PEOPLE // Lisa Hicks-Gilbert
Lisa Hicks-Gilbert
Reclaiming Our Narrative
by Dianna Donahue - Feb.1.2022
Lisa Hicks-Gilbert was born and raised in Elaine by way of Snow Lake and Ratio, Arkansas. She graduated from Elaine High School in 1986, and her adult life eventually moved her away for several years. However, after learning the history of her hometown as an adult, she was drawn back in October 2021 to do what she can to shine a bright light on its history.
Hicks-Gilbert standing in front of the last building erect from 1919, which is set to become the new Civil Rights Museum by the Elaine Legacy Center.
A great portion of Hicks-Gilbert’s sense of responsibility to this work is her familial connection to the history of the Elaine Twelve. Frank Hicks is her great-uncle, and his brother, Ed Hicks, is her great-grandfather. Mr. Ed Hicks and his first wife had two sons, one of which is Hicks-Gilbert’s grandfather. Unfortunately, it is not known which of Hicks’ sons is Hicks-Gilbert’s grandfather because many families were displaced, disconnected, and dismantled due to the Elaine Massacre. Inclusive to this, Hicks-Gilbert’s grandmother is a close relative of Joseph Knox, also of the Elaine Twelve.
Today, Hicks-Gilbert is working with the Lee Street Community Center while simultaneously drawing from the courage of her ancestors to fearlessly do good work for her beloved town on behalf of those Black voices before her. She works diligently to reclaim her ancestors’ narrative and history and bring constant honor to the courageous Black men and women who tried to position Elaine (and surrounding Black communities) for prosperity.
Today, Hicks-Gilbert is working with the Lee Street Community Center while simultaneously drawing from the courage of her ancestors to fearlessly do good work for her beloved town on behalf of those Black voices before her. She works diligently to reclaim her ancestors’ narrative and history and bring constant honor to the courageous Black men and women who tried to position Elaine (and surrounding Black communities) for prosperity.
RESPECT YOUR ELDERS
In 2008, Hicks-Gilbert learned about the Elaine Massacre in the book “Blood in their Eyes: The Elaine Massacre of 1919” by Grif Stockley, Brian K. Mitchell, and Guy Lancaster while researching for a history class. She initially thought it was a fictional story because no one had ever told her anything close to what the book said about her hometown. She even reflected on an all-school reunion she attended two years prior where Elaine’s mayor’s wife told the history of Elaine – starting with its incorporation in April 1919 through 2006 – never mentioning the massacre.
About two weeks after discovering the book, Hicks-Gilbert went home to Elaine. Her grandmother, Bernice Knox-Hicks, lovingly referred to as “Momma,” reluctantly and nervously confirmed the story told in the book. Hicks-Gilbert reflects:
In 2008, Hicks-Gilbert learned about the Elaine Massacre in the book “Blood in their Eyes: The Elaine Massacre of 1919” by Grif Stockley, Brian K. Mitchell, and Guy Lancaster while researching for a history class. She initially thought it was a fictional story because no one had ever told her anything close to what the book said about her hometown. She even reflected on an all-school reunion she attended two years prior where Elaine’s mayor’s wife told the history of Elaine – starting with its incorporation in April 1919 through 2006 – never mentioning the massacre.
About two weeks after discovering the book, Hicks-Gilbert went home to Elaine. Her grandmother, Bernice Knox-Hicks, lovingly referred to as “Momma,” reluctantly and nervously confirmed the story told in the book. Hicks-Gilbert reflects:
“The hardest part should’ve been learning about it. But no. The hardest part was seeing my grandmother’s reaction – that fearful and concerned: ‘Baby, how in the world did you find out about it’ response, because to her [and our elders] that was a well-hidden secret.
…I remember her standing in her kitchen – right here in Elaine – looking at the door – because the screen door was shut, but the main door was open – and she’s looking…telling me: ‘Baby, close the door, close the door’ because she’s thinking somebody was going to overhear us talking about it. That fear was hard for me to see. Getting her to tell me those stories later was harder.
I bordered on anger and shock for a while. I was angry at my grandparents and those who knew and never said anything to us – I was angry for a long time. But a couple of things shook me up that made me learn how to respect that fear. Case in point, George Floyd! We all watched and saw what our elders already knew was possible…something that many of them saw – in some regard – daily. So when I saw that, it was like, ‘Ok, Momma. I understand now. I get it.’ I was ashamed of my anger because I didn’t know any better. They knew what was possible. They knew that fear. Very well! And because of them, I didn’t have to.”
