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107-year-old Tulsa Race Massacre survivor’s dream to visit Ghana comes true! Now she’s a queen mother

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Viola Fletcher

Viola Fletcher, who is 107, and her brother, Hughes Van Ellis, who is 100, boarded a plane in August and flew 6,300 miles from Oklahoma to Ghana.

It isn’t just their ages and the distance they traveled that made the trip remarkable. It’s who they are: two of the three oldest known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre who are still alive.The devastation of the Tulsa Race Massacre

They’d been invited to Ghana to be recognized for what they endured a century ago and to celebrate the African roots of their resilience.

The siblings were greeted by royalty and met with the nation’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, who granted them Ghanaian citizenship and gave Fletcher a plot of land in the capital city, Accra.

“Medaase,” Fletcher said, using a Ghanaian dialect for “thank you,” during a meeting with the president, “We accept it with great joy, and we thank the president for this great honor.”

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Several ceremonies yielded a bounty of honors: At one, she was crowned a queen mother. In another, dressed in white, she received a new name, “Naa Lamiley,” which in another Ghanaian dialect means, “Somebody who is strong. Somebody who stands the test of time.”

She received a red, bejeweled crown displaying another of her new names, “Ebube Ndi Igbo.” From the Ga Kingdom in Ghana, she received the name “Naa Yaoteley” Fletcher, which means “the first female child in a family or bloodline.”

Speaking to Ghanaian YouTuber, Wode Maya, Viola Fletcher said it had been a lifelong dream to visit Ghana and since she’s been in the country the experience has been more amazing than she imagined it to be.

The Tulsa race massacre took place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, some of them deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked Black residents and destroyed homes and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, US. Alternatively known as the Tulsa race riot[13] or the Black Wall Street massacre, the event is considered one of “the single worst incident[s] of racial violence in American history”.

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Prez Akufo-Addo appoints Julie Essiam as new GRA Commissioner

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His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana has appointed Julie Essiam as the new Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), replacing Rev. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah. (more…)

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Artistes should not pay for features – Wiyaala 

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Sensational Ghanaian Afro-pop singer and songwriter, Noella Wiyaala Nwadei, professionally known as Wiyaala is advocating against artistes paying for features. (more…)

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I hardly win awards because I’ve always turned down requests for sex – Yemi Alade

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Singer Yemi Alade has revealed the challenges she faced in Nigeria’s entertainment industry, attributing her limited award wins to her refusal to comply with requests for sexual favors from industry executives. (more…)

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King Promise announces debut Asian Tour

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Ghanaian singer King Promise has announced his debut Asian tour. (more…)

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I feel great seeing my memes circulate on social media – Osita Iheme

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Renowned Nollywood actor, Osita Iheme has expressed joy in seeing people use clips and pictures from his old movies to express themselves during conversations on social media as well as in pop culture moments. (more…)

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MyHealthCop Launches Innovative Digital Platform to combat lifestyle diseases, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity in Ghana

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Myhealthcop, an Innovative Mission-Led HealthTech company with a mission to promote healthy living practices and financial inclusion, announces the official launch of its comprehensive digital platform designed to revolutionize health and wellness experiences in Ghana, Africa, and beyond. (more…)

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