Boley, Oklahoma (October 4, 1896 -January 13, 2001) age 104 yrs

Mabel B. Little survived the 1921 Tulsa race riot to become a matriarch of Tulsa’s Black community. Little was the granddaughter of former enslaved people. She moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Boley, which is one of several black towns in Oklahoma. At the age of 17, she moved to attend college. Little began working at a white hotel while her husband, Presley Little, waited tables. In 1917 Little invested in a beauty salon in downtown Greenwood called the Little Rose Beauty Salon. The salon became a popular place for women to get their hair done. It also became a hot spot for community discussions and gatherings. Little opened a restaurant called the Little Café. Tragedy struck, and the Littles’ lost everything. They narrowly escaped with their lives. They became some of the few survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Community activist, Mabel Little lived to be 104. She adopted 20 children over her lifetime. She earned the title of ‘Matriarch’ in the Tulsa Community.