Tulsa - Black History, Music, Rte 66 and Art-déco

300 miles driven on Thursday, and, a flat tire, what a day! Fortunately, when we noticed the alarm light, we were driving in one of the few towns on our way from Tahlequah to Spiro, a gas station was nearby, they referred us to a repair shop two blocks away and there a guy did his "magic" in about 15 minutes for $ 15. This was our lucky day, won't imagine how long it would have taken to get help en route,,,

Back to Tulsa first. On our first evening, after arrival, we were invited to Mother Road Market - Oklahoma’s first food hall! Different food vendors, retail and a vibrant space in one. Wednesday morning started with an absolute highlight: the Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History Center (pics above and below), just open for a couple of weeks now, and, eventually remembering the whole story of Tulsa's African American community, the “Greenwood District” with text panels, photos, documents of all kinds and impressive 3D and other installations. Greenwood once was a large thriving neighborhood called the “Black Wall Street” with African American businesspeople, who had mostly settled here as "freedmen" (former slaves of Native American tribes) at the beginning of the 20th century. 

 

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a chance encounter between a white girl and an Afro-American boy in an elevator caused a complete desaster. Propelled by sensational reporting, envy for black economic success, and a racially hostile climate in general, the (white) mob started to rage. In less than 24 hours, the Greenwood District was laying in ruins. Fires, shootings, damage ran into the millions, hundreds of people died. America’s worst “race riot,” would remain a taboo topic for decades, though the Greenwood District was rebuilt by the community from the ashes, larger and more prosperous than ever before. By 1942, more than 200 black-owned businesses called the Greenwood District home.

In the decades to follow, urban renewal (a highway bridge cutting through the neighborhood) and, economic changes caused a decline. Nowadays, it is still alive, though on a much smaller scale, but blessed with this wonderful, instructive new history center, old Vernon AME Church,  John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park, and black businesses such as Wanda J’s Next Generation Restaurt, where we had typical Southern food - fried catfish, fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, etc. - for lunch.

Next stop after exploring the Afro-American neighborhood a bit more, the Arts District with the Woody Guthrie Center (pics below). Guthrie, the American singer-songwriter, was one of the most significant figures in American Folk Music and became famous with songs such as "This Land is Your Land" . He was influential in many ways, e.g. he acted as a model for stars like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. 

Bob Dylan himself, not too long ago, sold his whole archive to the influential Kaiser Family (banking) in Tulsa. The new "Bob Dylan Center" will open adjacent to the Guthrie Center in May 2022. OKPOP - the Pop Culture Museum - is even larger and under construction. Looking forward to see it accomplished!

The afternoon was spent driving along Route 66, to see eyecatchers as Buck Atom's Curios Shop - a 1950s gas station, recently "updated" by Mary Beth Babock with a 21 ft. high fiberglass "Buck" Cowboy,  an iteration of an American Icon, the Muffler Man –, the Centennial Plaza with its famous "East meets West" Sculpture, the rather new "Route 66 Tulsa Rising" (left) and a couple other sights. 

 

       

          

On to Tulsa's Deco District (pics above). The city is known for its art deco architecture and city design. As it was growing in the 1920s and thanks to the oil boom, the Art Deco movement took off. Still today, many buildings are in brilliant shape and it's fun to walk there and look at the architectural details. Boston Avenue United Methodist Church (above, right) is a unique example for a church in an art decó skyscraper, The Mayo for a splendid hotel.

Our day ended with an encounter with a huge second-hand bookstore, Gardner's, and, eventually, with three great breweries and sample flights at Marshall Brewing Company and American Solera Brewery (our fav so far!) and a pizza and baseball at Elgin Park Brewery.