RESIDUAL TRANSGENERATIONAL TRAUMA
Black people are inundated with residual transgenerational traumas derived from the first Black Africans enslaved by white Europeans. These traumas are compounded and manifest with every generation with varying ways chosen to handle them. One of those ways is silence – an approach often chosen as a form of protection and survival. It is also one chosen by many who lived through and after the Elaine Massacre.
The topic was never discussed because most Black people of Elaine and surrounding communities were too afraid and traumatized to speak on it well into their elder years of life – if at all – so the story of the massacre was sparsely passed down. In contrast, those born after the massacre were privy to awareness of it, but only because they were recipients of the massacre’s direct residual traumas compounded with the ever-present Jim Crow South.
This was the case for Hicks-Gilbert’s grandmother. Although she was not born until 1923 – the year that the Elaine Twelve was released from jail – she was a direct recipient of trauma residuals derived from the Elaine Massacre. She was told stories in secret from those who lived through the events that led to the massacre, the massacre itself, and its aftermath. This, and the regular fear of being Black in the South, influenced Hicks-Knox to choose silence.
Most Elaine natives of Hicks-Gilbert’s generation, and that after it, were never taught about the Elaine Massacre from their elders. Many did not find out until adulthood, with several finding out accidentally and often in states other than Arkansas. Hicks-Gilbert states that it was traumatizing for her not to know what happened in Elaine. Still, she eventually understood that her people survived and protected their families by not talking about it. As we talked, Hicks-Gilbert reflects on how well her elders raised good, decent Black men and women despite their adverse conditions and resources. She prides herself on their influence on her life and is grateful for their regard.
Black people are inundated with residual transgenerational traumas derived from the first Black Africans enslaved by white Europeans. These traumas are compounded and manifest with every generation with varying ways chosen to handle them. One of those ways is silence – an approach often chosen as a form of protection and survival. It is also one chosen by many who lived through and after the Elaine Massacre.
The topic was never discussed because most Black people of Elaine and surrounding communities were too afraid and traumatized to speak on it well into their elder years of life – if at all – so the story of the massacre was sparsely passed down. In contrast, those born after the massacre were privy to awareness of it, but only because they were recipients of the massacre’s direct residual traumas compounded with the ever-present Jim Crow South.
This was the case for Hicks-Gilbert’s grandmother. Although she was not born until 1923 – the year that the Elaine Twelve was released from jail – she was a direct recipient of trauma residuals derived from the Elaine Massacre. She was told stories in secret from those who lived through the events that led to the massacre, the massacre itself, and its aftermath. This, and the regular fear of being Black in the South, influenced Hicks-Knox to choose silence.
Most Elaine natives of Hicks-Gilbert’s generation, and that after it, were never taught about the Elaine Massacre from their elders. Many did not find out until adulthood, with several finding out accidentally and often in states other than Arkansas. Hicks-Gilbert states that it was traumatizing for her not to know what happened in Elaine. Still, she eventually understood that her people survived and protected their families by not talking about it. As we talked, Hicks-Gilbert reflects on how well her elders raised good, decent Black men and women despite their adverse conditions and resources. She prides herself on their influence on her life and is grateful for their regard.
“My grandmother didn’t speak of it because she was concerned for her children who worked on the farms. And she didn’t want me to know because she knew how I was as the outspoken one of the family. She was protecting us. For years, she was protecting us. There were so many things that happened in my childhood growing up that I thought it was just regular occurrences and just how people were but knowing about the massacre made it all make sense. ‘That’s why daddy was quiet and reserved…that’s why he sat on the porch just watching up the road with his shotgun! That’s why my aunt won’t look at white people in the eyes today at 80+ years old! That’s why they were so protective of us…why they kept us close!”
Hicks-Gilbert convinced her grandmother to share her accounts of Elaine, Arkansas, amid the fall of 1919 and thereafter. Of those was identifying the land location that the Progressive Households and Farmers Union of America (PFHUA) intended to purchase in Ratio, Arkansas, as well as a vivid description of the bullet-riddled bodies that randomly laid across everywhere intentionally left for Black survivors to see. Knox-Hicks also told her of the post-massacre agreement that jailed Black sharecroppers were required to agree to in exchange for their freedom.
