The Embassy of The Republic of Ghana in Washington, DC, The Diaspora African Forum (DAF) in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Interior, will hold a citizenship ceremony for two of the three Tulsa Massacre survivors, 108-year-old Voila Fletcher & her 102-year-old brother, Hughes Van Ellis on Tuesday February 28.
Voila Ford Fletcher and Hughes Van Ellis often referred to as Mother Fletcher and Uncle Redd, are two of the three survivors of ‘’Black Wall Street Massacre,’’ also known as the Tulsa Race Massacre of May 31-June 1,1921.
This horrific event took place during the worst 2 days that Mother Fletcher can remember as a small girl of 6 clutching her baby brother of just 6 months.
Her family barely got out alive when mobs of white residents attacked Black residents and destroyed homes and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma based on a lie by a white girl.
The event is considered one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history. The attackers burned and destroyed more than 35 square blocks of one of the wealthiest Black communities in the United States, colloquially known as ‘’Black Wall Street.’
So moved were the founders of DAF, after listening to Mother Fletcher’s testimony recounting the horror of those days before the U.S. Congress in January 2021 that they decided to propose a visit that would give her more positive memories.
Consequently in August 2021, the two iconic figures visited Africa for the first through the welcoming gateway of Ghana as guests of DAF and the Government of Ghana.
In just 8 days, these energetic and tireless Centenarians attended thirteen (13) events during which Mother Fletcher said the visit was a ‘’dream come true.’’
It was on the same visit that Uncle Redd also made his famous “we are one” proclamation sticking one finger in the air at an emotional event on the premises of Diaspora Africa Forum.
Mother Fletcher’s grandson Ike Howard, in a statement expressing his gratitude to H.E Erieka Bennett (Founder & Head of Mission, DAF) and Dr. Toni Luck (Co-Founder, DAF) for the upcoming citizenship ceremony for her Grandmother and Uncle Redd. said: ‘’I would like to thank D.A.F for recruiting us to be Ambassadors for travel to Ghana under the remarkable leadership of Ambassador Erieka Bennett and Dr Toni Luck. The family is extremely grateful and honored to receive citizenship from the Ghanaian government. We wish all a long life and prosperity.’’
As the month of February is designated Black History Month, The Republic Ghana, the home of Pan Africanism and reaching hands across the ocean to Africa’s children in the Diaspora is elated to grant citizenship to these heroic survivors of the Tulsa Massacre.
DNT News, Accra
