Black History is Oklahoma History | Oklahoma Historical Society
Source: https://www.okhistory.org/blackhistory
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:15
Black History is Oklahoma History | Oklahoma Historical Society
Black History is Oklahoma History
Skip to Main Content
Oklahoma Historical Society
Menu
Black History is Oklahoma History
As an educational organization and a dedicated community partner, the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) has long believed that one important step toward ending racism and injustice is a better understanding of our shared history.
Since 1893, the Oklahoma Historical Society has collected and shared the story of Oklahoma. In the 1980s, the OHS began a concerted effort to engage with Oklahoma’s Black community—to listen to their stories and share their experiences. While we have made both mistakes and significant strides, we will continue to do better and do more. The OHS stands committed to our mission to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of all Oklahomans. Learn more and browse free resources related to the Black experience in Oklahoma below.
News and Events
World War I: Lessons and Legacies exhibit
On March 3, the Cherokee Regional Strip Heritage Center in Enid will open
World War I: Lessons and Legacies
. This poster exhibit explores “the war to end all wars” from various angles. It examines how the roles that women and minorities filled in the war led to the right to vote for women and a raised consciousness of civil rights issues throughout society.
Learn more about the exhibit.
Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State
by Caleb Gayle
This year’s recipient of the E. E. Dale Award for Outstanding Book on Oklahoma History is Caleb Gayle’s
Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State
(Riverhead Books, 2025). Gayle and other award recipients will be honored at the Oklahoma Historical Society Awards Banquet on Thursday, March 19.
Find out more about the Awards Banquet
.
Explore Historic Places
“Raising Washington: Preserving the Legacy of African American History in Stillwater”
Historic Booker T. Washington School was returned to city ownership after being abandoned for more than two decades and years of flooding. The all-volunteer efforts to save it engaged a broad spectrum of community support. Washington School is the only standing example of an All-Black segregated school in Payne County.
“An Oklahoma Story of Place: Voices of Preservation” – Summit, Oklahoma
Summit was one of more than 50 All-Black towns established in present-day Oklahoma, and one of only 13 still in existence today. The many businesses in Summit before World War II included a cotton gin, filling station, grocery, and garage.
“An Oklahoma Story of Place: Voices of Preservation” – Threatt Filling Station
Built in 1915, the Threatt Filling Station was owned and operated the Threatt family. Located along Route 66 near Luther, Oklahoma, and it served African American travelers and locals. This business is one that would typically be included in “The Travelers’ Green Book.”
Historical Markers
Historical markers recognize key people, locations, and events in Oklahoma history. OHS is currently conducting a survey of historical markers and making updates to our database.
Browse historical markers related to ethnic diversity.
National Register of Historic Places
Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection, and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The
State Historic Preservation Office
identifies, evaluates and nominates properties for this special designation. Use the links below to read the National Register nomination for each property.
100 Block North Greenwood Avenue, Tulsa
Abe Lincoln Trading Company, Clearview
Attucks Community Center, Ponca City
Attucks School, Vinita
Baccus House, Vernon
Booker T. Washington School, Enid
Brockway Community Center, Oklahoma City
Charles and Bertha Blevins House, Tulsa
Carverdale Historic District, Oklahoma City
Daniel Webster High School Historic District, Tulsa
Douglass High School (Old), Oklahoma City
Douglass School, Lawton
Dozier Mercantile Building, Vernon
Dunbar Elementary School, Oklahoma City
Dunbar School, Dunbar
Edwards Heights Historic District, Oklahoma City
Excelsior Library, Guthrie
First Baptist Church (Colored), Anadarko
Grayson Jail, Grayson
Greenwood Historic District, Tulsa
Dr. William L. and Susie Price Haywood Estate, Oklahoma City
Jamison Cemetery, Okay vicinity
Jewel Theater, Oklahoma City
James Carl Sr. and Lucille Johnson Family House, Lawton
Kimbrough Temple C. M. E. Church, Ponca City
Langston Jail, Langston
Langston University Cottage Row Historic District, Langston
Sidney and Mary Lyons Residence and Commercial Historic District, Oklahoma City
Moton School Campus Historic District, Taft
Mount Zion Baptist Church, Tulsa
New Hope Baptist Church, Chickasha
Edward Richardson Building, Arcadia
Dr. W. H. Slaughter House, Oklahoma City
St. John Baptist Church and Rectory, Ponca City
St. Paul Baptist Church & Cemetery, Meeker vicinity
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Muskogee
St. Thomas Primitive Baptist Church, Summit
Reverend L. W. Thomas Homestead, Summit vicinity
Trinity United Presbyterian Church, Oklahoma City
Union School District 19 1/2, Newalla vicinity
Vernon A.M.E. Church, Tulsa
All-Black Towns and More
View a larger, zoomable map
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
African American Colleges
All-Black Towns
Boley
Brooksville
Clearview
Freedmen Schools
Greenwood District
Langston
Langston University
Lima
Lincoln City
Red Bird
Rentiesville
Rosenwald Schools
Second Street
Summit
Taft
Tatums
Tullahassee
Vernon
“Oklahoma Bound,” the films of Reverend S. S. Jones
Watch selections from silent films created by Reverend S. S. Jones, who came to Oklahoma Territory in 1889. Scenes of traditionally All-Black towns of Oklahoma include Taft, Clearview, Melvin, and Boley in the 1920s.
