Why did Ghana give citizenship to Tulsa Massacre survivors?

“I have a home now. A second home. In the United States I didn’t 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.”

At the beginning of this month, a special ceremony took place in Washington DC – 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 ‘Black Wall Street’ – 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 – 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 ‘home’ to turn to.

Akwasi Sarpong speaks to them and their grandson Ike for Africa Daily.