Oklahoma Supreme Court Dismisses Lawsuit by Tulsa Massacre Survivors.

 The suit was filed in 2020 by three survivors of the incident where 300 black Americans were believed to have been killed.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre on Wednesday, ruling that while their grievances were valid, they did not fall within the scope of the state's public nuisance statute and were inadequately supported in other respects.

"We affirm the District Court’s July 12, 2023 Final Order of Dismissal with Prejudice," the nine-member court stated in its June 12 opinion.

The plaintiffs, all over 100 years old, were seeking reparations for the 1921 massacre during which a white mob destroyed the predominantly Black Greenwood district over two days, from May 31 to June 1. Official records at the time reported 10 white and 26 Black deaths, but researchers now estimate up to 300 people were killed, most of whom were Black.

Greenwood, a prosperous 35-block business district known as "Black Wall Street," was a thriving center of industry for the Black community.

The plaintiffs argued that the 1921 mob's actions continue to negatively impact the city by contributing to current racial and economic disparities. Their lawsuit sought various forms of restitution, including the construction of a hospital in north Tulsa, the establishment of a victims compensation fund, and immunity from city and county taxes and utility expenses for 99 years for the descendants of those affected by the massacre.

In dismissing the case, the Oklahoma Supreme Court also determined that the plaintiffs' claims did not adequately support allegations of unjust enrichment or unauthorized use of name and likeness under relevant Oklahoma statutes cited in the original complaint.

"Plaintiffs do not point to any physical injury to property in Greenwood rendering it uninhabitable that could be resolved by way of injunction or other civil remedy," the justices wrote. "Today we hold that relief is not possible under any set of facts that could be established consistent with plaintiff’s allegations."

Damario Solomon-Simmons, the plaintiffs' attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The city of Tulsa issued a statement respecting the court’s decision and affirming its ongoing efforts in the North Tulsa and Greenwood communities.