our country may forget this history, but i cannot. >> viola fletcher among three survivors asking forion of the tulsa massacre and compensation for survivors and their descendants. 107. that's something. >>> tonight, a passing to note. legendary comedian and actor paul mooney has died. known for his collaborations with richard pryor and dave chappelle. pushing boundaries on race and social issues. tonight, chappelle calling him one of the best who ever did it. paul mooney was 79. >>> when we come back tonight, the letter an 8-year-old sent me and then all of the other messages, too. and then all of the other zero-commission trades for online u.s. stocks and etfs. and a commitment to get you the best price on every trade, which saved investors over $1.5 billion last year. that's decision tech. only from fidelity. we do it every night. like clockwork. do it! run your dishwasher with cascade platinum. and save water. did you know certified dishwashers... ...use less than four gallons per cycle, while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. so, do it with cascade. the surprising way

viola fletcher, also known as i can, mother fletcher. thank you. i don't have a mother, so thank you. mother fletcher is the oldest living survivor of the tulsa race massacre, she was seven years old when she lived through the massacre. mother fletcher, you are now recognized to testify. ms. fletcher: my name. my name is viola fletcher. i am a daughter of tulsa oklahoma, a sister. i am a survivor of the tulsa race massacre. two weeks ago, i celebrated my 107th birthday. [applause] today i am visiting washington, d.c. for the first time in my life. i'm here seeking justice and asking my country to acknowledge what happened in tulsa in 1921. on may 31 in 1921, i went to bed in my family's home in greenwood. that place was rich, with culture,, nancy, at my family had a beautiful home. i have friends to play with. i felt safe, i had everything a child could need. i had a bright future ahead of me. greenwood had given me the chance to truly make it in this country. but in a few hours, all of that was gone. the night of the massacre i was awakened by my

three african-american survivors testified in favor of reparations -- viola fletcher, her younger brothervan ellis who is 100 years old, and 105-year-old lessie benningfield randle. is is part of their testimony, beginning with viola fletcher. >> i am a survivor of the tulsa race massacre. two weeks ago, i celebrated my 107th birthday. [applause] today i am visiting washington, d.c., for the first time in my life. i am here seeking justice and i'm asking my country to acknowledge what happened in tulsa in 1921. the night of the massacre, i was awakened by my family. my parents and five siblings were there. i was told we had to leave and that was it. i will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. i still see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street. i still smell smoke. i still see black businesses been burned. i still hear airplanes flying overhead. i hear the screams. i have lived to the massacre every day. our country may forget this history, but i cannot. i will not. and other survivors do not. an hour descendants do not. >> we live with it every

viola fletcher were cleaning houses until the age of 85.ever trip to washington. she and the others want to see reparations from the same city and state that for decades denied it ever happened. with the 100th anniversary just 11 days away. that is our broadcast for this wednesday night. with our thanks for being here with us. on behalf of all of our colleagues at the networks of nbc news, goodnight. , goodnight. >> tonight on all in -- >> we have people scaling the capital, hitting the capitol police with lead pipes across the head. and we can't get bipartisanship. >> every democrat a roughly three does a republicans come together in search of truth. >> prior to all of you in the body to set aside politics just this once. >> tonight, how the bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection was passed. and

viola fletcher, who we heard from earlier in the broadcast, 107 years old.she testified before congress that because of the massacre, her family had to move, never completed school after the fourth grade, never made a lot of money. the most she's ever done is be a housekeeper. to this day, she has trouble supporting herself financially. she's 107 years old. the centennial commission in tulsa raised $30 million. not a single penny given to the three known survivors. >> ayesha, i want to put up something jelani cobb wrote. these two memorial days point inescapably not only to those who died on battlefields abroad but to the theaters of conflict at home, but race and culpability? i think this has been a moment where we're opening the eyes of more americans on our history. can we have more of it? >> i think when we talk about what happened with george floyd, the murder of george floyd and the response to that, and then you look at what happened in tulsa, the survivors of tulsa are now over 100 years old. it's been 100 years and there still really has not been ju

