Bill > SR0532

This resolution, passed by the Illinois Senate, expresses sorrow over the passing of Viola Ford Fletcher, who was 111 years old and the last known survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The resolution recounts how a white mob destroyed Tulsa, Oklahoma's Greenwood neighborhood, a prosperous Black business district, causing immense destruction, arrests, and loss of life, with insurance companies later denying claims for the extensive property damage. It also notes that Viola Fletcher and other survivors filed a lawsuit against the city of Tulsa, asserting complicity in the massacre and its ongoing effects, and highlights her efforts to share her story through interviews and a memoir, "Don't Let Them Bury My Story," to ensure this history was not forgotten. The resolution concludes by offering condolences to her family and presenting them with a copy of the resolution as a token of respect.

https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=532&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SR&SessionID=114&GA=104