African American History & Culture in Oklahoma

Delve into Oklahoma’s African American history from pre-statehood to the Civil Rights movement while exploring the landmarks, historic towns and museums that provide endless opportunities for discovery. Oklahoma’s African American journey is tightly woven into the historical fabric of Oklahoma. Here, learn about the profound impact African Americans have had on the state’s military, frontier, Western and modern history. African Americans first crossed into Indian Territory during the Trail of Tears, when thousands of Native Americans were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands between 1830 and 1842. Many African Americans that made the journey were enslaved by Native Americans, but a group of 500 agreed to move to Indian Territory in exchange for their freedom. This group of 500, which started out as The Gullah, a west African enclave that lived side-by-side with refugee Seminoles in Florida, made the trip as free men. The African Americans that survived the trip either remained enslaved until treaties between the U.S. and American Indian tribes were ratified or lived among the tribes as Black Seminoles.