this is 107-year-old viola fletcher, the oldest living survivor, testified before congress. >> i will forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. i still see like me being. black bodies lying in the street. i still smell smoke. i still see black businesses being burned. i still hear airplanes flying overhead. i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. the country may forget this history, but i cannot. i will not. and other survivors do not. in our descendants do not. amy: again, that is 107-year-old viola fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the tulsa massacre were something like it is believed 300 african-americans were killed. even people in tulsa, even african-americans, talked about how is it possible that they did not know this history. not to mention people throughout the united states over this last 100 years that this was not taught, professor hinton. >> i think there are many aspects of, one, the extent to which white supremacist terror -- the impact of white supremacist terror in black commities and also extension violence. that is on

. >> that was part of my interview with 107-year-old viola fletcher, one of the survivors of the massk residents fleeing from their homes. today we mark 100 years since that dreadful day. joining me, news correspondent alcindor, and nbc news presidential historian michael beschloss. i asked you whether president biden has pushed for reparations for these survivors. so far no word back yet, but what are we expecting from president biden's visit tomorrow? >> we can expect president biden, based on conversations i've had with white house aides the need to also heal the soul of tulsa as well as the soul of the nation. but i think there are critical questions about whether or not he is willing to support the reparations you've been asking the white house about. he'll always talk about the need for equity in this country, the need for the country to really look deeply at this racial massacre, but also the racial massacres that we don't talk about all over the country, the idea that these are important parts of american history that need to be done. but i think, as you talk to people in tuls

nearly 100 years later, viola fletcher testified today before a house committee.e known living survivors she's a plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking reparations for one of the worst incidents of racial violence in u.s. history when a white mob destroyed the prosperous predominantly black greenwood area of tulsa, an area they called back then black wall street. >> i will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home i still see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street i still smell smoke and see fire >> viola fletcher still living it the massacre began the night of may the 31st, 1921 the mob began shooting black people and burning hundreds and hundreds of homes and businesses, even churches. it lasted more than 48 hours a state commission on the massacre estimates that between 75 and 300 people were killed in that riot. >>> mysterious sound wave attacks just keep happening. we started hearing about them when diplomats in cuba said they were hearing strange sounds. they suffered lasting side effects from some sort of invisible attack it w

our country may forget this history, but i cannot. >> viola fletcher, one of three survivors to testifyry day, and she would like to see justice. we're going explore the tulsa massacre when cnn films presents "dreamland," the burning of black wall street. it's going to be on memorial day night, 100 years to the day. 9:00 p.m. eastern. >>> the house approving a bill that would approve a commission to investigate the january 6 insurrection with nearly three dozen republicans breaking ranks. but is it dead on arrival in the senate? finding new routes to reach your customers, and new ways for them to reach you... is what business is all about. it's what the united states postal service has always been about. so as your business changes, we're changing with it. with e-commerce that runs at the speed of now. next day and two-day shipping nationwide. same day shipping across town. returns right from the doorstep, and deliveries seven days a week. it's a whole new world out there. let's not keep it waiting. you know when your dog is itching for a treat. itching for an outing... or itching for s

miss viola fletcher who we heard from earlier in the broadcast is 107 years old.ause of the massacre, her family had to move. she never completed school beyond the fourth grade. she never as a result of that made a lot of money. the most she has ever done is be a housekeeper. to this day she still has trouble supporting herself financially. she is 107 years old. the centennial commission in tulsa has raised $30 million and not a single penny has given to the three known survivors, chuck. >> i want to put up something jelani cobb wrote that i think was pretty poignant. he said this. these two millennium yam days point inescapably not only those who have died on battlefields abroad, but to the theaters of conflict at home and the freighted politics of race, grief and culpability. how can we continue, frankly? i this has been a moment opening the eyes of more americans on our history. can we have more of this? >> well, i think when you talk about what happened with george floyd, the murder of george floyd and the response to that, and then you look at what happened i