“My grandmother told me that over 100 Black sharecroppers – men and women – were in the county jail in Helena after the massacre. White landowners still had crops that needed to be tended to…that’s money! They had to do something! So, the white landowners paid for the Black sharecroppers’ release but first made them agree that they would not join anything without their permission. They couldn’t join anything but church!”
Hicks-Gilbert added that Knox-Hicks told her that this agreement was also made by Black women who were left to fend for themselves because their menfolk were in jail. They, too, were forced to agree but instead had to work in white households for free in exchange for the white landowners to get their husbands, sons, and other family members out of jail.
Her grandmother fearfully and cautiously shared these and other accounts with Hicks-Gilbert, but only under the condition that she didn’t say anything until after she “done left this earth.” Hicks-Gilbert kept that promise. Bernice Knox-Hicks became an ancestor on December 11, 2019, and Hicks-Gilbert started working shortly afterward.
Her grandmother fearfully and cautiously shared these and other accounts with Hicks-Gilbert, but only under the condition that she didn’t say anything until after she “done left this earth.” Hicks-Gilbert kept that promise. Bernice Knox-Hicks became an ancestor on December 11, 2019, and Hicks-Gilbert started working shortly afterward.
“Don’t confuse peace with quiet.
I come in peace, but I’m not about to be quiet.”
(l to r) Congressman French Hill, Dr. Brian Mitchell, Shelia Walker*, Annie M. McDaniels Abrams, Dorothy Neal*, Rev. Steven Bradley, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., and Hicks-Gilbert* participating in the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail’s induction ceremony for the Elaine Twelve. [*Elaine Twelve descendants] source: https://hill.house.gov/news/email/show.aspx?ID=F63AUI522ZSTPPV7JMGDEFQDFY
DESCENDANTS OF THE ELAINE MASSACRE
Shortly after receiving confirmation about the Elaine Massacre from her grandmother, Hicks-Gilbert decided she needed to move back to Arkansas and do her part to ensure the world knew who the Elaine Twelve were and reclaim the narrative surrounding them. She notified Elaine’s mayor and City Council of her intent and promised to inform them of her moves to benefit Elaine’s past, present, and future; however, she was not asking permission to make them.
Once back home, she connected with numerous descendants of the massacre that were tirelessly volunteering themselves to do good work for the community, for the legacy of the Elaine Twelve, and the history of the Elaine Massacre.
Shortly after receiving confirmation about the Elaine Massacre from her grandmother, Hicks-Gilbert decided she needed to move back to Arkansas and do her part to ensure the world knew who the Elaine Twelve were and reclaim the narrative surrounding them. She notified Elaine’s mayor and City Council of her intent and promised to inform them of her moves to benefit Elaine’s past, present, and future; however, she was not asking permission to make them.
Once back home, she connected with numerous descendants of the massacre that were tirelessly volunteering themselves to do good work for the community, for the legacy of the Elaine Twelve, and the history of the Elaine Massacre.
“These people are working their butts off! Down here doing this work for free, coming out of their pockets, making sure kids receive tutoring…they don’t ask for anything, just showing and expressing concern…and don’t want any praise. They’re just doing the work. I have to make them take pictures so that they can be recognized and acknowledged, but they don’t want anything. They’re just doing the work! And this is what we’ve always done as a community – we take care of each other.”
In November 2019, Hicks-Gilbert met Sheila Walker – a descendant of the Elaine Twelve’s Albert Giles – and later asked her would she be a part of the work she wanted to do. Walker agreed to under the condition that Hicks-Gilbert included a component of reconciliation to work with the white descendants of the Elaine Massacre, as well. Understanding the fullness of the importance, Hicks-Gilbert agreed to Walker’s condition and started the Descendants of The Elaine Massacre of 1919 (DOEM1919) organization in March 2020. It was designed to be an educational resource by dispersing accurate information, preserving history, reclaiming the narrative to share how brilliant the people were, and amplifying the voices of the descendants of the Elaine Twelve and the Elaine Massacre.
Hicks-Gilbert has received some disgruntlement. However, she has received lots of support for her agenda and her efforts from the citizens and natives of Elaine. It is sometimes a whispered support but support nonetheless because there is an understanding of a bigger picture – one that promotes reconciliation, better relations, and multiple forms of equity for Elaine.
