Lessie Benningfield Randle, the Tulsa Race Massacre survivor fondly known as “Mother Randle,” marked a personal milestone on Nov. 10, as she celebrated her 110th birthday. Randle, one of two living survivors of the 1921 racial attack on the prosperous Black-founded Greenwood district of Tulsa, Okla. also known as “Black Wall Street,” was fêted in her hometown by loved ones and city and state leaders an event at local restaurant Fixins.
Born in 1914 before women were granted the right to vote, Mother Randle’s 110th birthday took place less than a week after the the revered centenarian proudly announced the casting of her ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
“My grandchildren deserve a world where taking care of their parents isn’t a financial struggle, medication is affordable, and women are free,” read a statement from Randle, in part. “And all of our children deserve a president who will inspire them to learn from history, not a tyrant who will try to erase it.
“The mob that murdered my neighbors in Greenwood was so angry, and this country is at risk of allowing that same anger to take over its soul again,” she continued, later adding: “I have lived through that nightmare. And trust me, we can’t afford to go back.”
Over a century since those atrocities took place — destroying over 36 square blocks as hundreds of Black citizens were murdered and millions in Black wealth were lost and stolen — Randle has continued to advocate for justice for the Greenwood community. Alongside fellow survivor Viola Ford Fletcher and Fletcher’s younger brother, the late Hughes Van Ellis, the trio launched a historic lawsuit against the city of Tulsa for financial reparations. Following the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s dismissal of their suit in June, Randle and Fletcher have continued to fight, challenging the court’s decision and prompting the U.S. Justice Department to announce its first-ever investigation into the massacre in October.
Earlier in November, Randle was honored by a flag flown at the U.S. Capitol under the direction of Congressman Al Green, D-Texas. Green personally presented the flag to her on Sunday, one of several leaders present to laud Randle’s efforts and legacy of activism.
As Damario Solomon-Simmons, lead attorney for the survivors and founder of the Justice for Greenwood movement, said in a statement:
“Mother Randle has done a tremendous job of opening the country’s eyes to the horrors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, its enduring impact and the need for accountability and restitution. And she’s made it clear that she’s not done yet. At 110 years old, Mother Randle is still challenging America to live up to its purported values, which is the true measure of a patriot. She is not only living history — she is a source of inspiration and one of the strongest people I know.”
