Oklahoma is home to more historic All-Black towns than any other state. At its height, there were more than 50 such towns. Today, there are 13. Black Americans looking for a safe haven following the Civil War founded the towns. Before statehood, the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 also attracted Black settlers to the territory.
Osborne Celestain, Jr. is the director of the Tulsa chapter of the Major Taylor Cycling Club of Oklahoma. This spring, he pedaled 600 miles to visit each of the 13 remaining All-Black towns. I interviewed him at the Fulton Street Books and Coffee Shop in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, a thriving Black neighborhood, once known as Black Wall Street. Tap above to listen to our conversation or listen on any platform where you enjoy podcasts.
In the spring of 1921, a white mob nearly destroyed the Greenwood community. The event would come to be known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. The story of the massacre was suppressed for generations, until the late 1990s, when a state commission was formed to investigate the events. The Major Taylor Cycling Club organizes annual rides to commemorate the Tulsa Race Massacre and to tour the All-Black towns.
Boley, one of the 13 All-Black towns, hosts the nation's oldest African American community-based rodeo, the Boley Rodeo and BBQ Festival, annually on Memorial Day weekend. Below is the town’s mayor.
The Dusk til Dawn Blues Festival in Rentiesville will celebrate its 34th year this fall. Fifty bands are scheduled to perform on three stages over Labor Day weekend in the historic All-Black town. Below is the festival co-founder, Selby Minner.
Another stop on Osborne’s ride was at the site of the Battle of Honey Springs, also known as the Affair at Elk Creek. The clash took place near Rentiesville and was the largest Civil War battle in Indian Territory.
Check out Osborne’s ride map to trace his 600-mile tour of the 13 historic All-Black towns. The book mentioned in the podcast episode is Acres of Aspiration by Hannibal B. Johnson.
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