The first months of the year are significant for the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King and the observance of Black History Month (February). It’s a good time to look for the stories of African Americans in the making and prospering of our state. Here’s a sample of Oklahoma’s rich history.

Blacks have been an important part of the cultural mix in the region since the Trail of Tears. During the frontier period, blacks in the Army were instrumental in constructing a number of forts and in keeping peace between various Indian tribes. Known as “Buffalo Soldiers” for their strength, bravery, and their distinct hair texture, they played significant roles in the Civil War battles at Big Cabin and Honey Springs.

Blacks prospered in both rural and urban settings in the early 20th century. The Greenwood area of Tulsa was known as “Black Wall Street” until the riots of 1921.

By mid-century, the Civil Rights movement was front page news, with Ada Lois Sipuel’s court battles to attend the University of Oklahoma Law School and, later with sit-ins at the downtown Katz Drug Store.

All these stories and many more may be found at the Oklahoma History Center, which has the most comprehensive exhibits in the state. Though the sad and bad times are given their due, the tone of the entire exhibit area is one of celebration—of people who overcame adversity to triumph.

The displays are exceedingly well done with lots of video and audio support. Visit the Katz counter or peek in at the barber shop; listen to the distinctive voice of Oklahoma City’s own Jimmy Rushing who went on to appear internationally with names like Count Basie, Dave Brubeck, Benny Goodman, and Thelonius Monk.

Learn about prominent black citizens like J. Coody Johnson, Wewoka lawyer and owner of the first black-owned petroleum company, or J. Herman Banning of El Reno and Thomas C. Allen, Oklahoma City, the first black aviators to fly across the U.S.

Even if you’ve visited the Oklahoma History Center in the last year, so many new things are being added that you’ll have a new experience each time you visit. The center is open Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm: Sunday from 12-5pm.

Discover More about Buffalo Soldiers

• Honey Springs Battlefield (near Checotah). The Interpretive Center is open 9am-4:30pm, Tuesday-Saturday; Sunday, 1-4:30pm. It was here that black and white soldiers first fought side by side. 918-473-5572.

• Ft. Gibson (near Muskogee). Oklahoma’s oldest fort. There will be a special Black History presentation in February, check the website, OKHistory.org/Mus-sites/masnum06.htm or call 918-478-4088 for details. (Open Thursday-Sunday, 10am-5pm.)

• Ft. Sill (near Lawton). A large collection of Army materials from many periods. Sgt. Henry Flipper, the U.S. Military Academy’s first black graduate, is honored with a plaque noting an engineering innovation that solved a malaria problem at the post. (Open Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30am-5pm, http://sill-www.army.mil.)

• Ft. Reno (west of El Reno). (Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm; Saturday, Sunday, 10am-4pm. Closed Saturday, January 6. FortReno.org.)

Learn More About Other Black History Topics

• Greenwood Cultural Center (Tulsa). Photographs of the 1921 Riot plus Jazz Hall of Fame. Nearby, the Mabel B. Little Heritage House, built after the Riot, is the only 1920s-era residential structure left in the area. (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. GreenwoodCulturalCenter.com.)

• Seminole Nation Museum (Wewoka). Good history of relations between Indians and Blacks. (Tuesday–Sunday, 1-5pm, closed January. Wewoka.com/Museum.htm.)

Twice named Oklahoma’s “Outstanding Travel Writer” at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism, Edmond resident Elaine Warner is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers. Photos by Elaine Warner.