Judge Allows Part of Lawsuit by Tulsa Massacre Survivors Seeking Reparations

Three survivors of the 1921 massacre that saw a white mob kill hundreds of Black residents and destroy a thriving Black business district in Tulsa, Okla., can proceed with part of a lawsuit seeking reparations, a judge in Oklahoma has ruled.

“History was made today,” Damario Solomon-Simmons, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said outside of the courtroom on Monday, after the ruling by Judge Caroline Wall of Tulsa County District Court. Defense lawyers left after the hearing without comment, a local television station reported.

In an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Solomon-Simmons said Judge Wall would provide a written order that would provide details about the ruling, which granted a motion by the defendants to dismiss part of the case.

“The only thing we know is that she allowed a part of our case to move forward to discovery and trial,” he said, adding that “we do not know the specifics.”