hundreds were killed, and more weted anburned.s andin 107-year-old viola fletcher was 6 years old whenily fled one of the worst racial attacks in american history. >> i still see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street. i have lived through the massacre every day. our country may forget this history, but i cannot. >> the three survivors who testified are plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking reparations for the massacre. >>> and "usa today" reports on the death of comedian, actor, and writer paul mooney. he died yesterday from a heart attack at his home in california. he was the longtime writer for legendary comedian richard pryor. he also wrote for "sanford and son" and appeared in "chappelle show." he was 79 years old. >>> ahead, breaking his silence. why actor billy porter says he's revealing his hiv diagnosis. nos. why hide your skin if dupixent has your moderate-to-severe eczema or atopic dermatitis under control? hide my skin? not me. by hitting eczema where it counts, dupixent helps heal your skin from within, keeping you one step ahead of eczema. and that means long-la

. >> reporter: viola fletcher is 107 years old and the oldest living survivor of the massacre. >> i willforget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. >> reporter: last week she and two other survivors told congress that they support efforts that would make it easier for the victims to be paid reparations. >> no one cared about us for almost 100 years. we and our history have been forgotten, washed away. this congress must recognize us and our history, for black america, for the white americans, and for all americans. >> reporter: the mayor says he wants to help these families another way, by leading the search for the missing victims. in october of 2020, the city's bulldozers uncovered the truth. they found at least a dozen missing bodies in this one corner of a city cemetery, and they are still searching for more. >> this is a murder investigation. one of the most basic things any city government should offer its citizens is that if you're murdered, we will do everything we can to try and find out what happened to you, where your remains are, and who did it to you. >> repo

viola fletcher, 107 yearsld, came to d.c. to push for reparations and justice. here's what she said. >> i'm asking that my country acknowledge what has been happening to me, the tremors and the pain, the loss, for 70 years, the city of tulsa and chamber of commerce told us that the massacre didn't happen. like we didn't see it with our own eyes. no one cared about us for almost 100 years. we and our history have been forgotten, washed away. this congress must recognize us and our history. yamiche: rachel, you were in tulsa last year for juneteenth. what's the impact, do you think, going to be of these efforts? rachel: listen, i think that the conversation on reparations has taken a major step forward. it's been introduced in every session of congress since 1989. for the first time it's made it out of the committee. it's a question of whether or not it can get through congress. but when we hear from someone like viola, it was just last year that the tulsa race massacre made it into the history books in oklahoma. it is considered the single worst incident of racia

viola fletcher shared her painful memories.ss for reparations. >>> strong storms across the plains and more rain for floode areas of texas and louisiana. sunny on the east coast. >>> finally, our first look at the highly anticipated "friends," the reunion. >> here's will ganss. >> reporter: like any great friendship, some things never change. >> oh. my eyes. my eyes. >> reporter: 17 years after they said good-bye they're back together again. >> the cast of "friends." >> reporter: "friends" the reunion coming to hbo max. >> rachel always cries. >> that's not true. >> where is the tissue box? >> reporter: jen and the gang getting back together on the original soundstage in burbank with re-created sets. >> what is chandler bing's job? >> reporter: to re-create some of those iconic "friends" moments. >> 18 page. >> 18 pages. >> reporter: dropping some never before known trivia along the way. >> does courteney still have her lines written on the table? >> reporter: courteney cox apparently wrote her lines in secret spots on the set.

. >> attorney general ellison, i went to and with this quote from viola fletcher, the oldest living survivore tulsa race massacre. she testified before congress this week a couple of days ago, and here is what she said. our country may forget this history, but i cannot, i will not, and other survivors do not and are descendants do not. i am 107 years old and have never seen justice. my question to you is is it possible to see justice if so many either do not see or outright ignore injustice? a.g. ellison: no, it is not possible. we need more people to see injustice and to correct it, and there was a little girl, i will not say her last day because she is a juvenile, she was nine years old when she witnessed derek chauvin murder george floyd. imagine that little girl 100 years from now testifying on what she had to live through and what she had to see. we need to make an earnest commitment, people of all colors, cultures, and faith, to create equal justice in america. jet -- that job has to start now and we cannot turn away. history is watching us. >> keith ellison, we are way out of time, bu

