One of Tulsa’s best kept secrets is the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park just north of downtown next to ONEOK Field.
It commemorates Tulsa’s 1921 Race Massacre, according to some, the worst in our nation’s history. It’s centerpiece is the tower above which tells the story of African Americans in Oklahoma.
From when their ancestors were sold into slavery and shipped over to the New World.
To be slaves working in the fields.
It also tells the little known story that many of their ancestors were property of members of the Five Civilized Tribes and came to Oklahoma during the brutal forced march of the Tribes by the US Government known as the Trail of Tears.
There are other statues at the park. The one above is based on the photograph below.
(Above on display at the Tulsa Historical Society, and yes I had permission to take a photograph of the photograph.)
The above sculpture is based on the photograph below. A security guard at the park told us that the man pictured below was killed by a gunshot almost immediately after the photograph was taken. I have not been able to find any documentation of that, but it does make a good story.
The riot left officially 39 people dead, and an estimated 10,000 people homeless. It was obliterated from Tulsa history until 1997 when a state appointed commission convened. They issued their report, “Final Report of the Oklahoma Commission to study the 1921 Race Riot” several years later.
Image via WikipediaI have other posts about the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Tulsa Hanging Tree
Reconciliation Park Dedication
Brady Theater