Thematic and Architectural Survey
Architectural and Historical Survey of Oklahoma All-Black Towns, Phase I, 2023
Architectural and Historical Survey of Oklahoma All-Black Towns, Phase II, 2024
Historic Context for African American History in Muskogee, Oklahoma, 2014
Intensive-Level Survey of Northeast Okmulgee, East of Highway 75, 2023
Rosenwald Fund in Oklahoma, 1997
From Creek Freedmen to Oklahoma Oil Men: The Black Heritage and Architectural Legacy of Okmulgee (1878–1929), 1991
The Civil War in Indian Territory
The Battle of Honey Springs
(2021) tells the story of the historic 1863 battle that was a turning point for the Civil War in Indian Territory.
The approximately 9,000 troops involved included Native Americans, veteran Texas regiments, and the First Kansas Colored Volunteers, which was the first African American regiment in the Union army.
Walk the historic battlefield and view artifacts that tell the story of this momentous event at Honey Springs Battlefield, located east of US Highway 69 between Oktaha and Rentiesville.
Learn more about Honey Springs Battlefield.
Freedmen and the Territorial Era
Researching Freedmen History
View images, learn about Dawes Rolls, and find sources for Freedmen records on our
Freedmen history page
.
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
African Americans
African American Newspapers
Battles of Cabin Creek
Battle of Honey Springs
Buffalo Soldiers
Civil War Era
Civil War Refugees
Freedmen
Freedmen Schools
Juneteenth
Reconstruction Treaties
Slave Revolt of 1842
Slavery
From
The Chronicles of Oklahoma
“‘The Golden Days’: Taylor and Mary Ealy, Citizenship, and the Freedmen of Chickasaw Indian Territory, 1874–77,” by Ellen Cain
“Reading Prestatehood Muskogee: Racial-Political Discourse in American Indian, African American, and White Newspapers, 1905–07,” by Angela M. Person
“West Edwards Days: African Americans in Territorial Edmond,” by Christopher P. Lehman
“From Tulsa to Beyond: African American Genealogy in the Indian Territory and Oklahoma,” Nicka Smith
(2023)
Discover how to research the lives of your ancestors using tribal records (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole), federal records, newspapers, college/university collections, historical society records, and more.
“The Misremembered ‘Uncle’ Wallace and ‘Aunt’ Minerva,” Shelby Ward
(2021)
“Uncle” Wallace and “Aunt” Minerva Willis contributed to the musical legacy of Oklahoma and beyond, performing Negro spirituals during the antebellum Indian Territory period. While their talent has not been forgotten, the nature of their relationship has been misremembered. Hear their story in this presentation.
“Finding Isaac Rogers,” Nicka Sewell-Smith
(2021)
Isaac Rogers was a well-known Civil War veteran and deputy marshal who met his demise in Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, on April 21, 1897—but who was he outside of those titles and that singular event?
“The Elder Dunjee: Examination of the Life and Influence of John William Dunjee in Early Oklahoma”, Edith Ritt-Coulter
(2022)
John William Dunjee, father of Roscoe Dunjee, contributed to the establishment of African American churches throughout Oklahoma and Indian Territories. He instilled in his children political consciousness rooted in the ideology of racial uplift that impacted communities throughout the US.
