Press Release
March 8, 2021
Contact: Larry O’Dell
Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-6676
lodell@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org
2021 Oklahoma History Conference “Perspectives in History” with Keynote Speaker US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
OKLAHOMA CITY — Join the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) for the 2021 Oklahoma History Conference, a virtual conference scheduled for April 22–23. This year’s theme, “Perspectives in History,” was designed to encourage presentations sharing the stories of underrepresented groups, lesser-known topics and new points of view. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with 11 live sessions, 11 on-demand sessions and 2 special programs. Included in the live sessions is a keynote address by US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. The conference is free to the public, but preregistration is required. Please visit www.okhistory.org/conference for a full schedule and to register.
The OHS is pleased to welcome keynote speaker Joy Harjo on Thursday, April 22, at noon. In 2019 Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, was appointed the 23rd US Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold the position. She has written nine books of poetry and a memoir, “Crazy Brave.” Harjo has won numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Ruth Lilly Prize from the Poetry Foundation for Lifetime Achievement. In 2014 she was inducted into the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame.
During the conference historians, scholars, genealogists and museum professionals will speak on a broad range of Oklahoma topics and professional development subjects. Author and attorney Hannibal Johnson will discuss the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre and the current commission’s plans to memorialize the event. Author and attorney Susan Work, who was on the legal team for the Murphy and McGirt cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court last year, will present on the historical considerations in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation cases.
In his opening remarks, new OHS Executive Director Trait Thompson will share his vision of the future of the OHS. Also included in the conference will be the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, as well as a special musical performance by the Red Dirt Rangers in honor of the late Steve Ripley, a renowned musician and 2020 inductee into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame.
For more information and to register, visit www.okhistory.org/conference or contact Larry O’Dell at 405-522-6676 or lodell@okhistory.org or Angela Spindle at 405-522-0317 or aspindle@okhistory.org.
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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