vance, Ramaswamy, Moreno and Husted distract from the real conversations about violence that should happen in Cincinnati, Columbus and elsewhere in Ohio. Ohio politicians rather finger-wag than put forth real policy Why push for policies that improve the lives of Ohioans when you can race-bait and shake your finger at political opponents at the same time? Crime is an easy target against Democratic mayors of Ohio's large cities, but it isn't the problem of only Democratic mayors of large Ohio cities. Ohio's representatives in Washington — Vance included — should be working for solutions. Ohio Gov.. Mike DeWine, a Republican, gets that complaining about an issue is no solution. Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval has accepted help from the governor's that includes traffic enforcement to free up police, data analysis of where crime happens and the use of a helicopter for criminal suspect searches, and vehicle pursuit mitigation from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It would be too much like work to push for policies that address the bevy of real problems that impact Ohio communities, big and small. Take gun violence and domestic violence, for instance. As bad as the Cincinnati fight was, no soul was lost. Gun violence is a real issue in Ohio According to Johns Hopkins University, guns were the leading cause of death among children and teens in 2022. There were 1,831 deaths that year, including 102 children. According to the report, 1,046 of those gun deaths were suicides and 738 were homicides. The prior year, there were 155 domestic violence-related homicides in Ohio. Nearly 70% were by firearm. In a press release, Moreno announced that the U.S. attorney general has launched an FBI investigation into the Cincinnati brawl, even though it was already being prosecuted in the Queen City. Wouldn't it be nice if he were as passionate about advocating for gun violence victims? For instance, where was the outrage when 17-year-old Cameron Moore was killed and five others were wounded in a mass shooting at a July 4 house party on Columbus' Southeast Side? So much more could be done to keep guns out of the wrong hands, and people want those in power to do something. Opinion: Are thugs ruining date nights in Columbus? JD Vance says so. What do you say? Poll after poll shows that Ohioans from all political persuasions overwhelmingly support gun policies like mandatory background checks, red flag laws, safe storage laws and training for concealed carry. There are solutions to gun violence but our leaders on the state and national levels do not have the will to push for them. It is easier and smarter to stoke fear. Through their statements and social media posts, they conjure images of "lawless thugs" enabled by Democratic city leaders like Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, who, according to them, lean so far to the left that they are barely upright. Pureval is considered one of the few stars in Ohio's politically weak Democratic Party. Of course, he's a target. Pureval should have jumped ahead of the scandal. Part of a mayor's responsibility is to create safe environments for people in their cities. People were hurt, and the city's reputation — at least in the short term — was damaged. That doesn't change the fact that Vance, Moreno and the rest are using it to feed fear and score points with online trolls. What's not happening in Columbus Asked about the fight during a press conference in Canton, Vance's memory has to be jogged to remember that Moreno sent him a clip of a video. He then launched into a baseless rant about lawless thugs in great American cities, ignoring the fact that violent crime is down in most Ohio cities. "How many of you all have wanted to go to downtown Akron or downtown Canton or downtown Columbus for a meal, but you're worried because the local authorities in these big cities have allowed lawlessness to run wild? We have got to make great American cities safe again for families and children," Vance said. The Cincinnati resident might as well have said, Black city thugs beat up White people trying to enjoy a night on the town. "They are ruining date night in Columbus." His assertions do not match facts. Opinion: Asking kids about guns in their homes helps save lives Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased by 11.6% nationally in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Aggravated assaults were down nearly 3%. There have been 45 homicides recorded in Columbus this year as of July 28, the city's lowest homicide rate in at least 12 years. Felony assault cases were half of what they were two years ago on the same date — 454 reports. One case does not make a trend The facts of the fight are far less divisive than the notion that cities are infested with criminals. During the July 26 incident in downtown Cincinnati captured on multiple cameras, a White man was pummeled by multiple Black people after an apparent verbal argument escalated. A White woman seemingly lost consciousness after being punched in the head by a Black male. Cincinnati officials should have addressed the public concerns sooner, but the crime hasn't been swept under the rug. At the writing of this column, five people have been charged in connection with the viral brawl that pushed Cincinnati into the national limelight. Two victims were treated at a hospital and released, according to Cincinnati police. Two victims treated and released won't get you reelected. Stoking the flames is sexier than simply saying "police are investigating." In a video posted to his Instagram page, Husted said the victims were beaten to nearly the "point of death" and decried efforts to defund the police. "Not only did people not intervene and help, but they actually participated in the beating of these victims," Husted said. "I called all three of them — and there may have been more. In conversations with them, they didn't understand why. I know maybe more facts will come out in this situation, but this is the point that's true: This is happening in America, across our cities, like it did in Cincinnati. It's not tolerable." It shouldn't be tolerated, but it is flatly inflammatory to claim it is a common occurrence. There is no mass outbreak of people being beaten up on the streets of America. There are real problems and real solutions. It saddens me that officials with the ability to do good won't do anything but make things worse. It is an outrage that they'd rather divide us with racist tropes than bring us together. Amelia Robinson is The Columbus Dispatch opinion editor. T This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Cincinnati fight makes good race-bait for Ohio politicians | Opinion Solve the daily Crossword