Since establishing the organization, Hicks-Gilbert worked with Kwami and Clarice Abdul-Bey of the Arkansas Peace and Justice Memorial Movement on the Senate Bill 674 to ensure that all of Arkansas History was taught in high schools. It also requested the exoneration of 122 Black sharecroppers of the Elaine Massacre whose names still carry fraudulent charges. Tiffany Cross interviewed Hicks-Gilbert on “The Cross Connection with Tiffany Cross” show in May of 2021. She is accenting her efforts with consideration of entering the race as Elaine’s next Justice of the Peace.
Hicks-Gilbert has received some disgruntlement. However, she has received lots of support for her agenda and her efforts from the citizens and natives of Elaine. It is sometimes a whispered support but support nonetheless because there is an understanding of a bigger picture – one that promotes reconciliation, better relations, and multiple forms of equity for Elaine.
Since establishing the organization, Hicks-Gilbert worked with Kwami and Clarice Abdul-Bey of the Arkansas Peace and Justice Memorial Movement on the Senate Bill 674 to ensure that all of Arkansas History was taught in high schools. It also requested the exoneration of 122 Black sharecroppers of the Elaine Massacre whose names still carry fraudulent charges. Tiffany Cross interviewed Hicks-Gilbert on “The Cross Connection with Tiffany Cross” show in May of 2021. She is accenting her efforts with consideration of entering the race as Elaine’s next Justice of the Peace.
“They were not asking
anyone for anything, but rather they were working to create their own.”
WHY DOES THE STORY NEED TO BE TOLD?
Hicks-Gilbert believes the world should know the Elaine Twelve story, why the massacre happened, why the Black sharecroppers started organizing, and why Robert L. Hill created the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America (PFHUA) organization. She believes young people need to know about the sacrifice, bravery, and effort made to build wealth for Black people.
Robert L. Hill and his partners established PFHUA, so Black tenant farmers (sharecroppers) could receive fair settlements from their white landlords and offer themselves a way out of poverty. Its bylaws required all its members to be respectful, upstanding citizens of good character and be about Black progression in Phillips County and surrounding areas. Despite biased accounts through the years, the Elaine Massacre did not start because of an uprising by Black people causing disorder in a small town. It started because of the PFHUA’s intent for Black people to have and build something for themselves, which served as justification for others to incite acts of hatred and, ultimately, the massacre. Hicks-Gilbert wants to tell the entire story to give perspective on the intent of all sides.
Hicks-Gilbert believes the world should know the Elaine Twelve story, why the massacre happened, why the Black sharecroppers started organizing, and why Robert L. Hill created the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America (PFHUA) organization. She believes young people need to know about the sacrifice, bravery, and effort made to build wealth for Black people.
Robert L. Hill and his partners established PFHUA, so Black tenant farmers (sharecroppers) could receive fair settlements from their white landlords and offer themselves a way out of poverty. Its bylaws required all its members to be respectful, upstanding citizens of good character and be about Black progression in Phillips County and surrounding areas. Despite biased accounts through the years, the Elaine Massacre did not start because of an uprising by Black people causing disorder in a small town. It started because of the PFHUA’s intent for Black people to have and build something for themselves, which served as justification for others to incite acts of hatred and, ultimately, the massacre. Hicks-Gilbert wants to tell the entire story to give perspective on the intent of all sides.
“This is how Our babies learn. The Twelve were a part of an organization that hired an attorney, started organizing and rallying membership and met to better their families and Black people. And they did it the correct way. Our babies need to know this! I gotta tell them about their ancestors and why this information was hidden from them. We must pour into them so that they can be aware of their brilliance.”
Hicks-Gilbert hopes to leave a legacy that adds to the continuation of the work that her ancestors were unable to finish, that pours into the next generation, and that her work is fulfilled with them.
“I don’t write one goal down, and I don’t make plans. I give three sure, solid days of the week – I’m with the kids [at the community center], or I’m tutoring…anything that I can do to acclimate myself back into the community to understand and be in the presence of where my ancestors were so that I can do this work. I often say ‘Ancestors, please guide me.’ because this is a lot. It is a lot. But I’m gonna do it. I don’t know how, but I’m gonna do it.”