Discover How Black Oklahomans Shaped Literature, Music, Sports, and Culture
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Musicians
Blue Devils
Blues
Zelia Breaux
Charlie Christian
Big Al Downing
Frenchy Edwards
Ernie Fields
Ernie Fields, Jr.
Lowell Fulson
Gap Band
Juneteenth on Greenwood
Howard McGhee
D. C. Minner
Leona Mitchell
Jimmy Nolen
Oscar Pettiford
Jimmy Rushing
Wayman Tisdale
“Uncle” Wallace and “Aunt” Minerva Willis
Athletes
African American Baseball
Prentice Gautt
Marques Haynes
Kenny Monday
Wilber “Bullet Joe” Rogan
Barry Sanders
Selmon Brothers
Billy Ray Sims
Willie “Pops” Stargell
Wayman Tisdale
Bobby Walton interview
(2016)
Bobby Walton discusses breaking barriers in his attempt to be certified the first African American to register and participate as a player in the Oklahoma American Legion Baseball Tournament in 1954–55 in Enid, Oklahoma.
Writers
Ralph Waldo Ellison
John Hope Franklin
Anita Hill
Melvin Tolson
Actors
Dudley Dickerson Jr.
Robert DoQui
Early Oklahoma
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
James Herman Banning
Rufus Cannon
Chief Alfred Sam
Green I. Currin
Drusilla Dunjee Houston
Roscoe Dunjee
Henry Ossian Flipper
Dick Glass
Crawford Goldsby
A. C. Hamlin
Judith Ann Carter Horton
Coody Johnson
Edward P. McCabe
Zeke Miller
Frederick Moon
Bass Reeves
W. H. Slaughter
A. J. Smitherman
William Twine
Daniel Walker
David J. Wallace
“Uncle” Wallace and
“Aunt” Minerva Willis
I. W. Young
From
The Chronicles of Oklahoma
“Colorblind Proletarian Brotherhood: African Americans, American Indians, and Racial Inclusivity in the Oklahoma Socialist Party,” by Matthew F. Simmons
“Did Oklahoma African Americans Vote Between 1910 and 1943?,” by R. Darcy
“Sundown on the Prairie: The Extralegal Campaigns and Efforts from 1889 to 1967 to Exclude African Americans from Norman, Oklahoma,” by Michael S. Givel
The Tulsa Race Massacre
View Oklahoma Historical Society photographs, oral histories, and newspapers on the
Tulsa Race Massacre page
E-Exhibit
Tulsa Race Massacre
Lesson Plans
Black Wall Street
The Tulsa Race Massacre
Riot Versus Massacre
Teacher Resource Guides
correlating to Oklahoma History Academic Standards
OKH.5.2, Examine multiple points of view regarding the evolution of race relations in Oklahoma
Civil Rights in Oklahoma
“The Good Fight,”
Crossroads
online publication
This issue presents an intimate look back at the struggle for civil rights in Oklahoma City.
Remembering the Oklahoma City Sit-In
Through historic images and new interviews with sit-in participants, producers Joyce Jackson and Bruce Fisher tell the powerful story of this movement.
People of Oklahoma: Civil Rights Movement Across Oklahoma
This documentary includes reflections of some who participated in sit-ins across Oklahoma, in addition to the comments by community leaders.
Civil Rights Topics
in
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Civil Rights Movement
McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents
(1950)
NAACP
Segregation
Senate Bill One
Civil Rights Leaders
in
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Green I. Currin
Drusilla Dunjee Houston
Roscoe Dunjee
Amos T. Hall
Ira DeVoyd Hall Sr.
Coody Johnson
Clara Luper
Frederick Moon
George Perkins
Melvin Porter
Jake Simmons Jr.
