Mother Fletcher's legacy will live on as the epitome of honor, courage, strength, and resilience in the face of violent terrorism, white supremacy, and cowardice
I only learned of the Tulsa Massacre ... not as part of American history in school ... but when the 100th anniversary happened, and we were introduced to the last surviving three. Imagine the strength of them, and finally Viola Fletcher -- yes, this memory and reconciliation must happen for Viola, .... and ourselves. We are not a whole country until the whole of American history is recorded. White supremacy is surely the greatest terror we face.
Learning the truth in the U.S. requires research. It shouldn’t, but it does. Imagine an example of successful black businesses that would have been the example of a better life for the black population. But no…jealous hateful monsters couldn’t have that.
I found out so many things after 9/11. I knew something was not correct with the information. I picked up independently made videos…dvds. And bought books by left wing intellectuals…Howard Zinn, Daniel Ellsberg..memoir of the Pentagon Papers, Talbot’s-The Devils Chessboard etc.
We keep cycling around and around without revamping our system! Since the orange felon has destroyed our Constitution, it is time for a drastic alteration.
Let us give thanks this Thanksgiving that our sordid history gets retold over and over till we approximate justice and equality in our very diverse nation.
Whenever I can I contribute to the Equal Justice Initiative. Their efforts have been grounded in Alabama - Birmingham and they have documented & memorialized the history of lynching in the US. In due course they may take up the Tulsa Massacre - perhaps if they ever run out of lynching victims.
I wonder how much buried atrocity we have yet to uncover and how much hideous mental acrobatics our "leaders" and our run of the mill citizens have performed to foster the lie of American freedom and liberty and rule of law....
The most astonishing thing to me about the rise of authoritarian tyranny is the almost complete silence about Universal Human Rights when that is so clearly what we all need!
I hope there is a film someday about the Tulsa events. The "Killers of the Flower Moon" -- first the book, then the film -- really brought to life the Osage Indian slaughter, and there needs to be a book and film about Tulsa too, as they were both "hidden history" stories of America. I had heard about them both, but I went to a very progressive (although public) school system. But I believe it was rare to learn about these stories. I hope Viola Fletcher continues to be memorialized. Thank you for keeping so much history alive and for highlighting important stories, both past and present.
In my NJ school system despite taking American history in one way or another in almost every one of the 12 years I spent there I can remember so little information about slavery the civil war, reconstruction, the Great Migration (that was happening during my childhood) I might as well have lived on Mars. I learned more about these topics at the Canadian college I attended in the 2 or 3 history courses covering North America than In all of my American schooling. Mind you, The Canadian history course largely skipped over the black settlements of escaped slaves in Ontario and in the Maritime Provinces. Only later did I learn about the systemic discrimination that afflicted them. Similarly little mention was made of the Canadian Reserve systems or the Residential Schools of indigenous children kidnapped from their families. That disgusting exercise in white supremacy was still operating (greatly diminished) into the 1990's.
When people like Trump try to erase again the consequences of slavery and conquest and have the nerve to whine about "reverse discrimination" I have to suppress projectile vomiting.
Mother Fletcher carried a century of truth that this country kept trying to bury. She held the memory like a sacred blade, sharp enough to cut through every lie America told about itself.
Thank for this story, stark reminder of the horrific Tulsa Massacre, and for the beautiful tribute to Viola Fletcher, an incredible woman with unshakable courage...
Rarely do I comment on a Substack post, but this is a beautiful tribute to a brave survivor, Qasim.
Shame on the national media for not making Viola Fletcher’s story and death front and center. May she rest in peace, and may we all put in the work to share her legacy, commemorate the Tulsa massacre, and to learn from this horrific event.
Thank you for sharing a part of American history that usually gets glossed over and/or covered up. I've always believed that ALL of our history should be shared - the good, the bad, and the ugly, with the hope that most of us will learn from it.
The way this current administration is erasing history from museums, books, and landmarks, my hope is shrinking.
History cannot and must never be ignored or attempted to be erased!
When we rebuild after accounting for our nation’s most recent atrocities we must all demand complete factual education of our past. Only then can we try to aspire to become a nation worthy of the dream!
