Lessie Randle (right), 105, one of the last living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre is accompanied by her granddaughter LaDonna Penny as she finally sees her restored home on Saturday. The project was organized by the Terence Crutcher Foundation led by Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, Revitalize T-Town and other community members. JAMES GIBBARD/for the Tulsa World
Lessie Randle (center), 105, one of the last known living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, is accompanied by her granddaughter, LaDonna Penny (left), and Dr, Tiffany Crutcher as she sees her restored home on Saturday. The project was organized by the Terence Crutcher Foundation led by Dr Crutcher, Revitalize T-Town and other community members. JAMES GIBBARD/for the Tulsa World
Lessie Randle (center), one of the last living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, speaks as Dr. Tiffany Crutcher (left) and state Rep. Regina Goodwin (right) listen at the unveiling of her restored home. The project was organized by the Terence Crutcher Foundation led by Dr Tiffany Crutcher, Revitalize T-Town and other community members. JAMES GIBBARD/for the Tulsa World
Lessie Randle (right), one of the last known living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre sits in the bedroom of her home alongside Dr Tiffany Crutcher as she finally sees her restored home at the age of 105, taken in Tulsa, Okla., on March 7,2020. The project was organized by the Terence Crutcher Foundation led by Dr Tiffany Crutcher, Revitalize T-Town and other community members. JAMES GIBBARD/for the Tulsa World
Lessie Randle (right), one of the last known living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre listens as Dr Tiffany Crutcher speaks after she finally saw her restored home at the age of 105, taken in Tulsa, Okla., on March 7,2020. The project was organized by the Terence Crutcher Foundation led by Dr Tiffany Crutcher, Revitalize T-Town and other community members. JAMES GIBBARD/for the Tulsa World
Lessie Randle, one of the last known living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, sees her home finally restored at the age of 105, taken in Tulsa, Okla., on March 7,2020. The project was organized by the Terence Crutcher Foundation, Revitalize T-Town and other community members. JAMES GIBBARD/for the Tulsa World
When Lessie Benningfield Randle turned 105 on Nov. 10, she wanted two things for her birthday.
Randle, one of the last remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, wanted to look pretty and have her north Tulsa home restored. The first ask was easy, but it would take a team to give Randle’s home the attention it needed.
On Saturday, Randle saw the finished product with a crowd (and a smoker full of barbecue) to welcome her home. The housewarming, put together by Tiffany Crutcher, founder of the Terence Crutcher Foundation; Revitalize T-Town; and other community members, came after several weeks of restoration work the home at the corner of 49th Street North and Frankfort Avenue.
Crutcher said everyone involved knew how important it was to do right by Randle, a woman who survived racial terror as a child and lived long enough to see an African American president. Crutcher said the project should be the standard for what the city is capable of, not only for one home, but for the community at large.
“When we talk about Black Wall Street, when we talk about Greenwood, that was a community that was built and rebuilt again,” Crutcher said. “Today is an example of what that community, almost 100 years ago, did and what we can do.”
District 1 Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper also spoke at the housewarming. Crutcher credited Hall-Harper, as well as Gathering Place Executive Director Tony Moore, for their involvement in the project.
Hall-Harper said “you can’t help but think of the spirit of Greenwood” in seeing Randle’s house restored.
“The few people that it took to do such an awesome work at this corner, just think about what we could do if we pulled together as a city and as a community to restore Greenwood to what it once was,” Hall-Harper said.
From the repainted walls to the remodeled bathroom, Randle made her way through the partially furnished house with a smile on her face. There’s some new furniture, but a gift registry at MyRegistry.com has also been set up to help acquire other items.
Randle said it made her feel “like a queen” and thanked everyone for helping with the project.
“I’m just so pleased and so happy to be with you all and you all to be with me,” Randle said. “God has blessed me over 100 years, and I thank him. And I thank you all for being here for me.
“Nowadays, there isn’t too much love in the world, so I’m just so glad to know that you love me well enough to come out and see me.”
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