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher
A. J. Smitherman
James Stewart
William Twine
I. W. Young
From
The Chronicles of Oklahoma
“An Unflinching Call for Freedom: Clara Luper’s Pedagogy at the Center of Sit-Ins,” by Rachel E. Watson
“Fitting In and Sitting In: Phillip Henry Porter and Memories of Integration Efforts in Enid, 1955–58,” by Aaron Preston
“Thurgood Marshall’s “Broom Closet”: The Structure of Segregation in
McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents
,” by Eric Lomazoff and Bailie Gregory
“Unforgotten Trailblazer: Nancy O. Randolph Davis,” by Gloria J. Pollard
Researching the Black Experience in Oklahoma
Historic Newspapers
View thousands of issues in the
African American Newspapers Collection
, including these publications:
The Black Dispatch
The Langston City Herald
The Muskogee Cimeter
The Muskogee Lantern
The Oklahoma Eagle
The Oklahoma Guide
The Oklahoma Safeguard
The Peoples Elevator
The Taborian Monitor
The Tulsa Star
The Weekly Progress
The Western World
The Wewoka and Lima Courier
Find more newspapers on
The Gateway to Oklahoma History
or visit the
OHS Research Center
in Oklahoma City to view newspapers on microfilm.
Collections on The Gateway to Oklahoma History
Currie Ballard Collection
Down Home Blues Club & OK Blues Hall of Fame
Finley-Slaughter Family Collection
Melvin R. Chatman Collection
Rubye M. Hall Collection
Clara Luper Collection
Shirley Nero Collection
Sapulpa Historical Society Collection
Zella Patterson Collection
The Ellis Family Story,
by Mel Chatman
More Resources
African American History Resource Guide (PDF)
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Audio and Video
The Clara Luper Show
Listen to select episodes on YouTube
A Very OK Podcast
“The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre”
“A Little Freedom is a Dangerous Thing”
“Black Wall (Main) Street”
“Jazz in Oklahoma”
“Oklahoma’s All-Black Towns”
“Retail Therapy”
“Soldiers, Ranchers and Outlaws (1866–1907)”
More Podcasts
“Soldiers, Ranchers and Outlaws (1866–1907)”
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum Podcast
“Bill Pickett,”
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum Podcast
Resources for Educators, Parents, and Students
Traveling Exhibits
Bring a traveling exhibit to your school, library, church, or local community center.
All-Black Towns of Oklahoma
Thirteen All-Black Towns of Oklahoma
Early Oklahoma: Black Hope/Black Dreams
Visit the Oklahoma History Center Museum
Visit
Realizing the Dream,
an exhibit about the Black experience in Oklahoma, at the Oklahoma History Center.
E-Exhibits
The African American Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma
African Americans in Oklahoma Before 1954
The Tulsa Race Massacre
“African Americans” in
A Fluid Frontier: Minority and Ethnic Groups and Opportunity in Oklahoma
In the Classroom
Lesson Plans
The Curious Case of All-Black Towns
Senate Bill One
Black Wall Street
The Tulsa Race Massacre
Riot Versus Massacre
African Americans in Oklahoma Traveling Trunk and Pop-up Panels
This hands-on trunk is available to teachers, librarians, homeschool co-ops and pre-service teachers. It includes photographs, flyers, artifacts, books, and more.
Learn more about traveling trunks.
Guides correlating to Oklahoma History Academic Standards
View Oklahoma history standards
.
OKH.1 The student will describe the state’s geography and the historic foundations laid by American Indian, European, and American cultures.
OKH.2 The student will evaluate the major political and economic events that transformed the land and its people from early contact through Indian Removal and its aftermath.
OKH.3 The student will evaluate the major political and economic events that transformed the land and its people from the outbreak of the Civil War through allotment and land openings.
OKH.4 The student will analyze the formation of constitutional government in Oklahoma.
OKH.5 The student will examine the Oklahoma’s political, social, cultural, and economic transformation during the early decades following statehood.
OKH.6 The student will investigate how post-war social, political, and economic events continued to transform the state of Oklahoma from the 1950s through the present.
Guides correlating to US History Academic Standards
View standard USH 1.2
Analyze the post-Reconstruction civil rights struggles.
Identify the significance of Juneteenth in relation to emancipation and modern-day celebrations.
Examine the purposes and effects of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
Assess the impact of the Black Codes, Jim Crow laws, and the actions of the Ku Klux Klan.
View standard USH 4.1
Examine the economic, political, and social transformations between the World Wars.
Describe the rising racial tensions in American society including the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, increased lynchings, race riots as typified by the Tulsa Race Riot, the rise of Marcus Garvey and Black nationalism, and the use of poll taxes and literacy tests to disenfranchise Blacks.
View standard USH 7.1
Analyze the major events, personalities, tactics and effects of the Civil Rights Movement.
