In Honor Of Manuel Ellis

Manuel was a young father who loved his son and daughter and a talented musician at his church.  We are proud of the man Manuel became, like so many Black men in our community, his greatest achievements were grounded in his ability to transform trauma and personal struggles into victories. His father died from stomach cancer when he was 2 months old, and a difficult childhood led to struggles with addiction and mental health needs, undiagnosed for many years. He was musically talented; he could play anything on piano, keyboard and drums simply by listening. He loved being a father to his 18 month old daughter and 11 year old son, and was very involved in helping his sister raise her children.


At the time of his death he was continuing to grow in the fullness of his potential. No matter where he went he had his bible in his hand, a testament to his new found faith that he used to bring his family closer together through the church. He raised his daughter and his nieces and nephews with the understanding that because they were Black their conduct must reflect the understanding that being killed by police was a very real possibility for them and would always be justified by the broader society.


Still, we never thought we would see him dead at the hands of the police. We  are heartbroken and angry that his life was taken by unaccountable officers of the state. We call on our community to pressure the police department and the mayor to release the identities of the officers who killed Manuel, their disciplinary records, complaint history to the public and all autopsy records and information gathered on Manuel to his family. We also call on our community to prevent all media and government prosecution of Manuel in the public sphere.


We thank you all for hearing us. Please join us in fundraising for our legal fees and other needs as we navigate this difficult time. While we are in immense pain we rest our hope in the community of committed freedom fighters that we are now joining.