In Memoriam
Hughes Van Ellis, one of the last known Tulsa massacre survivors, dies at 102
Hughes Van Ellis, one of the last three known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has passed away.
Hughes Van Ellis, one of the last three known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has passed away.
Death details
Ellis died in Denver, Colorado, his family said in a statement. He was 102.
Hughes Van Ellis was one of the last three known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Ellis was an infant when he and his older sister, Viola Fletcher, fled Tulsa’s Greenwood District with their family as a violent White mob tore through the thriving Black community, ultimately killing hundreds of residents and destroying rows of homes and businesses.
Like a multitude of other Black families, Ellis and his loved ones were forced to leave behind not only their home but a lifetime of opportunities.
“I lost 102 years. I don’t want nobody else to lose that,” he told CNN.
The last two remaining survivors are Ellis’ sister Viola, who is 109, and 108-year-old Lessie Benningfield.
1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
The Tulsa Race Massacre, considered one of America’s deadliest acts of racial violence, was inflicted by a White mob that descended on the area known as “Black Wall Street” and committed arson, shootings and aerial bombings from private planes. As many as 300 people were killed and more than 1,000 homes and businesses are estimated to have been destroyed, according to the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum.
----------------------------------------------------------
Connect with Unheard Voices on X, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
Download the app on Google Play or ITunes.
----------------------------------------------------------
Unheard Voices Magazine is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Discover more from Unheard Voices Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
News2 weeks ago
Son Discovers Mother Deceased After Devastating St. Louis Tornado : “Our House Is Gone and My Mom Is Gone”
-
News2 weeks ago
Officials declare suicide as cause of death for Georgia twins found on mountain
-
Crime & Justice2 weeks ago
9-year-old hero killed while trying to get younger siblings to safety amid gunfire
-
News23 hours ago
George Floyd’s 11-year-old daughter says she’s being bullied in school
-
Social Justice1 day ago
Community rallies to preserve Knoxville African American cemetery and memorialize Black Veterans buried in unmarked graves
-
Black Excellence4 days ago
Teen goes viral for working at Burger King after graduation, GoFundMe raises more than $100,000
-
In Memoriam4 days ago
Brian McKnight’s son Niko dies at 32 after cancer battle
-
News2 weeks ago
Louisiana couple dies hours apart in separate car crashes, leaves behind 4-year-old son