Oklahoma Historical Society
800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-2491
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Black History is Oklahoma History
Skip to Main Content
Oklahoma Historical Society
Menu
Black History is Oklahoma History
As an educational organization and a dedicated community partner, the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) has long believed that one important step toward ending racism and injustice is a better understanding of our shared history.
Since 1893, the Oklahoma Historical Society has collected and shared the story of Oklahoma. In the 1980s, the OHS began a concerted effort to engage with Oklahoma’s Black community—to listen to their stories and share their experiences. While we have made both mistakes and significant strides, we will continue to do better and do more. The OHS stands committed to our mission to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of all Oklahomans. Learn more and browse free resources related to the Black experience in Oklahoma below.
News and Events
World War I: Lessons and Legacies exhibit
On March 3, the Cherokee Regional Strip Heritage Center in Enid will open
World War I: Lessons and Legacies
. This poster exhibit explores “the war to end all wars” from various angles. It examines how the roles that women and minorities filled in the war led to the right to vote for women and a raised consciousness of civil rights issues throughout society.
Learn more about the exhibit.
Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State
by Caleb Gayle
This year’s recipient of the E. E. Dale Award for Outstanding Book on Oklahoma History is Caleb Gayle’s
Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State
(Riverhead Books, 2025). Gayle and other award recipients will be honored at the Oklahoma Historical Society Awards Banquet on Thursday, March 19.
Find out more about the Awards Banquet
.
Explore Historic Places
“Raising Washington: Preserving the Legacy of African American History in Stillwater”
Historic Booker T. Washington School was returned to city ownership after being abandoned for more than two decades and years of flooding. The all-volunteer efforts to save it engaged a broad spectrum of community support. Washington School is the only standing example of an All-Black segregated school in Payne County.
“An Oklahoma Story of Place: Voices of Preservation” – Summit, Oklahoma
Summit was one of more than 50 All-Black towns established in present-day Oklahoma, and one of only 13 still in existence today. The many businesses in Summit before World War II included a cotton gin, filling station, grocery, and garage.
“An Oklahoma Story of Place: Voices of Preservation” – Threatt Filling Station
Built in 1915, the Threatt Filling Station was owned and operated the Threatt family. Located along Route 66 near Luther, Oklahoma, and it served African American travelers and locals. This business is one that would typically be included in “The Travelers’ Green Book.”
Historical Markers
Historical markers recognize key people, locations, and events in Oklahoma history. OHS is currently conducting a survey of historical markers and making updates to our database.
Browse historical markers related to ethnic diversity.
National Register of Historic Places
Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection, and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The
State Historic Preservation Office
identifies, evaluates and nominates properties for this special designation. Use the links below to read the National Register nomination for each property.
100 Block North Greenwood Avenue, Tulsa
Abe Lincoln Trading Company, Clearview
Attucks Community Center, Ponca City
Attucks School, Vinita
Baccus House, Vernon
Booker T. Washington School, Enid
Brockway Community Center, Oklahoma City
Charles and Bertha Blevins House, Tulsa
Carverdale Historic District, Oklahoma City
Daniel Webster High School Historic District, Tulsa
Douglass High School (Old), Oklahoma City
Douglass School, Lawton
Dozier Mercantile Building, Vernon
Dunbar Elementary School, Oklahoma City
Dunbar School, Dunbar
Edwards Heights Historic District, Oklahoma City
Excelsior Library, Guthrie
First Baptist Church (Colored), Anadarko
Grayson Jail, Grayson
Greenwood Historic District, Tulsa
Dr. William L. and Susie Price Haywood Estate, Oklahoma City
Jamison Cemetery, Okay vicinity
Jewel Theater, Oklahoma City
James Carl Sr. and Lucille Johnson Family House, Lawton
Kimbrough Temple C. M. E. Church, Ponca City
Langston Jail, Langston
Langston University Cottage Row Historic District, Langston
Sidney and Mary Lyons Residence and Commercial Historic District, Oklahoma City
Moton School Campus Historic District, Taft
Mount Zion Baptist Church, Tulsa
New Hope Baptist Church, Chickasha
Edward Richardson Building, Arcadia
Dr. W. H. Slaughter House, Oklahoma City
St. John Baptist Church and Rectory, Ponca City
St. Paul Baptist Church & Cemetery, Meeker vicinity
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Muskogee
St. Thomas Primitive Baptist Church, Summit
Reverend L. W. Thomas Homestead, Summit vicinity
Trinity United Presbyterian Church, Oklahoma City
Union School District 19 1/2, Newalla vicinity
Vernon A.M.E. Church, Tulsa
All-Black Towns and More
View a larger, zoomable map
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
African American Colleges
All-Black Towns
Boley
Brooksville
Clearview
Freedmen Schools
Greenwood District
Langston
Langston University
Lima
Lincoln City
Red Bird
Rentiesville
Rosenwald Schools
Second Street
Summit
Taft
Tatums
Tullahassee
Vernon
“Oklahoma Bound,” the films of Reverend S. S. Jones
Watch selections from silent films created by Reverend S. S. Jones, who came to Oklahoma Territory in 1889. Scenes of traditionally All-Black towns of Oklahoma include Taft, Clearview, Melvin, and Boley in the 1920s.
