1) Black Wall Street History Center, Tulsa, OK, April 29, 2022 - I am on my way to Florida for a family visit. Given that Florida's Governor is pushing a state act that would not allow activities which would protect "both students and employees of private companies from feeling discomfort or personal guilt because of historical wrongs that have to do with race, gender or national origin" but which is clearly aimed at protecting only one race (and probably gender) from feeling that discomfort I decided to stop at a few places en-route to learn about some of this discomforting history. My first stop was the Black Wall Street History Center in Tulsa, OK. This private museum covers the 1921 race massacre in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa. Unfortunately, I got there before the doors opened for the morning but there were displays in the windows describing the history and I walked around the block to see other murals and memorials.

2) Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, Little Rock, AR, April 29, 2022 - My second stop for the day was at Central High School in Little Rock, AR. This was the site of the forced integration of high schools in the US during 1957 following the Brown vs. Brown Supreme Court ruling which stated that "separate but equal" was not a constitutional way to provide education. The school is still a functioning high school but the National Park Service operates an interpretive center across the street which tells the story. Very much worth the visit...and yes, as someone who was raised in the south these sites do make me uncomfortable. That is precisely the point. Perhaps facing the stark truth of this history will help me push humanity towards a better, more equitable future.

3) World War II Japanese American Internment Museum, McGehee, AR, April 29, 2022 - My third history site visit for the day was a railroad depot on McGehee, AR that has been turned into a very nice private museum telling the story of the Japanese American Internment camp that was set up just outside this small town back in 1941. For those who have heard Star Trek actor George Takei talk about his childhood experience being detained in an internment camp, that was Camp Rohwer in McGehee. There was a very nice volunteer overseeing the museum and I had a great conversation with her comparing my experience earlier this year visiting the Internment Museum in Grenada, CO with McGehee's museum. Another bit of uncomfortable history that I think is important to learn about.

4) Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL, April 30, 2022 - The last stop on my mini-CRH (Critical Race History) tour through the south on my way to Florida. This is the Edmund Pettus Bridge famous for bringing the civil rights struggle to the forefront of American consciousness. Next to the bridge is the National Park Service’s Selma Interpretive Center which gives an overview of the Civil Rights Movement and the associated Voting Rights Movement. More important yet uncomfortable US history to explore. As the late John Lewis said: "If not us, then who? If not now, then when?". …and a good start doesn’t take much. At the Central High museum was the following quote: "I tried to see a friendly face somewhere in the mob - someone who maybe would help. I looked into the face of an old woman and it seemed a kind face, but when I looked at her again, she spat on me." — Elizabeth Eckfort. Lets all start by committing to not being that old woman when others are in need.

5) My time in Florida was spent at a family reunion with my Fleming relatives, helping my Dad with projects around the house and talking with my Mom about books and movies and travel. However, there was also plenty of time spent just enjoying the peaceful view of the bayou in the backyard.

6) Garnier Bayou, Shalimar, FL, May 7, 2022 - Most of my time in Florida was spent seeing family and helping out around my parent's house. However, on my last day in town my friend since childhood, Vaughn Barfield, friend since high school, Dara Barfield and their two kids Gus and Lucian, made the drive from Milton to Shalimar for a visit. My Dad took us all out for a ride in his boat. My friendship with Vaughn has been going strong for over 45 years - and really he counts as family as much as a friend. It was great to spend time with them!

7) Sequoyah's Cabin Museum, Sallisaw, Oklahoma, May 9, 2022 - For my return trip to Colorado I planned to do the same thing I'd done on my trip down. Take one long day to burn up half the distance, then spend the next two days doing some sightseeing. Unfortunately, two things nearly sank that plan. The first was that my first sightseeing day was a Monday and nearly all the museums in Oklahoma are closed on Monday. Second, there was a heatwave blanketing Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas which mean that every afternoon it was boiling hot with blasting wind. However, I still gave it the old college try. My first attempt was stopping at Sequoyah's Cabin Museum just outside Sallisaw, OK. Sequokah is the originator of the Cherokee written language which he finalized in 1821 during the forced relocation of the Cherokee from their original homelands in modern North and South Carolina, Tennessee, northern Alabama and northern Georgia. The cabin pictured here is a recreation. The original is supposed enclosed in a building within the park but the entire museum complex was closed on Mondays so this picture taken from the gate will have to do.

8) Akin Cemetery, Akin, OK, May 9, 2022 - Breaking from the theme of civil rights sights the road to the Sequoyah's Cabin Museum went right by the Akin Cemetery - final resting place of Charley "Pretty Boy" Floyd - famous bank robber from the early 20th century. Finding a famous grave isn't normally in my wheelhouse but this grave was situated under some big, shady trees and getting out of the glaring sun seemed like a good reason to take a break. A highly romanticized version of Pretty Boy Floyd's story was provided by Woody Guthrie in his song "Pretty Boy Floyd" which painted the bank robber as the Robin Hood of the Plains...but there is very little evidence to back up this image. Still, visitors have left change on the gravestone so the Woody Guthrie image seems to be what persists in modern culture.

9) Tahlequah, OK, May 9, 2022 - The city of Tahlequah, OK had two sites that were on my wish list as I explored the tribal lands in eastern Oklahoma. The first was the Cherokee Heritage Center but it closed when COVID first hit and hasn't reopened since. It is in a nice, shady park so I spent a little time cooling off among the trees but couldn't go into the center itself. In the center of downtown Tahlequah was the Cherokee History Museum but it is closed on Monday's so I got skunked on that one as well. Worse yet, Tahlequah has the worst traffic management of any city I rode through and at 2pm it was sweltering so by the time I got to the history museum and discovered it was closed I was nearing heat stroke.

10) Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Muskogee, OK, May 9, 2022 - Fortunately, my entire day of trying to learn about the native people's history wasn't a failure thanks to the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, OK. They were open on Monday and had a really nice museum that gave the history of the removal of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole peoples in the early 19th century from their tribal homelands in the southeast to land in eastern Oklahoma (from a time when the US Government didn't foresee expansion west of the Mississippi River). In addition to the information about the various removals (including the well known "Trail of Tears") the museum also had an exhibit on Native Soldiers contributions in WWI and WWII (I didn't realize that in addition to the Navajo code talkers there were also Cherokee code talkers who served during WWII). The upstairs portion of the museum is set aside as an art space highlighting different native artists. The current display was art by a Muskogee weaver named Mary Smith that included intricate baskets, mats and dolls. Two big thumbs up to the museum - first for being open, second for providing great information and third for having A/C!

Return to Alan's Trip Reports

Return to Alan's Home Page