At 105 Years Old, Tulsa Massacre Survivor Granted Birthday Wish Of Having Childhood House Restored

What a beautiful gift.

Lessie Benningfield Randle, one of the last known living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, will have her birthday wish of having her childhood home restored granted, The Oklahoma Eagle Reports.

Randle is 105-years-old and one of the last survivors still living from the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot. The attack on affluent Blacks in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma by a mob of whites ended with hundreds of Black lives lost, an entire neighborhood burned to the ground, and thousands left without homes. 

In spite of all she’s been through, Randle’s only wish this year was to see her childhood home fully restored after being lost all those years ago. The project to restore the home was led by Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, founder of the Terence Crutcher Foundation, in partnership with home renovation experts, Revitalize T-Town, District City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper, and Tony Moore, Executive Director of community revitalization organization, the Gathering Place, along with local community members. 

“This project is near and dear to my heart and as a descendant of a survivor of the massacre who is no longer living, I feel it is my duty to honor the life and legacy of Mother Randle who survived and endured one of the worst domestic terrorist attacks on American soil. This act of kindness honors the legacy of my great grandmother, the late Rebecca Brown Crutcher who fled the massacre in fear of her life,” Crutcher said.

Crutcher started the Terence Crutcher Foundation in honor of her brother, who was shot and killed by the Tulsa Police Department in 2016. Terence was unarmed. Left behind 4 children and the officer was found not guilty of his murder. Crutcher has devoted her life to helping end police brutality and restoring those families impacted by that brutality in the community of Tulsa. 

National Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, who represented the Crutcher family during their ordeal, also spoke on the restoration efforts, saying, “I couldn’t be more proud of my dear friend and client Dr. Tiffany Crutcher. To watch Tiffany turn her own pain and tragedy of losing her twin brother to the same police department that burned down Black Wall Street, into purpose and triumph should be inspirational to us all.” 

Randle’s new house warming will take place this weekend, welcoming her into her newly restored home. 

A gift registry for Randle has been set up here.  You can also send gift cards to Lessie Randle to P.O. Box 6481 Tulsa, OK 74148.

Happy Birthday Mother Randle! Enjoy your new home!

Photo Courtesy of The Oklahoma Eagle