Thematic and Architectural Survey
Architectural and Historical Survey of Oklahoma All-Black Towns, Phase I, 2023
Architectural and Historical Survey of Oklahoma All-Black Towns, Phase II, 2024
Historic Context for African American History in Muskogee, Oklahoma, 2014
Intensive-Level Survey of Northeast Okmulgee, East of Highway 75, 2023
Rosenwald Fund in Oklahoma, 1997
From Creek Freedmen to Oklahoma Oil Men: The Black Heritage and Architectural Legacy of Okmulgee (1878–1929), 1991
The Civil War in Indian Territory
The Battle of Honey Springs
(2021) tells the story of the historic 1863 battle that was a turning point for the Civil War in Indian Territory.
The approximately 9,000 troops involved included Native Americans, veteran Texas regiments, and the First Kansas Colored Volunteers, which was the first African American regiment in the Union army.
Walk the historic battlefield and view artifacts that tell the story of this momentous event at Honey Springs Battlefield, located east of US Highway 69 between Oktaha and Rentiesville.
Learn more about Honey Springs Battlefield.
Freedmen and the Territorial Era
Researching Freedmen History
View images, learn about Dawes Rolls, and find sources for Freedmen records on our
Freedmen history page
.
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
African Americans
African American Newspapers
Battles of Cabin Creek
Battle of Honey Springs
Buffalo Soldiers
Civil War Era
Civil War Refugees
Freedmen
Freedmen Schools
Juneteenth
Reconstruction Treaties
Slave Revolt of 1842
Slavery
From
The Chronicles of Oklahoma
“‘The Golden Days’: Taylor and Mary Ealy, Citizenship, and the Freedmen of Chickasaw Indian Territory, 1874–77,” by Ellen Cain
“Reading Prestatehood Muskogee: Racial-Political Discourse in American Indian, African American, and White Newspapers, 1905–07,” by Angela M. Person
“West Edwards Days: African Americans in Territorial Edmond,” by Christopher P. Lehman
“From Tulsa to Beyond: African American Genealogy in the Indian Territory and Oklahoma,” Nicka Smith
(2023)
Discover how to research the lives of your ancestors using tribal records (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole), federal records, newspapers, college/university collections, historical society records, and more.
“The Misremembered ‘Uncle’ Wallace and ‘Aunt’ Minerva,” Shelby Ward
(2021)
“Uncle” Wallace and “Aunt” Minerva Willis contributed to the musical legacy of Oklahoma and beyond, performing Negro spirituals during the antebellum Indian Territory period. While their talent has not been forgotten, the nature of their relationship has been misremembered. Hear their story in this presentation.
“Finding Isaac Rogers,” Nicka Sewell-Smith
(2021)
Isaac Rogers was a well-known Civil War veteran and deputy marshal who met his demise in Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, on April 21, 1897—but who was he outside of those titles and that singular event?
“The Elder Dunjee: Examination of the Life and Influence of John William Dunjee in Early Oklahoma”, Edith Ritt-Coulter
(2022)
John William Dunjee, father of Roscoe Dunjee, contributed to the establishment of African American churches throughout Oklahoma and Indian Territories. He instilled in his children political consciousness rooted in the ideology of racial uplift that impacted communities throughout the US.
