NC man who battled cancer, organized Operation Charlotte’s Web protests dies at 28
Thomas Crowe-Allbritton, a North Carolina activist known in Charlotte for his organizing with fellow activists against Operation Charlotte’s Web, died on June 5 after a yearslong battle with cancer. He was 28.
On June 12, dozens packed into Hanes Funeral Service in Durham to commemorate the life and legacy of Crowe-Allbritton, a musician and activist who shaped the lives of communities across the South.
“He was deeply passionate and had a love for the work we did, no matter how hard it was,” said Victor Urquiza, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. “Given that he had been battling cancer since he was 14, he really was someone that, even though he was in pain a lot of the time, always sacrificed to be there.”
Crowe-Allbritton was born in February 1998 in Dothan, Alabama, and spent much of his childhood in Oxford, North Carolina. Growing up, he was interested in music and played multiple instruments, including the guitar and piano.
At 14 years old, he was diagnosed with a rare cancer known as epithelioid hemangioendothelioma after discovering a tumor in his jaw. It’s a form of cancer that can affect the liver, lungs and bone marrow. Medical scans revealed the cancer spread to his lungs.
In his final months, Crowe-Allbritton organized rallies and helped bring together activists. In 2025, he remained active during Operation Charlotte’s Web, a federal immigration enforcement operation in North Carolina led by former Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino. During protests against Operation Charlotte’s Web, Crowe-Allbritton coordinated activist groups across Charlotte and North Carolina, according to colleagues who worked alongside him. He was an active presence and marcher at the Nov. 16 March Against ICE in Charlotte organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation. During that march, protesters gathered at First Ward Park and marched through uptown days after the operation started.
Who was Thomas Crowe-Allbritton?
Bridget Allbritton, Crowe-Allbritton’s mother, said working through his cancer treatment helped her learn more about her son and herself.
“I think I became a better listener,” Allbritton said. “I thought I was becoming more in tune with him at the beginning. As he got older and grew up and became an adult that was different. But I think we became pretty close.”
He studied history at UNC Pembroke and served as Student Government Association president during his time there. He also became a member of the Eta Beta Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity, one of the oldest music fraternities in the world.
He was an outspoken voice against the construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline through Lumbee tribal land. During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Crowe-Allbritton was also on the front lines of efforts encouraging students to speak out against racial injustice, according to his obituary.
After his time at UNC Pembroke, he went on to earn a master’s degree in public policy from Duke University. During his time there, he interned at Democracy North Carolina and led Changed Paths, which supports the local community of Durham. Those experiences helped transition him into his work as an organizer and activist in North Carolina.
Besides the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Crowe-Allbritton joined the Union of Southern Service Workers, where he advocated for workers’ rights, immigrant rights and social justice issues affecting marginalized communities.
He would often be spotted at local government meetings and organized against controversial state and local government actions, including Senate Bill 153, which required local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to his obituary.
During his funeral service, fellow organizers recalled his devotion to organizing and how he kept fighting through his illness despite the challenges he faced, including Prince Williams, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
“He was many things, but above all, he was my comrade. He was also my coworker. We worked together at the Union for Southern Service Workers,” Williams said. “As comrades, we don’t have to be friends to be in a shared struggle and fight for that common cause, but he was my friend.”
Rev. Allen Jones, co-founder and co-pastor of Changed Paths Ministry, whom Thomas dubbed his “grandfather” because of their close connection, felt his story should be used to inspire people to keep going, despite the amount of time they have on Earth.
“This man should inspire those that could do that and have every right to. He chose to turn his time into some sort of fuel, and I think that’s what moved him,” Jones said. “I might not be here long, but while I’m here, I’m going to make a difference. A real difference. Not just talk about it, but be about it.”
This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 11:30 AM with the headline "NC man who battled cancer, organized Operation Charlotte’s Web protests dies at 28."
