Why did Ghana give citizenship to Tulsa Massacre survivors?
In May 1921, a white mob looted and destroyed a rich black neighbourhood in Oklahoma - known as 鈥楤lack Wall Street鈥� 鈥� killing hundreds of people.
鈥淚 have a home now. A second home. In the United States I didn鈥檛 feel like I had a home but I feel like Ghana is a safe place to live. They treat you like a human being over there.鈥�
At the beginning of this month, a special ceremony took place in Washington DC 鈥� when two of the last three remaining survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre - Viola Ford Fletcher, now 108, and her younger brother Hughes Van Ellis, 102 - were both given Ghanaian citizenship.
During the massacre a white mob destroyed and looted a rich black neighbourhood in Oklahoma, USA - known as 鈥楤lack Wall Street鈥� 鈥� killing hundreds of people. News of the event was buried, and for decades it was hidden from history, but the siblings have been part of the process of remembering 鈥� speaking to Congress to mark the centenary of the event.
The citizenship was offered to them by President Nana Akufo-Addo in 2021 when they fulfilled their lifelong dream of visiting Africa.
Now both say they feel grateful to have a safe 鈥榟ome鈥� to turn to.
Akwasi Sarpong speaks to them and their grandson Ike for Africa Daily.
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