Discover How Black Oklahomans Shaped Literature, Music, Sports, and Culture
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Musicians
Blue Devils
Blues
Zelia Breaux
Charlie Christian
Big Al Downing
Frenchy Edwards
Ernie Fields
Ernie Fields, Jr.
Lowell Fulson
Gap Band
Juneteenth on Greenwood
Howard McGhee
D. C. Minner
Leona Mitchell
Jimmy Nolen
Oscar Pettiford
Jimmy Rushing
Wayman Tisdale
“Uncle” Wallace and “Aunt” Minerva Willis
Athletes
African American Baseball
Prentice Gautt
Marques Haynes
Kenny Monday
Wilber “Bullet Joe” Rogan
Barry Sanders
Selmon Brothers
Billy Ray Sims
Willie “Pops” Stargell
Wayman Tisdale
Bobby Walton interview
(2016)
Bobby Walton discusses breaking barriers in his attempt to be certified the first African American to register and participate as a player in the Oklahoma American Legion Baseball Tournament in 1954–55 in Enid, Oklahoma.
Writers
Ralph Waldo Ellison
John Hope Franklin
Anita Hill
Melvin Tolson
Actors
Dudley Dickerson Jr.
Robert DoQui
Early Oklahoma
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
James Herman Banning
Rufus Cannon
Chief Alfred Sam
Green I. Currin
Drusilla Dunjee Houston
Roscoe Dunjee
Henry Ossian Flipper
Dick Glass
Crawford Goldsby
A. C. Hamlin
Judith Ann Carter Horton
Coody Johnson
Edward P. McCabe
Zeke Miller
Frederick Moon
Bass Reeves
W. H. Slaughter
A. J. Smitherman
William Twine
Daniel Walker
David J. Wallace
“Uncle” Wallace and
“Aunt” Minerva Willis
I. W. Young
From
The Chronicles of Oklahoma
“Colorblind Proletarian Brotherhood: African Americans, American Indians, and Racial Inclusivity in the Oklahoma Socialist Party,” by Matthew F. Simmons
“Did Oklahoma African Americans Vote Between 1910 and 1943?,” by R. Darcy
“Sundown on the Prairie: The Extralegal Campaigns and Efforts from 1889 to 1967 to Exclude African Americans from Norman, Oklahoma,” by Michael S. Givel
The Tulsa Race Massacre
View Oklahoma Historical Society photographs, oral histories, and newspapers on the
Tulsa Race Massacre page
E-Exhibit
Tulsa Race Massacre
Lesson Plans
Black Wall Street
The Tulsa Race Massacre
Riot Versus Massacre
Teacher Resource Guides
correlating to Oklahoma History Academic Standards
OKH.5.2, Examine multiple points of view regarding the evolution of race relations in Oklahoma
Civil Rights in Oklahoma
“The Good Fight,”
Crossroads
online publication
This issue presents an intimate look back at the struggle for civil rights in Oklahoma City.
Remembering the Oklahoma City Sit-In
Through historic images and new interviews with sit-in participants, producers Joyce Jackson and Bruce Fisher tell the powerful story of this movement.
People of Oklahoma: Civil Rights Movement Across Oklahoma
This documentary includes reflections of some who participated in sit-ins across Oklahoma, in addition to the comments by community leaders.
Civil Rights Topics
in
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Civil Rights Movement
McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents
(1950)
NAACP
Segregation
Senate Bill One
Civil Rights Leaders
in
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Green I. Currin
Drusilla Dunjee Houston
Roscoe Dunjee
Amos T. Hall
Ira DeVoyd Hall Sr.
Coody Johnson
Clara Luper
Frederick Moon
George Perkins
Melvin Porter
Jake Simmons Jr.
