CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH AND OKLAHOMA HISTORY

Juneteenth CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH AND OKLAHOMA HISTORY!

by Xavier jackson

Juneteenth is a celebration acknowledging the point at which the last remaining enslaved African Americans were informed of their freedom. Following this event the Black community began to commemorate this in a tradition that has lasted through to today.

The Juneteenth holiday has been celebrated as a day of independence where the United States of America began to move towards living up to its own ideals. Throughout the years there have been several efforts to get Juneteenth adopted as a national holiday, but these only succeeded in some state specific recognition. Following the global attention placed upon America’s history of racism and slavery in 2020 there was a renewed interest in a federal Juneteenth holiday. It was made a federal holiday on June 17th 2021 and since then has begun to be celebrated even more widely.

Oklahoma has its own rich black history. African Americans have contributed to this area for generations. Many were brought here as part of the Native American tribes’ removal to Indian Territory. My own family origins in Oklahoma trace back to the Pauls Valley, Okmulgee, and Morris areas.

Following the Civil War, Oklahoma became for a lot of African Americans a place where they believed they could have the community, opportunity, and safety that they were denied elsewhere. As a result, several Oklahoma Black towns were created.

These town gave Black people the chance to have more career options, receive educations, and have more autonomy in their own ambitions. Some of these towns included Boley, Clearview, and Langston which is home to Oklahoma’s only Historically Black college or university.

During the 1920s the Greenwood area of Tulsa would be the site of the Tulsa Race Massacre where a group of White citizens attacked the city ’s thriving Black community. In the years since the Greenwood community has strived to both rebuild and educate the world about what happened there, while seeking justice and restitution.

The Greenwood Cultural Center is a great a reason to visit Tulsa. Learning about the history of Greenwood residents the success they achieved, the backlash they received, and how they are still moving forward despite historical trauma. Discovering all of this in the place where it happened is a unique experience.

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Great figures like Clara Luper struggled during the Civil Rights movement to fight for all Oklahomans to be treated equitably. The continuation of her spirit of social justice is evident in the activism seen today in places like the Northeast side of Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City will be hosting its own Juneteenth Festival which will feature a free 5k in collaboration with Red Coyote Running and Fitness. The 5k will take place Friday June 17th, followed by the festival June 18th-19th located conveniently on Northeast 23rd Street.

Juneteenth is the perfect time to explore the many black-owned restaurants and other businesses throughout the state. Some great options for a bite to eat include Florence’s or the Eastside Pizza House.

Lastly if you are looking for music for your Juneteenth soundtrack there’s no better place to start than with Tulsa’s own Charlie Wilson and The GAP Band. The GAP band name comes straight from the Greenwood, Archer and Pine community, there hit song “Outstanding” is a classic.

This is a time to consider the collective journey our country has been on in regard to racial equity, its stumbles and its strides. It is thrilling to think of what progress we can make by future Juneteenths.