Ashton Russell, in memoriam

Ashton Russell was a beloved member of a number of communities in New Orleans, Louisiana and Houston, Texas. Ashton was known by all for his generosity, his self-sacrificing nature, and for being committed to the health and well-being of all members of his communities, including people who he had only just met.

On December 7th, 2023, Ashton was shot and killed in Houston, Texas. The loss of any family member is incredibly difficult, but the killing of Ashton came completely out of the blue: never in his life was he known for putting himself or others in positions of danger, and the idea that he would be violently killed in this manner came as a severe shock to all members of his family.

Ashton had beautiful and important dreams. Along with members of his family, Ashton had studied his genealogy and had a dream of traveling to Cameroon to absorb and understand the culture of his extended family there and to connect with family members there. Ashton spoke frequently about the importance of environmental protection, having become passionate about recycling and reuse as a young child. That passionate commitment was palpable to other members of a group that Ashton joined to discuss the mental health impacts of climate change, and to explore how community connections can foster resilience against those impacts. This background led Ashton to a lasting interest in helping members of his family and community plan ahead for future disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and higher temperatures, and to being an outspoken advocate for the environment. Reflecting on his participation in a project that brought together intergenerational New Orleanians, Ashton is quoted in an archive as saying that, “It's important for us to have the dialect between generations so we can exchange experiences, and that's how we probably come up with a solution.”

Ashton leaves behind his mother, Allyson Russell Smith, as well as two children (Ashton and Ayla), a brother Alexander, and many extended relatives. In addition to the direct expenses of a memorial service and burial, Ashton's family has been left to deal with loss of income, repeated travel expenses between New Orleans and Houston, and the emotional challenges of navigating a police investigation into the death while in the process of grieving this terrible loss. Any funds gathered which exceed the direct costs of the memorial and burial will be used by Allyson to defray these other expenses and loss of income.

Ashton’s mother Allyson has shared the following remembrances:

Ashton was his parents' second son. He was a handsome young man with an easy smile known for his generosity and self-sacrificing nature. Ashton was always willing to help others and showed outstanding commitment to the health and well-being of all communities, even those he had just met. Ashton was born and raised in New Orleans and had absorbed its cultures and subcultures. From a young age, Ashton was curious about the "why" of everything. He wanted to know why Orleans Avenue becomes Basin Street when it's still the same street, why people are buried in vaults above the ground, and why every state does not sell Blue Plate mayonnaise.

Ashton was an exceptional student who received numerous awards for his academic achievements. He was curious, respectful, attentive, and focused in classes. Ashton said he excelled in school because learning came quickly, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. Ashton had an extensive range of interests: music, art, history, and science, but he particularly enjoyed reading. He frequented the city libraries and museums so much that the staff greeted him by name. He could analyze and debate literary works by famous authors, including Joyce, Dostoevsky, de Cervantes, Homer, and Muller. Additionally, his mother introduced him to the works of Wheatley, Hughes, Angelou, Wilson, Du Bois, and the Bible. Ashton also had a keen interest in poetry and enjoyed listening to poets perform their original spoken-word pieces; it was a smooth alignment of music and words.

Ashton's passion for writing developed at a young age. He used to write about the minor and significant, including his experiences at school, trips to different states, and mostly his goals and dreams. During high school, Ashton wrote an award-winning article about his first encounter with the New Orleans Police Department. When he was around ten, he and his best friend went to the corner sweet shop to buy potato chips. Instead of buying their usual brand, they decided to try a new one. After crossing the street to play basketball in the church's yard, they realized the new chips were disgusting. As they tried to spit the chips out at the curb, a police car pulled up. Ashton and his friend were pressed up against the side of the police car, with officers accusing them of spitting at them. They tried to explain that it was just nasty chips but were directed to shut up. Serendipitously, a female elder was passing by, paused, and asked what was happening. One of the officers told his version of the story. The woman convinced them to release the boys into her care. She promised to inform their parents of the incident. The officers removed the handcuffs and told the elder to say to their parents they were lucky she was there to save them some money. After the police left, the woman listened to the boys' story and advised them to go inside in case the police circled back. The encounter deeply affected Ashton, which forever changed his perception of injustice. He didn't tell anyone about the incident because he felt ashamed and embarrassed. When asked about the elderly lady, Ashton said he'd never seen the woman before.

Ashton delved into researching his family's genealogy along with his family members. Ashton also helped edit the Atlas Family History Volume VIII book, published in 2018. During his research, Ashton discovered that his family originally came from the Republic of Cameroon in Africa. Ashton hoped to one day visit the country to learn more about his extended family's culture and immerse himself in the experience.

Ashton started working as an HIV/AIDS outreach worker in New Orleans, Louisiana. During his introduction to his peers, he often emphasized that one did not have to be infected with HIV/AIDS to be affected by it. He believed that the community needed to be aware and take action to prevent the spread of this disease. Ashton lost his aunt to breast cancer, and later, his cousin was also diagnosed with the same. When asked to volunteer with the Susan G. Komen and the American Cancer Society, he didn't hesitate to say yes. At the beginning of his 31-day challenge of wearing pink, he hoped to be invited to join the 2024 Real Men Wear Pink campaign. He was involved in multiple churches across three states: Fellowship Missionary Baptist in New Orleans, Louisiana; Fallbrook Church and Wheeler Avenue Baptist in Houston, Texas; and Mississippi Boulevard Christian in Memphis, Tennessee.

Ashton always stressed the significance of protecting the environment. He had been passionate about recycling and reusing since childhood, evidenced by his dedicated approach to environmental conservation. Being a part of Climate Conversations, New Orleans Youth Group(https://climateconversations.portal.fora.io/) that discussed the mental health impacts of climate change, Ashton's passion for environmental protection was apparent to others. The group also explored how building community connections can help foster resilience against the adverse effects of climate change. This experience sparked an enduring interest in Ashton to help his family and community prepare for future disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and higher temperatures. Reflecting on his participation in a project that brought together intergenerational New Orleanians, Ashton is quoted in an archive as saying that, “It's important for us to have the dialect between generations so we can exchange experiences, and that's how we probably come up with a solution.” He remained an outspoken advocate for environmental protection.

Ashton was a devoted fan of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. His mother teased him that she would wear cleats and jerseys to the field to help the Saints win. His mother would claim that the team wouldn't let her play whenever the team lost. When Ashton would urge his mother to help the Pelicans by going on the court, she would take credit for their victories but blame losses on the bookies. Ashton and his mom enjoyed viewing the Olympic Games, especially the opening ceremony. During the competitions, Ashton would listen to the commentator's analysis of each athlete's performance and make his judgments.

Thursday, December 7th, 2023, after viewing most of the Los Angeles Lakers vs the New Orleans Pelicans game, Ashton was shot and killed in Houston, Texas. The sudden death of any family member is complicated. Still, the murder of Ashton came entirely out of the blue: never in his life was he known for putting himself or others in positions of danger, and the idea that Ashton was violently killed sent severe shockwaves to the members of his family, friends, coworkers, and several communities.

Ashton is survived by his mother, Allyson Russell Smith, two children, ages 18 and 4, and a brother, Alexander. His extended family, coworkers, and friends will deeply miss him.

Aside from the expense of a memorial service and burial, Ashton's family is left without income to support his children's education and care. Managing expenses for frequent travel between New Orleans and Houston can be challenging, not to mention the emotional toll it takes to navigate a police investigation into the murder of a loved one while grieving this traumatic loss. Any funds collected beyond the direct costs of the memorial and burial will be used by Allyson to cover additional costs and lost income.