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher
A. J. Smitherman
James Stewart
William Twine
I. W. Young
From
The Chronicles of Oklahoma
“An Unflinching Call for Freedom: Clara Luper’s Pedagogy at the Center of Sit-Ins,” by Rachel E. Watson
“Fitting In and Sitting In: Phillip Henry Porter and Memories of Integration Efforts in Enid, 1955–58,” by Aaron Preston
“Thurgood Marshall’s “Broom Closet”: The Structure of Segregation in
McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents
,” by Eric Lomazoff and Bailie Gregory
“Unforgotten Trailblazer: Nancy O. Randolph Davis,” by Gloria J. Pollard
Researching the Black Experience in Oklahoma
Historic Newspapers
View thousands of issues in the
African American Newspapers Collection
, including these publications:
The Black Dispatch
The Langston City Herald
The Muskogee Cimeter
The Muskogee Lantern
The Oklahoma Eagle
The Oklahoma Guide
The Oklahoma Safeguard
The Peoples Elevator
The Taborian Monitor
The Tulsa Star
The Weekly Progress
The Western World
The Wewoka and Lima Courier
Find more newspapers on
The Gateway to Oklahoma History
or visit the
OHS Research Center
in Oklahoma City to view newspapers on microfilm.
Collections on The Gateway to Oklahoma History
Currie Ballard Collection
Down Home Blues Club & OK Blues Hall of Fame
Finley-Slaughter Family Collection
Melvin R. Chatman Collection
Rubye M. Hall Collection
Clara Luper Collection
Shirley Nero Collection
Sapulpa Historical Society Collection
Zella Patterson Collection
The Ellis Family Story,
by Mel Chatman
More Resources
African American History Resource Guide (PDF)
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Audio and Video
The Clara Luper Show
Listen to select episodes on YouTube
A Very OK Podcast
“The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre”
“A Little Freedom is a Dangerous Thing”
“Black Wall (Main) Street”
“Jazz in Oklahoma”
“Oklahoma’s All-Black Towns”
“Retail Therapy”
“Soldiers, Ranchers and Outlaws (1866–1907)”
More Podcasts
“Soldiers, Ranchers and Outlaws (1866–1907)”
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum Podcast
“Bill Pickett,”
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum Podcast
Resources for Educators, Parents, and Students
Traveling Exhibits
Bring a traveling exhibit to your school, library, church, or local community center.
All-Black Towns of Oklahoma
Thirteen All-Black Towns of Oklahoma
Early Oklahoma: Black Hope/Black Dreams
Visit the Oklahoma History Center Museum
Visit
Realizing the Dream,
an exhibit about the Black experience in Oklahoma, at the Oklahoma History Center.
E-Exhibits
The African American Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma
African Americans in Oklahoma Before 1954
The Tulsa Race Massacre
“African Americans” in
A Fluid Frontier: Minority and Ethnic Groups and Opportunity in Oklahoma
In the Classroom
Lesson Plans
The Curious Case of All-Black Towns
Senate Bill One
Black Wall Street
The Tulsa Race Massacre
Riot Versus Massacre
African Americans in Oklahoma Traveling Trunk and Pop-up Panels
This hands-on trunk is available to teachers, librarians, homeschool co-ops and pre-service teachers. It includes photographs, flyers, artifacts, books, and more.
Learn more about traveling trunks.
Guides correlating to Oklahoma History Academic Standards
View Oklahoma history standards
.
OKH.1 The student will describe the state’s geography and the historic foundations laid by American Indian, European, and American cultures.
OKH.2 The student will evaluate the major political and economic events that transformed the land and its people from early contact through Indian Removal and its aftermath.
OKH.3 The student will evaluate the major political and economic events that transformed the land and its people from the outbreak of the Civil War through allotment and land openings.
OKH.4 The student will analyze the formation of constitutional government in Oklahoma.
OKH.5 The student will examine the Oklahoma’s political, social, cultural, and economic transformation during the early decades following statehood.
OKH.6 The student will investigate how post-war social, political, and economic events continued to transform the state of Oklahoma from the 1950s through the present.
Guides correlating to US History Academic Standards
View standard USH 1.2
Analyze the post-Reconstruction civil rights struggles.
Identify the significance of Juneteenth in relation to emancipation and modern-day celebrations.
Examine the purposes and effects of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
Assess the impact of the Black Codes, Jim Crow laws, and the actions of the Ku Klux Klan.
View standard USH 4.1
Examine the economic, political, and social transformations between the World Wars.
Describe the rising racial tensions in American society including the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, increased lynchings, race riots as typified by the Tulsa Race Riot, the rise of Marcus Garvey and Black nationalism, and the use of poll taxes and literacy tests to disenfranchise Blacks.
View standard USH 7.1
Analyze the major events, personalities, tactics and effects of the Civil Rights Movement.
Oklahoma Historical Society
800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-2491
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