Oldest Tulsa Massacre survivor celebrates 110th birthday in North Texas
LITTLE ELM — Viola Ford Fletcher sat on a leather couch dressed in her favorite color, yellow. Inside the Little Elm home, the elderly woman greeted what looked like a receiving line of family, friends and loved ones on her 110th birthday.
"I am real proud to be at this age," Fletcher said.
The mother of three is heading into Mother's Day weekend with videos of well-wishes from around the world, a small store of flowers and having gathered more than $6,200 for her foundation.
Fletcher said, "Sure," when CBS News Texas asked her if she thought 110 years was possible.
The grandmother of six is the oldest living survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, where a deadly attack happened in the thriving Greenwood community.
What was known as "Black Wall Street" was torched down after stories stemming from a white girl and a Black boy on an elevator-inspired rage. At least 300 Black residents were killed, and thousands were left homeless.
"You don't forgive someone for them," said Flether's grandson, Ike Howard. "It takes a lot of energy to hate a situation or to hate an experience."
Howard said his grandmother taught him it takes more muscles to frown than to smile.
He said the family is concentrating on seeing Fletcher continue to live her days, remembered and helping others through her foundation at 110.
Regarding the secret of living such a long life, Fletcher cannot attribute just one thing.
"I have many...so many I can't mention," she said. "But it's a blessing to live this long and easy. If I can do it, others can."