I only learned of the Tulsa Massacre ... not as part of American history in school ... but when the 100th anniversary happened, and we were introduced to the last surviving three. Imagine the strength of them, and finally Viola Fletcher -- yes, this memory and reconciliation must happen for Viola, .... and ourselves. We are not a whole country until the whole of American history is recorded. White supremacy is surely the greatest terror we face.
Thank you for this very informative article. I had read some of this before, but your article is more in-depth than what I had seen.
Learning the truth in the U.S. requires research. It shouldn’t, but it does. Imagine an example of successful black businesses that would have been the example of a better life for the black population. But no…jealous hateful monsters couldn’t have that.
I found out so many things after 9/11. I knew something was not correct with the information. I picked up independently made videos…dvds. And bought books by left wing intellectuals…Howard Zinn, Daniel Ellsberg..memoir of the Pentagon Papers, Talbot’s-The Devils Chessboard etc.
We keep cycling around and around without revamping our system! Since the orange felon has destroyed our Constitution, it is time for a drastic alteration.
Let us give thanks this Thanksgiving that our sordid history gets retold over and over till we approximate justice and equality in our very diverse nation.
Thank you for your beautiful tribute to a brave and remarkable woman. RIP Viola Fletcher.
Whenever I can I contribute to the Equal Justice Initiative. Their efforts have been grounded in Alabama - Birmingham and they have documented & memorialized the history of lynching in the US. In due course they may take up the Tulsa Massacre - perhaps if they ever run out of lynching victims.
I wonder how much buried atrocity we have yet to uncover and how much hideous mental acrobatics our "leaders" and our run of the mill citizens have performed to foster the lie of American freedom and liberty and rule of law....
Your tribute to Mother Fletcher is powerful and haunting. You are right that the fight to get Tulsa acknowledged and addressed must continue.
The most astonishing thing to me about the rise of authoritarian tyranny is the almost complete silence about Universal Human Rights when that is so clearly what we all need!
Thank You!!!🔥🔥🔥
I hope there is a film someday about the Tulsa events. The "Killers of the Flower Moon" -- first the book, then the film -- really brought to life the Osage Indian slaughter, and there needs to be a book and film about Tulsa too, as they were both "hidden history" stories of America. I had heard about them both, but I went to a very progressive (although public) school system. But I believe it was rare to learn about these stories. I hope Viola Fletcher continues to be memorialized. Thank you for keeping so much history alive and for highlighting important stories, both past and present.
In my NJ school system despite taking American history in one way or another in almost every one of the 12 years I spent there I can remember so little information about slavery the civil war, reconstruction, the Great Migration (that was happening during my childhood) I might as well have lived on Mars. I learned more about these topics at the Canadian college I attended in the 2 or 3 history courses covering North America than In all of my American schooling. Mind you, The Canadian history course largely skipped over the black settlements of escaped slaves in Ontario and in the Maritime Provinces. Only later did I learn about the systemic discrimination that afflicted them. Similarly little mention was made of the Canadian Reserve systems or the Residential Schools of indigenous children kidnapped from their families. That disgusting exercise in white supremacy was still operating (greatly diminished) into the 1990's.
When people like Trump try to erase again the consequences of slavery and conquest and have the nerve to whine about "reverse discrimination" I have to suppress projectile vomiting.
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Mother Fletcher carried a century of truth that this country kept trying to bury. She held the memory like a sacred blade, sharp enough to cut through every lie America told about itself.
Thank for this story, stark reminder of the horrific Tulsa Massacre, and for the beautiful tribute to Viola Fletcher, an incredible woman with unshakable courage...
Rarely do I comment on a Substack post, but this is a beautiful tribute to a brave survivor, Qasim.
Shame on the national media for not making Viola Fletcher’s story and death front and center. May she rest in peace, and may we all put in the work to share her legacy, commemorate the Tulsa massacre, and to learn from this horrific event.
Thank you for sharing a part of American history that usually gets glossed over and/or covered up. I've always believed that ALL of our history should be shared - the good, the bad, and the ugly, with the hope that most of us will learn from it.
The way this current administration is erasing history from museums, books, and landmarks, my hope is shrinking.
History cannot and must never be ignored or attempted to be erased!
When we rebuild after accounting for our nation’s most recent atrocities we must all demand complete factual education of our past. Only then can we try to aspire to become a nation worthy of the dream!