. >> reporter: for viola fletcher and her brother hugh van ellis -- >> that's where it all burnt up.story is more than a picture. >> the founder of black wall street. >> reporter: it's a memory of survival. >> it kind of stays with you, it's something you don't forget. >> reporter: it happened 100 years ago when both were children. on the night of june 1st, 1921, a white mob stormed a successful area of town known as black wall street. they killed nearly 300 black residents and burned down more than 30 square blocks of black-owned businesses and hopes, leaving more than 8,000 homeless. what do you remember from that night? >> shooting. people running and screaming. and noise from the air, like an airplane. and -- just so many things. it was disturbing, you know. fires burning and smelling smoke. >> did you see black bodies in the street? >> black bodies in the street, that's right. >> reporter: no one was ever held responsible for the massacre. at the time, black wall street was the largest collection of black-owned businesses in the country. now, just a few black-owned businesses re

liberty, liberty ♪ >>> to the index and to a powerful moment on capitol hill today. 107-year-old viola fletchervivor of the 1921 tulsa race massacre, making her first trip to washington to testify before congress. sharing her painful memories of the violent white mob killing hundreds of black people in greenwood, nearly a century ago. >> i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. our country may forget this history, but i cannot. >> fletcher among three survivors asking for national recognition of the tulsa massacre and compensation for survivors and their descendants. 107. that's something. >>> tonight, a passing to note. legendary comedian and actor paul mooney has died. known for his collaborations with richard prior and david chappelle. mooney was 79. >>> when we come back tonight, the letter an 8-year-old sent me and then all of the other messages, too. zero-commission trades for online u.s. stocks and etfs. and a commitment to get you the best price on every trade, which saved investors over $1.5 billion last year. that's decision tech. only from fidelity. we do it e

. >> yes >> reporter: for viola fletcher and her brother hues van ellis, one of the darkest days in american history is more than a. it's something you don't forget. >> reporter: it happened years ago when both were children on the night of june 1st, 1921, a white mob stormed a successful area of town known as black wall street they killed nearly 300 black residents and burned down more than 30 square blocks of black-owned businesses and homes, loving more than 8,000 homeless what do you remember from that night? >> shooting, people running and screaming, and noise from the air like an airplane and just so many things that was disturbing, you know and fires burning and smelling smoke. >> reporter: did you see black bodies in the street >> black bodies in the street, that's right. >> reporter: no one was ever held responsible for the massacre at the time, black wall street was the largest collection of black-owned businesses in the country. now just a few black-owned businesses remain. >> my grandfather had a dry-clean owners greenwood. >> reporter: for don horner jr., whose insurance office

viola fletcher, the oldest known living survivor of the massacre is now 107 years old. this is what she told members of congress. [video clip] >> on may 31, 1921, i went to bed in greenwood. i fell asleep and felt that night was rich not just in terms of wealth but in culture, heritage, and my family had a beautiful home. we had great neighbors and i had friends to play with. i felt safe. i had everything a child could need. i had a bright future ahead of me. greenwood had given me the chance to truly make it in this country. in a few hours, all of that was gone. the night of the massacre, i was awakened by my family. my parents and five siblings were there. i was told we had to leave and that was it. i will never forget the violence. it looks like a mob when he left my home. i still see black men being shot , black bodies lying in the street. i still smell smoke and see fire. i still see black businesses being burned. i still hear airplanes flying overhead. i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. our country may forget this history but i cannot

viola ford fletcher ate 107. mr.ar we having to to go. as long as we got life we can get it right. we ask folks to do the right thing. yeah, we could talk about this for quite a while. yes i always have something to say on this issue. thank you all for having me. >> regina, good representative thank you for being with us to tell this story. >> again, the cnn film, dreamland," the burning of black wall street premiers monday night at 9 "p" eastern. everybody needs to watch this. >> indeed. all right up next, the fa. a reports dozens of cases of people assaulting flight crews, just as we are expecting the pandemic travel to hit a record this weekend. we'll speak to the head of the nation's flight attendant's union. >> plus our favorite friends reunited. long awaited. this shows memorable characters one of whom joins us live. and we'll show you some clips from the big reunion. >> oh, my god. we always offer 50% off family lines on our military and veteran plans. that's right, 50% off on america's most reliable 5g networ

