*Oklahoma has one of those GOP legislatures that has put strict limits on what types of Black history can be taught in public schools. But one group in the state is fighting the restrictions with a safe space to celebrate all of Black history.
February 2023 marked the launch of Black History Saturdays at the EduRec Youth and Family Fun Center in North Tulsa. According to The Black Wall Street Times, the curriculum highlights the past, present and future of the Black experience, and includes the topics of entrepreneurship, archaeology, researching family history, and the significance of oral storytelling.
“There is so much more Black history throughout Oklahoma that needs to be told,” says Kristi Williams, chair of the Greater Tulsa Area African American Affairs Commission and descendant of entrepreneurs who survived the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. She tells The Black Wall Street Times that her longtime dream to bring Black history to the community – beyond the civil rights movement and slavery – was accelerated after the state passed HB 1775, which forbids Oklahoma public school teachers from telling students that one race is superior to another or that “an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.”
The law, passed in response to the phantom menace of “critical race theory,” has all but squashed discussions about the historic ripple effect of systemic racism and implicit bias. But Williams’ classes are now available to fill the void, with 120 seats available per month. The classes are split up by age and taught by eight teachers, including Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper and Tulsa University Assistant Professor Dr. Alicia Odewale. The curriculum draws from the “The 2892 Miles to Go: Geographic Walk for Justice,” a National Geographic project described as a social justice geo-inquiry movement amplifying community stories led and told by those who live there.”
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Williams teamed up with EduRec CEO Charles Harper to secure the safe space for Black History Saturdays. EduRec is nestled on 15 acres of land and is already home to several community organizations, including the all-boys Crossover Preparatory Academy and Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell.
“Now I get a chance to get educators excited about teaching again,” Williams told The Black Wall Street Times. She hopes it will also help improve critical thinking skills.
“I just think the possibilities are endless.”
They thought they buried us but they didn’t know we were seeds! Teaching Black History is up to us! As a descendant of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and Creek Freedmen descendant, I have no other choice. Black History Saturdays! All year! pic.twitter.com/ZCrtCudr1D
— Kristi Williams (@kristiisloved) February 5, 2023
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