Bill > HR4228

This bill aims to provide justice and compensation for the living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a horrific event in which a white mob destroyed the predominantly Black Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing hundreds and leaving thousands homeless. The bill acknowledges the historical injustice, citing a recent Department of Justice report that characterized the massacre as a systematic act of racial terrorism that decimated the thriving Black community known as "Black Wall Street". Specifically, the bill mandates that the Secretary of the Treasury pay $20,796,736 (comprised of $10,398,368 in compensatory and $10,398,368 in punitive damages) to each living survivor of the massacre as of May 1, 2025, or to their estate if they have died. The payment will be made through the Judgment Fund and is intended to compensate survivors for the federal government's failure to prevent, investigate, prosecute, or litigate the massacre. The bill highlights that only two survivors remain - Viola Ford Fletcher (111 years old) and Lessie Benningfield Randle (110 years old) - and emphasizes the urgency of providing relief. Once payment is made, survivors will be ineligible for additional compensation or benefits from the federal government related to this incident, and the payment will satisfy all related claims.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4228/all-info