at 107 years old, survivor viola fletcher recently testifying before congress. >> i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. >> reporter: on may 31st, 1921, an angry white mob stormed through tulsa's greenwood neighborhood, also known as black wall street. in less than 24 hours, an estimated 300 black americans would be left dead, thousands of homes and businesses destroyed. anneliese bruner's great en grabbedmother mary e. jones parrish, owned a typing school in greenwood. she ran for her life during the attack and published a book about it in 1922. here we are 100 years later and no one has ever been held accountable for what happened on those two days. the significance of that? >> it's a terrible legacy, and i think that tulsa has the opportunity to be the crucible for the reckoning. >> reporter: in 2019, the state required that lessons on the tragedy in tulsa be included in oklahoma history classes. >> not one cent of taxpayer money should be used to define or divide young oklahomans about their race. >> reporter: but it is these uncomfortable truths that man

of the last known survivors of the massacre testified before a house committee. 107-year-old viola fletchers old when it happened. >> i have lived through the massacre every day. the country may forget this history, but i cannot. >> reporter: her brother, 100- year-old hugh van ellis. >> we live with it every day. we aren't just black and white pictures. we are flesh and blood. >> reporter: while this debate on how to commemorate the events and push for reparations continues, pastor robert turner of mount venon a.m.e. church wants people to focus on justice. >> i hate that incidents than that we are still trying to figure out all of what the details are. i want to shed light on what was hidden for so long in our community, and that was the act of racial terror. >> reporter: president biden will be in tulsa on tuesday to pay his respects, the same day the city plans to start digging in an area that could contain a mass grave of victims from the massacre. jericka. >> duncan: omar villafranca for us in tulsa, thank you. tomorrow night, gayle king will host a cbs news special on the 100th anniv

viola fletcher is one of the survivors to make reparations before congress this month.rous rampage in which an of the mated 300 people were killed, 10,000 left homeless and the entire black neighborhood of greenwood, where we are, was destroyed. this scar on this community remains. i recently had the amazing opportunity to sit down with some of the descendants of those who survived and who are now leading the charge for justice 100 years on. >> your great-grandfather? >> my great-grandfather. >> owned the largest hotel in america owned by an african-american. >> yes. >> considering the wealth that was lost when state-sponsored violence destroyed that hotel, what do you think is owed to you and your family? >> well, i think the possibility of re-creating something that he had interest in which was the care for other people, make housing available for those who needed it. dr. crutcher, i want to turn to you on this. your story is unique here. you are also a descendant of black wall street, and you are also have been impacted by police violence, more state-sponsored violen

viola fletcher was here and testified on the hill a couple weeks ago, she testified she struggles to herself financially. it is as they say a crying shame, and i hope that someone's able to address it. great to see you as always. and this saturday tiffany is anchoring a special two hour edition of her program live from the historic greenwood district in tulsa. don't miss the cross connection, america's reckoning. and join me on tuesday when i'm be anchoring this 2:00 p.m. hour live from tulsa as president biden travels there to mark the 100-year anniversary. that does it for me today. eamon moydean picks up your coverage next. moydean picks up coverage next. and now save when you order in the app. subway®. eat fresh. to make progress, we must keep taking steps forward. we believe the future of energy is lower carbon. and to get there, the world needs to reduce global emissions. at chevron, we're taking action. tying our executives' pay to lowering the carbon emissions intensity of our operations. it's tempting to see how far we've come. but it's only human... to know how far we have

