Oklahoma Historical Society Celebrates Black History Month with Special Weekend Events

Contact: Bruce Fisher
(405) 522-5049

Oklahoma City, OK
February 8, 2008
For Immediate Release

The Oklahoma Historical Society is celebrating Black History Month with a special weekend of events at the Oklahoma History Center, 2401 N. Laird Ave. The events will take place Saturday February 23rd and Sunday February 24th.

The Saturday event will feature the band "The All Funk Radio Show" from Dallas. They will perform from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. At 7:30 the play "New Chance Cities" will be performed. Following the play, the band will resume performing until 12:30 a.m.

The Sunday event will begin at 1:00 p.m. with a lecture by Oklahoma Historical Society archivist Larry O’Dell "The All Black Towns of Oklahoma." At 1:30 p.m. a lecture by Professor Jimmie White, Conners State College "Blacks and the Constitutional Convention." At 2:00 p.m. a lecture "Impact of Statehood and Black Americans" by Bruce Fisher, OHS African American Curator. At 3:00 p.m. the play "New Chance Cities" will be performed.

The play "New Chance Cities" portrays African Americans’ views of statehood. It was written by Sharon Fisher and was originally performed in Guthrie last November as part of the Centennial of Statehood celebration.

"Statehood meant a new opportunity for Oklahomans to establish social, political, and judicial institutions. Some ideologies were carried over from territorial government, but changing social and political attitudes meant radically new challenges for Oklahoma’s African Americans," said Bruce Fisher. "The lectures, and the play, will illustrate the critical issues that left a major impact on our present state."

There is no charge for the Sunday events. However the Saturday night events are $25 per person for general admission, and $160 for a table of eight.Tickets for the Saturday night event must be purchased by Feb. 22. No tickets will be sold at the door. For information on the events, call (405) 522-0765.