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Black Towns Then . . . Black Towns Now
June 30, 2015, 7 p.m.–9 p.m.
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On Tuesday, June 30, the Oklahoma History Center will host an event titled “Black Towns Then . . . Black Towns Now,” in collaboration with the Coltrane Group. The panel discussion is also the public’s last chance to see the exhibit “Colored Memories: Historic Colorized Photos of Life in Boley, Oklahoma.” The event is free and the doors open at 6 p.m., with the event beginning at 7 p.m.
The moderator for the panel discussion will be Oklahoma State Representative George Young. Panelists will include a mixture of black town government representatives and scholars. The scholars include Linda Reese, Hannibal Johnson, Harold Aldridge and Henryetta Hicks. The participating civic leaders are Grayson Mayor Leon Anderson, Tullahassee Acting Mayor Keisha Gaines-Currin, Rentiesville Mayor Mildred Burkhart and Langston Trustee Alonzo Peterson.
The group will discuss the rise of the All-Black Towns in the 19th century, their unique history and the opportunities and challenges that these towns provide. The mayors and scholars will share why these villages lost population in the mid-20th century and what is happening now in the towns. This will be an interesting evening for Oklahomans who want to know more about the unique history of Oklahoma’s All-Black Towns.
