Ruth Ellis (activist)

Ruth Charlotte Ellis (July 23, 1899 – October 5, 2000) was an American LGBT rights activist and the one of the oldest surviving open lesbians at the age of 101.^[1] Her life is celebrated in Yvonne Welbon's documentary film Living With Pride: Ruth C. Ellis @ 100.^[2]

Ruth Ellis
Ellis in 1951
Born	Ruth Charlotte Ellis (1899-07-23)July 23, 1899 Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
Died	October 5, 2000(2000-10-05) (aged 101) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Education	Springfield High School
Occupation(s)	Printer LGBT activist
Years active	1937–2000

Early life

Ellis was born in Springfield, Illinois, on July 23, 1899. She was the youngest of four children and the only girl. Ellis' mother, Carrie Farro Ellis, died when she was a teen, while her father, Charles Ellis Sr., was the first African-American mail carrier in Illinois.^[3][4]

Ellis became open about her identity as a lesbian around 1915, but claims to never have had to come out, as her family was accepting.^[3][5] She graduated from Springfield High School in 1919, at a time when fewer than seven percent of African Americans graduated from secondary school. In the 1920s, she met the only woman she ever lived with, Ceciline "Babe" Franklin. They moved together to Detroit, Michigan, in 1937.^[1]

Career

Ellis worked for a printing company in the 1920s. She learned printing and typesettingwhile working at Black-owned print shop I.E. Foster & Co.^[5]

She moved to Detroit in 1937 to babysit a young boy in Highland Park, for $7 a week.^[6]

She then got a printing position with Waterfield and Heath, where she worked until opening her own press out of the West Side home she shared with Franklin.^[3][7] Her printing business, the Ellis & Franklin Printing Co., was the first woman-owned printing shop in the state of Michigan.^[8][9]

Personal life

Her hobbies included dance, bowling, painting, piano, and photography.^[5] Ellis and Franklin's house was also known in the African-American community as the "gay spot,"^[10][11] a central location for gay and lesbian parties, particularly as a refuge for African-American gays and lesbians.^[12] She often supported those who needed books, food, or assistance with college tuition.^[3]

Ellis and Franklin were together for over 30 years before separating in 1975, around the same time Ellis suffered a heart attack on her way to work.^[7]

Death

Ellis was hospitalized in 2000 for two weeks with heart problems, but wanted to spend her last days at home. She died in her sleep in the early morning of October 5, 2000.^[13] Her ashes were spread in the following Michigan Womyn's Music Festival and in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ghana.^[3]

Recognition

Ellis became a staple at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival soon after it began.^[14] On her 100th birthday, she was sung "Happy Birthday" by the San Francisco Dyke March of 1999, which she led.^[3]

Ellis has been recognized in major LGBT publications across the country.^{[3][6][14][10]} A documentary movie about her was made called Living With Pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100.^[11] The film won several awards at film festivals.^[15] In 2009, Ellis was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.^[4] In 2013, she was inducted into the Legacy Walk, an outdoor public display which celebrates LGBT history and people.^[16]

Ellis was the oldest contributor to Piece of My Heart: A Lesbian of Colour Anthology, in which she was interviewed by Terri L. Jewell.^[17][18]

Ruth Ellis Center

Main article: Ruth Ellis Center

The Ruth Ellis Center honors the life and work of Ruth Ellis and is one of only four agencies in the United States dedicated to homeless LGBT youth and young adults. Among their services are a drop-in center, supportive housing programs, and an integrated Health and Wellness Center that provides medical and mental health care.^[1]