Black History is Oklahoma History
This page is a work in progress, created to share resources about the Black experience in Oklahoma.
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. By providing resources that give context for the Black experience in Oklahoma, we hope to spark civil discourse and open dialogue about the role of race in the history of our state. While these conversations about our past may not be comfortable, they are necessary to understand where we have been and how we can best move forward together.
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. As new voices call for change, 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.
Freedmen and the Territorial Era
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
Researching Freedmen History
View images, learn about Dawes Rolls, and find sources for Freedmen records on our Freedmen History page.
“From Tulsa to Beyond: African American Genealogy in the Indian Territory and Oklahoma,” Nicka Smith
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 Chronicles of Oklahoma
“‘The Golden Days’: Taylor and Mary Ealy, Citizenship, and the Freedmen of Chickasaw Indian Territory, 1874–77,” by Ellen Cain
“West Edwards Days: African Americans in Territorial Edmond,” by Christopher P. Lehman
Podcast
“Slavery in Indian Territory,” BrainBox podcast, Oklahoma Humanities
“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. They performed 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 US Civil War veteran and deputy marshal who met his demise on a platform in Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, on April 21, 1897—but who was he outside of those titles and that singular event? Find out in this presentation.
Audio and Video
The Clara Luper Show
Listen to select episodes on YouTube
Podcasts
“Live Episode: Oklahoma’s All-Black Towns,” A Very OK Podcast
“The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre,” A Very OK Podcast
“Black Wall (Main) Street,” A Very OK Podcast
“Bill Pickett,” Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum Podcast
“Slavery in Indian Territory,” BrainBox podcast, Oklahoma Humanities
“Blacks on the Oklahoma Frontier: Lawmen, Outlaws, Cowboys, Cowgirls, and Rodeos,” Oklahoma African American Film Festival (2020)
Discover How Black Oklahomans Shaped Literature, Music, and Culture
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
African American Arts and Crafts
Blue Devils
Blues
Zelia Breaux
Charlie Christian
Dudley Henry Dickerson Jr.
Frenchy Edwards
Ralph Waldo Ellison
Ernie Fields
John Hope Franklin
Lowell Fulson
Gap Band
Juneteenth on Greenwood
Howard McGhee
D. C. Minner
Leona Mitchell
Oscar Pettiford
Jimmy Rushing
Wayman Tisdale
Melvin Tolson
Uncle Wallace and Aunt Minerva Willis
Sports History
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
African American Baseball
Prentice Gautt
Marques Haynes
Wilber “Bullet Joe” Rogan
Barry Sanders
Selmon Brothers
Billy Ray Sims
Willie “Pops” Stargell
Wayman Tisdale
Interview with Bobby Walton (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.
Black Writers
Learn about some of Oklahoma’s celebrated Black authors in the online exhibit Oklahoma Writers: A Literary Tableau.
The Tulsa Race Massacre
Collections and More
View OHS photographs, oral histories, newspapers, programs, and more 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
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
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
Through the Looking Glass Darkly (1973)
Part I,
Part II,
Part III
From WKY-TV News, this documentary shares stories of Black Oklahomans from pre-statehood to the 1970s through rare photographs and interviews.
Exhibits
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
- Deep Deuce & Beyond: A Photographic Exhibition Exploring the Architectural Legacy of African Americans in Oklahoma City
Visit Realizing the Dream, an exhibit about the Black experience in Oklahoma, at the Oklahoma History Center.
Researching the Black Experience in Oklahoma
Historic Black Newspapers Available Online
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 more historical newspapers on microfilm.
Collections Available on The Gateway to Oklahoma History
Clara Luper Collection
Currie Ballard Collection
Finley-Slaughter Family Collection
Melvin R. Chatman Collection
Rubye M. Hall Collection
Sapulpa Historical Society Collection
Shirly Nero Collection
Zella Patterson Collection
Learn More
OHS Printable Resource Guide (PDF)
The Chronicles of Oklahoma
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Resources for Educators, Parents, and Students
E-Exhibits
The African American Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma
The Tulsa Race Massacre
“African Americans” in A Fluid Frontier: Minority and Ethnic Groups and Opportunity in Oklahoma
Lesson Plans
The Curious Case of All-Black Towns
Senate Bill One
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
Traveling Trunk and Pop-up Panels
African Americans in Oklahoma
We Remember...Before and Beyond: An Oklahoma African American History Coloring Book
Learn more
All-Black Towns and More
All-Black Towns of Oklahoma: Remembering Safe Havens
Join the State Historic Preservation Office on a journey through Oklahoma's All-Black Towns, where we will highlight the creativity, entrepreneurial spirits, and tenacity that helped build some of these Black safe havens.
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
View map
“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.
Civil Rights in Oklahoma
Presented by the Oklahoma Historical Society, this documentary shares the history of sit-ins in Oklahoma City during the Civil Rights Movement. Through historic images and new interviews with sit-in participants, producers Joyce Jackson and Bruce Fisher tell the powerful story of this movement.
“The Good Fight,” Crossroads online publication
This issue presents an intimate look back at the struggle for civil rights in Oklahoma City.
Find more about Civil Rights Leaders and History
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
Civil Rights Movement
McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents (1950)
NAACP
Segregation
Senate Bill One
The Chronicles of Oklahoma
“An Unflinching Call for Freedom: Clara Luper’s Pedagogy at the Center of Sit-Ins,” by Rachel E. Watson
“Unforgotten Trailblazer: Nancy O. Randolph Davis,” by Gloria J. Pollard
Historic Places
“An Oklahoma Story of Place: Voices of Preservation” – Summit, Oklahoma
This video features interviews with descendants of Reverend L. W. Thomas, founder of the town of Summit, Oklahoma (Muskogee County). Summit was one of more than fifty All-Black towns established in present-day Oklahoma, and one of only thirteen 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
This video features Reverend Allen Threatt III discussing the Threatt Filling Station, which was built in 1915. Owned and operated by his family, this service station was 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.”
National Register of Historic Places
Attucks Community Center, Ponca City
Attucks School, Vinita
Douglass High School (Old), Oklahoma City
Douglass School, Lawton
Dunbar Elementary School, Oklahoma City
Dunbar School, Dunbar
Edwards Heights Historic District, Oklahoma City
Excelsior Library, Guthrie
First Baptist Church (Colored), Anadarko
Jamison Cemetery, Okay vicinity
Jewel Theater, Oklahoma City
Langston University Cottage Row Historic District, Langston
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
Tourism and Recreation
Explore events, landmarks, attractions, and more from the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.
www.travelok.com/long-road-to-liberty
View the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department’s Long Road to Liberty: Oklahoma’s African American History and Culture online or order your free copy at travelok.com