Hughes Van Ellis, Oldest Survivor of Tulsa Race Massacre, Passes Away at 102
Hughes Van Ellis, the youngest known survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, has peacefully passed away at the age of 102. Known affectionately as “Uncle Redd,” he spent his later years advocating for justice for his family and fellow descendants of the tragic attack on “Black Wall Street.”
A World War II veteran and accomplished author, Van Ellis passed away in hospice care in Denver, as confirmed by his family’s spokesperson, Mocha Ochoa.
After serving in World War II, Van Ellis worked as a sharecropper and raised seven children, all while living in the shadow of the devastating Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. This horrendous event saw a white mob lay waste to the once-thriving Black community of Tulsa.
A Fierce Advocate for Justice
Damario Solomon-Simmons, one of the attorneys seeking compensation for the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, reflected on Van Ellis’s passionate pursuit of justice. “I’ll remember each time that Uncle Redd’s passionate voice reached hearts and minds in courtrooms, halls of Congress, and interviews,” Solomon-Simmons stated. He emphasized that Van Ellis was more than just a client; he was a partner in the quest for justice and reparations, a source of inspiration and strength during moments of doubt and despair.
Van Ellis’s life began amidst the chaos of the Tulsa Race Massacre when he was only six months old. The conflict erupted due to escalating tensions between Tulsa’s Black and white residents, triggered by a sensationalized report in the white-owned Tulsa Tribune.
The report falsely accused a 19-year-old Black shoeshiner of assaulting a 17-year-old white elevator operator. This led to the arrest of the young shoeshiner and the gathering of a Black militia to protect him from a lynch mob. The situation escalated further, culminating in a violent clash between Black and white residents, sparking a devastating 18-hour conflict.
A Tragic Legacy
During this time, the white mob carried out a scorched-earth campaign against Greenwood, leading to an estimated death toll as high as 300. Over 35 city blocks were razed, approximately 191 businesses were destroyed, and around 10,000 Black residents were forced to flee their homes.
While Van Ellis was in New York promoting a memoir co-authored by his older sister, 109-year-old Viola Ford Fletcher, and grandnephew Ike Howard, he shared his desire for the world to understand what Black Tulsans lost due to the massacre. He expressed a longing for justice and reparations for the injustices suffered.
Van Ellis, whose 2021 testimony to Congress serves as the foreword to Fletcher’s memoir, believed that justice was attainable in his lifetime. He remarked, “We’re getting pretty close (to justice), but we aren’t close enough. We’ve got a lot more work to do. I have to keep on battling. I’m fighting for myself and my people.”
End of an Era
With Hughes Van Ellis’s passing, only two survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre remain: Viola Ford Fletcher and 108-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle. In August, Oklahoma’s high court decided to reconsider the survivors’ reparations lawsuit, following a previous dismissal in July.
Mocha Ochoa, the family’s publicist, revealed that Van Ellis is survived by a large family, including his daughters Mallee and Muriel Van Ellis, who were his primary caregivers in Denver.
Tributes for Van Ellis also poured in from elected officials in Oklahoma. State Rep. Monroe Nichols of Tulsa described him as “a giant” whose name will be remembered by future generations of Tulsans. Van Ellis leaves behind a legacy of patriotism and an unwavering pursuit of justice.