viola fletcher is known to be the oldest on survivor. >> i am the oldest on survivor. cannot forget this history. other survivo do not and are descendants do not. the city of tulsa told us that the massacre did not happen, like we didot see it with our own eyes. correspondent: attorneys for massacre victims and the descendants are now suing the city of tulsa for reparations. a passing to note, comedian and actor paul mooney died today at his home in oakland, calornia after a heart attack. his unfiltered take on race in american life made it widely influential and dolonc collaborated with comedy legend richard pryor. he also appeared on the chapelle show ended in spike lee's 2001 film bamboozled. still to come on the newshour our, what can the u.s. to to help end the escalating israel-gaza conflict. the debate over vaccine passports anwhy it matters. pressures to lighten skin at its devastating impact on people of color, plus much more. ♪ >> this is the pbs newshour from you eta studios in washington and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizo

african american business district in tulsa, oklahoma known as "black wall street." 107-year-old viola fletcher is the oldest living survivor. she testified. >> i will never forget the violence of a white mob when we left our home. i still see black men being shot, like bodies lying in the streets. i still smell smoke. i still see like businesses been burned. i still hear airplanes flying overhead. i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. a country may forget this history, but i cannot. i will not. and other survivors do not. and our descendants do not. amy: a warning to our audience, this next headline contains disturbing footage of police violence. the associated press has obtained video of louisiana state troopers electrocuting, beating, and dragging ronald greene, a black man who was killed during a 2019 traffic stop in monroe, louisiana. ap released portions of the 46-minute video showing one officer putting greene in a chokehold and punching him in the face while another can be heard calling him a "stupid mfer." after the beating, ap reports the officers left green

. >> reporter: 107-year-old viola fletcher is one of three living survivors of the massacre. >> i don'tsed and we left in what you call a covered wagon or was drawn by horses. horse and buggy. on our way out, with he could see people running. and people laying on the ground probably bleeding from being shot and killed and smelled smoke with houses burning. and heard the noise of airplanes flying. and so it was quite disturbing. >> reporter: no one has ever been charged with the murders of black residence or destruction of property in the tulsa race massacre. some black residents rebuilt with no help from the government or private insurance companies. but many others never returned to tulsa. >> and everybody says, hey, don't blame me for what happened long time ago. and what we're saying is that what happened a long time ago you benefit from. you benefit from today. the generational wealth that you have today, the land that you have today, all of that began with all that destruction. >> reporter: many black tulsians said that reparations should not just be about paying money to the victi

there are people who are alive, viola fletcher who is alive and testified before congress, and others be given to not just the descendents but the greenwood community. >> absolutely. we have actual, physical people alive that were -- that survived the massacre and we have institutions like this church that survived the race massacre. i feel it will help atone for the original sin of america. we are the only group of people in this nation that have not received repair. we give it and i support it for japanese-americans and i support it for the jewish holocaust survivors. this country gave reparations to the south after the civil war. we have states that seceded from the union -- we have -- over 700,000 union soldiers were killed by the confederacy but this country gave reparations to the south. that is a spit in the face of every veteran in this nation. and in some states like alabama, they still are taking taxpayer dollars and it's going to support confederate memorials to this very day. >> reverend turner, president biden will be there tomorrow. what message do you want him to bring?

who were little children on that horrible night who today are ages 100, 106 and 107-year-old viola fletcherd in my family's home in greenwood. the neighborhood that i fell asleep-in that night was rich not just in terms of wealth but in culture, imminenceancy, heritage and my family had a beautiful home. we had great neighbors, and i had friends to play with. i felt safe. i had everything a child could need. i had a bright future ahead of me. in a few hours all of that was gone. the night of the massacre i was awakened by my family. my parents and five siblings were there. i was told we had to leave and that was it. i will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. i still see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street. i still smell smoke and see fire. i still see black businesses being burned. i still hear airplanes flying overhead. i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. our country may forget this history, but i cannot. i will not. and other survivors do not, and our descendants do not. >> she was given a standing ovation today

