Thursday, October 6
Depart Purdue University
Friday, October 7
Cherokee Heritage Center
The premier cultural center for tribal history, culture and
arts, continues its commitment to preserving and honoring
Cherokee culture. You will be immersed in Cherokee
culture through historical and cultural artifacts, traditional
crafts, and much more.
Dinner at the Restaurant of the Cherokee
Enjoy a Native American themed buffet in Tahlequah’s
tribal complex. This family style restaurant serves one of
the state’s best buffets loaded with American favorites
along with a handful of authentic Cherokee dishes.
Accommodations will be at the Tulsa Holiday Inn.
Saturday, October 8
Greenwood Cultural Center with
Hannibal B. Johnson
Hannibal Johnson, attorney and
author of the highly acclaimed
Black Wall Street, will discuss
and trace the history of the 1921
Tulsa race riots and the African
American community that rebuilt
itself.
Greenwood District Walking Tour
You will explore what
Booker T. Washington
dubbed “Black Wall
Street.” The Greenwood
District became a prosperous Black commerce in the
1900s. The tour will teach
important lessons in
human courage and perseverance.
Lunch—Greenwood Cultural Center
After engaging with the Greenwood community, we will
depart Tulsa and head to Oklahoma City. We will visit
the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
where you can experience the West through its people,
places, and history.
Dinner with Purdue Alumni at Kevin Durant’s restaurant
Enjoy upscale versions of southern cuisine at Kevin
Durant’s contemporary restaurant with basketball décor.
Here you will meet with a group of successful Purdue
alumni and interact with them in an informal casual
setting.
Sunday, October 9
Oklahoma History Museum
We will tour the Oklahoma History Museum, dubbed an
“architectural masterpiece.” At the museum, we will have
a panel discussion featuring Anita Arnold, author of
Deep Deuce and other local celebrities. We will visit the
Oklahoma Black Museum and Performing Arts Center to
view compositions by Oklahoma artists.
Tour of Boley
The Coletrane Group will
lead our tour of Boley,
one of Oklahoma’s most
historical Black towns.
Founded in 1902, Boley
remains mostly Black and
is home to many descendants of the town’s original
founders. After the tour,
we will visit the exhibit
entitled, “Colored Memories” comprised of
25 digitally colorized photographs of Boley.
You are invited to join the
Purdue University
Black Cultural Center to Oklahoma
Goals of the Tour:
Understand African Americans helped
settle one of America’s frontiers and build
landmarks, towns, and a lush cultural
legacy.
Discover the social, cultural, economic and
education heritage of early day African
American pioneers
Understand how racial tensions in the early
1920s led to the destruction of Black Wall
Street in the Greenwood district.
(Sunday, October 9 itinerary continued)
Black Rodeo Demonstration
Come see Black cowboys
as they perform signature
rodeo events that include
bareback wrestling, a pony
express, and roping.
After an authentic BBQ
dinner, we will depart
Boley and arrive at Post
Oak Lodge surrounded by
rolling Osage hills and set on 1,000 wooded acres.
Monday, October 10
Presentation and Workshop with Ebony Voices/Rhythmically
Speaking
Join this diverse theatre company that combines storytelling,
drama, songs, rhythm, and rhymes to create a robust performance. After a captivating performance, we will participate in
a series of workshops to prepare for our Cultural Arts Festival
production.
Explore how Black leaders in Oklahoma
fueled the nationwide movement for civil
rights.
Raise awareness and appreciation for
Oklahoma’s African American music
culture, historians, and contemporary work
by local artists.
Purdue University
Black Cultural Center
For more information, please contact
Renee Thomas, Director
765-494-3091
rathomas@purdue.edu
Fall 2016 Research Tour
October 6-11, 2016
“Away to the West:
Black Cowboys
& Black Prosperity in the
American West”