x
Breaking News
More () »

Woman still seeking justice after 1959 Wrightsville fire killed her brother

It was March 5, 1959 at 4 a.m. when 21 African American boys, ages 13 to 17, died in a fire while locked inside the dormitories of a school in Wrightsville.

WRIGHTSVILLE, Ark. — Black History Month means diving back into the past to gain a better understanding of our present and future. One of them being the 21 African American boys who were killed in a fire back in 1959.

The tragedy is still affecting one woman today. 

"I just have the memories of him. It's kind of sad, because I can't show his picture to my children or his children for their uncle," said Ardecy Gyce about her brother, Amos Gyce.

RELATED: Memorial dedicated for 21 boys killed in 1959 blaze

She doesn't have a picture of him, so she can only visit the memorial site at Haven of Rest Cemetery in Little Rock where there's a plaque from 2018 honoring all 21 boys. 

Gyce was a young child when her brother was sent to the Negro Boys Industrial School, an alternative school for African American boys in Wrightsville.

She said he was asked by a white friend to watch his dogs while he was out of town. He was given a combination to the safe to buy the dogs what they needed.

"One of the workers that worked for the family accused him of stealing, but that wasn't true. He was taking the money out and buying dog food and everything," said Gyce.

It was March 5, 1959 at 4 a.m. when the boys, ages 13 to 17, died in a fire while locked inside the dormitories of the school. 

UA Little Rock archives show an investigation highlighted how the school had largely been operated as a prison work farm, and there were large disparities in the way the boys were cared for. 

That's also according to Grif Stockley's book, 'Black Boys Burning.'

"Until we come to terms with the kind of white supremacy that has been a part of Arkansas history and southern history, then we're not going to understand how to prevent these events," said Stockley. 

He said systemic poverty, perpetuated by white supremacy during the times of racial injustice, sealed the fate for the boys.

"It's still a mystery, you know, as to why so many boys died," said Stockley.

The event came right after the Little Rock Central High School desegregation crisis. 

The governor at the time said in part, "The blame can be placed on the school board of directors, the superintendent and his staff, as well as state administration, one after the other through the past years, because of those conditions, and finally the people of Arkansas who did nothing." 

RELATED: Newly discovered documents reveal what may have started Elaine Massacre 100 years ago

For Gyce, she worries that atrocities like this are bound to repeat themselves. It's part of the reason why she's started a non-profit to come up with alternative programs for youth, so they don't go into the prison system.

"After two years of the testimony and the investigation, they gave each family member $1,000 or $2,000 for the loss of their children," said Gyce.

No one ever faced criminal charges because of the fire.

Before You Leave, Check This Out