Civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons has published a book documenting his ongoing legal campaign for reparations related to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, marking more than 100 years since the devastating attack on the prosperous Black community known as Greenwood.

The book, titled "Redeem a Nation: The Century-Long Battle to Restore the Soul of America," was released Tuesday and serves as both a historical account and what Solomon-Simmons describes as a blueprint for addressing historic atrocities against Black Americans. The Tulsa-born attorney first learned about the massacre during his college years, initially disbelieving his professor's account of events in his hometown.

The 1921 massacre occurred when white mobs attacked the Greenwood district, destroying more than 35 city blocks, an estimated 191 businesses, and displacing roughly 11,000 Black residents. While Oklahoma declared the death toll to be 36 people, historians estimate the actual number ranges from 75 to 300. Greenwood, founded in 1906, had been a thriving business district with Black-owned establishments including grocery stores, theaters, and financial institutions.

Solomon-Simmons has led multiple legal efforts seeking compensation for survivors and descendants. In 2020, he filed a lawsuit in state court on behalf of 11 plaintiffs, including the last three known living survivors. The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed the case in 2024. Currently, 111-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle remains the sole living survivor involved in the reparations efforts.

The Justice Department recently released a report stating there is no longer an avenue for criminal prosecution related to the massacre. However, Solomon-Simmons continues advocating for cash payments to survivors and descendants, return of stolen land, and other forms of compensation. Tulsa's newly elected first Black mayor, Monroe Nichols, has endorsed Project Greenwood, a proposal that includes financial compensation for Randle, scholarships for victims' descendants, and designation of June 1 as an official observance day.

Solomon-Simmons founded the nonprofit Justice for Greenwood and argues that addressing the Tulsa massacre is essential for broader discussions of reparations for slavery and other historical injustices. The book's release comes as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding in 2026.