and his sister, miss viola fletcher, or mother fletcher as she's known, is 107 years old.hat she experienced in one of the darkest moments in u.s. history. >> i will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. i still see black men shocked, black bodies lying in the street, i still smell smoke and see fire, i still see black businesses being burned, i still hear airplanes flying overhead, i hear the screams, have lived through the mess every day. the country may forget this history but i cannot. i will not. and other survivors do not. and our descendants do not. >> both were gracious enough to stop for a minute to talk with me on their way to the white house, they said, for a meeting with vice president harris. it's important for you to be here in washington today and share your story. >> we really want to go over this. it's a long time ago. i would have thought something by now would have been done about it. that's why we're here, trying to make sure we get justice for it. >> miss fletcher says as a result of the massacre, she never finished school b

. >> yeah, and tiffany, i know you interviewed the 107-year-old viola fletcher, who just seemed so lovelyre you able to talk to any white descendants? because the thing is that the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the people who burned greenwood to the ground, presumably some of them are still around, some of them are still alive. they must know in their own families that they were a part of this. >> joy, that's the crazy part. i have to tell you seeing what happened here on ground in tulsa -- so north tulsa is predominantly black. and the way the black tulsans here live is a stark contrast. there's so much investment that could happen there that doesn't. i've heard from a lot of black people i do want to hear from the white people. where do they stand on this? and unfortunately a lot of that evidence has been destroyed, and so the descendants of the people who did this are still in power. they still run the city of tulsa. so ostensibly the black residents here work, live, eat alongside the descendants of their murderers, the people who snatched their lives and livelihoods still c

viola fletcher was just 7 years old.red what it was like to witness that atrocity. >> we lost everything that day, our homes, our churches, our newspapers, our theaters, our lives. greenwood represented all the best of what was possible for black people in america. no one cared about us for almost a hundred years. we and our history have been forgotten, washed away. this congress must recognize us. >> lessie benning field randall was just 6. 100 years later, the memory of that day is still seared into her brain. >> i remember running outside of our house. i just passed dead bodies. it wasn't a pretty sight. i was so scared, i didn't think we could make it out alive. i remember people were running everywhere. >> survivors of the tulsa massacre are plaintiffs in a reparations lawsuit which argues that the state of oklahoma and the city of tulsa are responsible for what happened during the massacre. today's hearing is meant to explore ways to compensate the survivors and their descendants. hughes van ellis, the youngest of

one witness was 107-year-old viola fletcher. she is the oldest living survivor, just seven years old at the time of the attack. this is part of what she said. >> i will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our hope. i still see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street. i still smell smoke and see fire. i still see black businesses being burned. i still hear airplanes flying overhead. i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. greenwood represented all the best of what is possible for black people in america. >> dig into what we heard from her and the idea that you get at in your book, the historical racial trauma of what happened today 100 years ago. >> absolutely. what happened in tulsa is emblematic of historical racial trauma throughout the united states. tulsa comes on the heels of 1919 and the red summer when there were more than two dozen riots across the united states in places as far flung and new york and omaha and chicago and arkansas and on and on. that period was

1921 race massacre. 106 year-old leslie rain double 100 year-old hugh van alice and 107 year-old viola fletcher witness a white mob burning homes and businesses to the ground in 1921 historians say 35 city blocks were chart. at least 800 people were treated for injuries. about 300 people died and thousands were left homeless. but the violent act was not a part of american history until partially because of the recent racial movement spahn by the deaths of unarmed black people by police another step west at all. >> this is not green what is every system their bus for more than 30 years in new york times best-selling author, rest of man knocking. >> says americans not recognizing the full scope of racial conflicts. >> has lasting traumatic impact on society today. and this can lead to trauma. we talk about travel. we want to talk about it in terms of intellectual peace. >> without really realizing that trauma takes place on the vibration, a level it takes place an image level takes place in the meeting making up what takes place and the behavior and urge level. it also takes place in terms histor

