Survivor-Roy Davis

One of the lucky ones

Roy Davis survived the fire at the Negro Boys Industrial School in Wrightsville, Arkansas. In 2008, while incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, he was interviewed by the Arkansas Times.

During that interview, Roy helped solve a long-standing mystery. He remembered that one of the older boys, Jessie Carpenter Jr., had run to the dormitory door in an attempt to escape. Carpenter kicked the door open, and when he did, the fire surged inside. Jessie died in that doorway, but until Roy spoke, no one knew whether the door had actually been opened.

Roy recalled counting eight bunks back to the window where he ultimately climbed out to safety.

Roy died in 2020 of Covid while incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.