UPCOMING
Hicks-Gilbert is currently preparing to complete the application process required to have Elaine’s Main Street declared a Historic District. In addition, Main Street is also geared to receive free, efficient Wi-Fi services due in part to Hicks-Gilbert’s effort. This service is sponsored by David Solomon, a supporter from Helena, Arkansas, and UpLink Internet, LLC., which recently provided the same service for Helena’s Cherry Street area. This will tremendously help Elaine in general, but it will also help with the increased need for virtual usage due to the pandemic. Inclusive to this, Hicks-Gilbert is partnering with volunteers to paint murals around the town and is preparing for a Juneteenth celebration in Elaine to commemorate Black culture in America.
She serves as Secretary for the Lee Street Community Center Board alongside several other descendants of Elaine that make up the center’s board. She is also the Program Manager for the center, thus creates leadership and entrepreneurship programs for youth to learn about their history and provide them with tools to better their future.
The community center is planning a youth trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to visit where Greenwood’s Black Wall Street once stood and so Elaine’s descendants can meet Greenwood’s descendants. Hicks-Gilbert will use these experiences to prepare Elaine’s youth for the projected increase in tourist visits once the new Civil Rights Museum by the Elaine Legacy Center opens. Although the center will not be founded or run by anyone from Elaine or a descendent of the Elaine Twelve or the Elaine Massacre, Hicks-Gilbert feels Elaine’s youth must represent their descendants well and be a part of that anticipated economic boom for the area.
Inclusive to her efforts with the center, Hicks-Gilbert is preparing for the DOEM1919’s annual Unity Fest. She is also planning to propose that Hoop Spur, Arkansas, be recognized with a marker to commemorate the Hoop Spur Church where the PFHUA’s last meeting was held, and it be included in the extension of the Arkansas Heritage’s bike trail that runs through Elaine.
If you want to contribute assistance to the Descendants of The Elaine Massacre organization, contact Lisa Hicks-Gilbert via Facebook: @Descendants of The Elaine Massacre of 1919. The organization is currently accepting donations via Cash App: $DOEM1919 or its GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign. To find it, go to www.GoFundMe.com and search for: “Help the Descendants of the Elaine Massacre!”
Hicks-Gilbert is currently preparing to complete the application process required to have Elaine’s Main Street declared a Historic District. In addition, Main Street is also geared to receive free, efficient Wi-Fi services due in part to Hicks-Gilbert’s effort. This service is sponsored by David Solomon, a supporter from Helena, Arkansas, and UpLink Internet, LLC., which recently provided the same service for Helena’s Cherry Street area. This will tremendously help Elaine in general, but it will also help with the increased need for virtual usage due to the pandemic. Inclusive to this, Hicks-Gilbert is partnering with volunteers to paint murals around the town and is preparing for a Juneteenth celebration in Elaine to commemorate Black culture in America.
She serves as Secretary for the Lee Street Community Center Board alongside several other descendants of Elaine that make up the center’s board. She is also the Program Manager for the center, thus creates leadership and entrepreneurship programs for youth to learn about their history and provide them with tools to better their future.
The community center is planning a youth trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to visit where Greenwood’s Black Wall Street once stood and so Elaine’s descendants can meet Greenwood’s descendants. Hicks-Gilbert will use these experiences to prepare Elaine’s youth for the projected increase in tourist visits once the new Civil Rights Museum by the Elaine Legacy Center opens. Although the center will not be founded or run by anyone from Elaine or a descendent of the Elaine Twelve or the Elaine Massacre, Hicks-Gilbert feels Elaine’s youth must represent their descendants well and be a part of that anticipated economic boom for the area.
Inclusive to her efforts with the center, Hicks-Gilbert is preparing for the DOEM1919’s annual Unity Fest. She is also planning to propose that Hoop Spur, Arkansas, be recognized with a marker to commemorate the Hoop Spur Church where the PFHUA’s last meeting was held, and it be included in the extension of the Arkansas Heritage’s bike trail that runs through Elaine.
If you want to contribute assistance to the Descendants of The Elaine Massacre organization, contact Lisa Hicks-Gilbert via Facebook: @Descendants of The Elaine Massacre of 1919. The organization is currently accepting donations via Cash App: $DOEM1919 or its GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign. To find it, go to www.GoFundMe.com and search for: “Help the Descendants of the Elaine Massacre!”
Unless otherwise stated, photos were provided/permitted usage by or taken by Dianna Donahue.