. >> reporter: 107-year-old viola fletcher is one of three living survivors of the massacre. >> i don'tled around and got ready to get dressed and we left in what you call it then a covered wagon or horse and buggy. on our way out we could see people running and people laying on the ground probably bleeding from being shot and killed and smell smoke with houses burning and heard the noise of airplanes flying. so it was quite disturbing. >> reporter: no one has ever been charged with the murders of black residents or destruction of property in the tulsa race massacre. some black residents rebuilt with no help from the government or private insurance companies, but many others never returned to tulsa. >> everybody says, hey, don't blame me for what happened a long time ago. and what we're saying is that what happened a long time ago you benefit from. you benefit from today, the generation of wealth that you have today, the land that you have today, all of that began with all that destruction. >> reporter: and what's so important to remember about why greenwood and black wall street existe

one of the survivors of that day, 107-year-old viola fletcher recently spoke to lawmakers about the horrorsce of the white mob when we left our home. i still see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street, i still smell smoke and see fire. i still see black businesses being burned. i still hear airplanes flying overhead. i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. our country may forget this history, but i cannot. i will not. and other survivors do not. and our descendents do not. >> again, 100 years ago and president biden will travel to tulsa tomorrow and visit with survivors and others. >>> you can learn much more about this dark part of american history in a new cnn film "dream manned: the burning of black wall street." it premieres tonight at 9:00 eastern.anned: the burning of bl street." it premieres tonight at 9:00 eastern.lanned: the burning of wall street." it premieres tonight at 9:00 eastern.ed: the burning of blacl street." it premieres tonight at 9:00 eastern.d: the burning of black street." it premieres tonight at 9:00 eastern. >>> good monday

. >> reporter: it's all part of legacy festival where one of the oldest living survivors, viola fletcher, was honored. 100 years ago, angry white mobs violently destroyed the prosperous black community, known as black wall street, burning down thousands of homes and businesses, killing an estimated 300 black americans, and leaving millions of dollars worth of damage. >> what do we want? [ crowd chanting "justice" ] >> what do we want? [ crowd chanting "justice" ] >> reporter: but in the midst of the remembrance, some tension. the landmark rise event featuring politician stacey abrams and musician john legend canceled. this after a group of tulsa survivors requested a $50 million reparation fund pledge for survivors and their descendents, an increase from the initial $2 million. >> we raised the money, and we were excited the survivors were going to accept these gifts. unfortunately, on sunday, may 23rd, they reached out and accoli.nnd tord >> we stl have mck in tulsa. so i hope when they come to visit, that they just don't stop at the corner block of greenwood and archer, but they begin

during emotional testimony on testimony viola fletcher recalled the violence she witnessed as a seven-year-old >> i see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street. i still smell smoke and see fire. i still see black businesses being burned. i still hear airplanes flying overhead. i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. our country may forget this history, but i cannot. >> just incredible. viola is one of three survivors who are lead figures in a lawsuit demanding reparations for survivors of the massacre and their families. >> 107 years old remembering so vividly that experience. >>> florida police say an 11-year-old girl probably saved her life by fighting off a kidnapping attempt. video shows a white dodge journey pulling up to the girl as she waits at her bus stop. the man exits the vehicle, running up to the girl, grabbing her, a struggle begins, she's able to break free. the man can be seen running back to his car and driving off. the girl now safe with her family. >> we saw the video, there was actually two videos, the hair on the pack of her neck sto

the 1921 race massacre. 106 year-old leslie rain 100 year-old hugh van alice and 107 year-old viola fletcher witness a white mob burning homes and businesses to the ground in 1921 historians say 35 city blocks were chart. at least 800 people were treated for injuries about 300 people died and thousands were left homeless but the violent act was not a part of american history until partially because of the recent racial movement spahn by the deaths of unarmed black people by police another step west at all. >> this is not greenwood is every system their bus for more than 30 years in new york times best-selling author a man knocking. >> says americans not recognizing the full scope of racial conflicts. >> has lasting traumatic impact on society today. and this can lead to trauma. we talk about travel. we want to talk about it in terms of intellectual peace. >> without really realizing that trauma takes place on the vibration, a level it takes place an image level takes place in the meeting making up what takes place and the behavior and urge level. it also takes place in terms historical takes