Viola Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the Tulsa race massacre, celebrated her 111th birthday in Texas on 10 May. Congressman Al Green and talk show host Tavis Smiley shared the latest photos on their Facebook profiles.
Early Life
Fletcher was born in Comanche, Oklahoma, on 10 May 1914, to parents Lucinda Ellis and John Wesley Ford. She was the second oldest of eight children. Her family were sharecroppers who worked tirelessly on rented land to make ends meet. Eventually, the Ford family moved to Tulsa in search of better opportunities. They settled in the Greenwood District, where they became members of St. Andrew, a Black Baptist church…