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In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May, the Oklahoma Historical Society's Multicultural Office (OHSMO) will host an event on Wednesday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to highlight the history, heritage, and contributions of the AAPI community in Oklahoma. “Asian American and Pacific Islander Experiences in Oklahoma: A Historical Journey” will take place on the first floor of the Oklahoma History Center in the Devon Great Hall.
 Special honorees of the event will include (from left to right) current State Representative Cyndi Munson, a Korean American; Dr. Thanh Van Anderson of Vietnam; Dr. Jordan Tang of Taiwan; Dr. Dick Hsieh of Taiwan; and former State Senator Ervin Yen of Taiwan. Dr. Van Anderson and Dr. Tang will be honored posthumously.
The schedule includes a cultural fashion show, dance performances, hands-on activities, and more. Performers include Dr. Gregory Lee on violin and Ai-Wei Chang on piano—members of the Share and Grow Association; the India Association, the Zomi community, and the Japanese Association. Hands-on activities will include calligraphy and tea tasting.
Mike Lee Hoang (left), president of the Asian District Cultural Association and a Vietnam American, will be the emcee. Akash Patel (right), originally from India, will provide the closing remarks. Patel is the vice president of the United Nations Association of the USA, founder of the Happy World Foundation, and the senior consultant for the Institute for Humane Education.
The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. The event at the OHC is one of several taking place across the Oklahoma City metro throughout the month of May. The program is part of the OHSMO and its “People of Oklahoma” series. The OHSMO has a working objective to develop programs and outreach initiatives to tell the story of Oklahoma’s diverse heritage and give voice to historically underrepresented communities.
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Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in WWII exhibit opens
On Tuesday, May 9, the exhibit Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in WWII opens at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC) in Enid.
In the years leading up to World War II, racial segregation and discrimination were part of daily life for many in the United States. For most African Americans, even the most basic rights and services were fragmented or denied altogether. To be Black was to know the limits of freedom—excluded from the very opportunity, equality, and justice on which the country was founded. Yet, once World War II began, thousands of African Americans rushed to enlist, intent on serving the nation that treated them as second-class citizens. They were determined to fight to preserve the freedom that they themselves had been denied. This is their story.
Fighting for the Right to Fight contains oral histories, profile panels, and artifacts.Visitors will discover wartime stories of individual service members who took part in this extraordinary challenge, from unheralded heroes to famous names—including Alex Haley, author of Roots (US Coast Guard); Benjamin Davis Jr. (US Army Air Forces); Medgar Evers (US Army); and more. To learn more about the exhibit, which will stay open through August 5, call the CSRHC at 580-237-1907.
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OHS Board of Directors elects new officers
At its April 22, 2023, organizational meeting, the OHS Board of Directors elected Duke R. Ligon of Oklahoma City as its new president. In addition, the board elected Karen Keith of Tulsa as vice president and Donna Sharpe of Checotah as treasurer.
The results of the OHS Board of Directors election were also announced. OHS members elected Karen Keith of Tulsa to the board, as well as reelecting Jack Baker of Oklahoma City, Randy Beutler of Weatherford, Deena Fisher of Woodward, and Kenny Sivard of Idabel. Deena Fisher is the outgoing board president.
Newly elected OHS Board President Duke R. Ligon is an attorney; the owner and manager of Mekusukey Oil Company, LLC; and serves on several boards. He is currently co-chairman of the executive council at the Energy Center at University of Texas Law School. To see a full bio, please click here.
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to assume this leadership role at the Oklahoma Historical Society,” said Ligon. “I have worked with and around the board, as well as the staff, and both are exemplary and a credit to their profession. I look forward to helping further the mission at the Oklahoma Historical Society.”
“The Oklahoma Historical Society has been fortunate over the years to have a board full of members who are eager to support our mission to collect, preserve, and share Oklahoma’s unique history,” said OHS Executive Director Trait Thompson. “With his background in executive leadership and love of the state’s history, Duke R. Ligon is the ideal person to take up the mantle of leadership for the board.”
OHS Vice President Karen Keith is the Tulsa County Commissioner for District Two. Keith graduated from Muskogee High School and Oklahoma State University, then worked 26 years in broadcasting, most of which were spent at KJRH in Tulsa. Click here to learn more about Karen Keith.
Donna Sharpe, the new OHS Board treasurer, earned business and accounting degrees at Oklahoma State University and Northeastern State University. She and her family have been staunch supporters of the preservation and development of the Honey Springs Battlefield historic site. Click here to learn more about Donna Sharpe.
The OHS is governed by a 25-member board of directors, with 13 elected by the OHS membership and 12 appointed by the governor. For more information about the OHS Board of Directors, visit okhistory.org/about/board.
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Subscribe to the OKPOP Museum's YouTube channel to keep up with all of the latest OKPOP news, updates, staff features, episodes of "From the Vault," and interesting mysteries and histories connected to popular culture in Oklahoma. The OKPOP Museum, located in the Tulsa Arts District, is a 60,000-square-foot, three-story building that will be dedicated to the creative spirit of Oklahoma’s people and the influence of Oklahoma artists on popular culture around the world. Subscribe to its YouTube channel to hear the latest news and points of interest by clicking here. |
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SAVE THE DATE!!
Coming May 25 to the History Center
The Oklahoma Historical Society is proud to present a panel discussion and book signing with Victor Luckerson, author of Built from the Fire: The Epic Story of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, America’s Black Wall Street (2023). The program will take place on Thursday, May 25, from 7–8:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Luckerson will be available after the discussion to sign copies of Built from the Fire, which will be sold for $30 on the night of the event. Joining Luckerson will be David Goodwin and Sydnee Monday.
J. D. Baker will moderate the discussion. This event is free and open to the public, but please register online as space is limited. Register for the Luckerson event.
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Click event listings below for more information.
3–4 - Oklahoma National History Day contest, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
6 - Spring Agricultural Day, Hunter’s Home, Park Hill
6 - Blacksmithing and Wheel Setting Demonstrations with the Saltfork Craftsmen, Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School, Perry
6 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
8 - “How to Research Your ‘Historic’ Property” webinar (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
9 - Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in WWII exhibit opens, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
9 - “How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Form” webinar (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
10 - “Asian American and Pacific Islander Experiences in Oklahoma: A Historical Journey,” Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
10 - “Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act” webinar (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
11 - “Documenting Post-European Contact Archaeological Sites in Oklahoma” webinar (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
11 - Thursday Night Lecture Series with author Gary Clayton Anderson, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
13 - Quilting workshop with Martha Ray, Sod House Museum, Aline
13 - Carriage House Sit and Sew, Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
13 - “Chicken in the Mail: Union Army Camp Life” program, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
13 - Second Saturday Sewing Circle, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
13 - Spiro Mounds and WPA Archaeology in Oklahoma book signing with Dr.s Scott Hammerstedt and Amanda Regnier, Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, Spiro
13 - Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center 45th Anniversary and Reopening, Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, Spiro
16 - “Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program Overview” webinar (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
17 - “The Historic Preservation Tax Credit: A Case Study” webinar (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
17 - Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
18 - Story Time at Hunter’s Home, Hunter's Home, Park Hill
20 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
20 - Annual Picnic, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, Oologah
20 - 1880s-era baseball game, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, Oologah
20 - Kids Make History, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
23 - Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
25 - Built from the Fire Panel Discussion and Book Signing with Victor Luckerson, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
26 - Movie Night featuring The Sandlot (1993), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
27 - Scavenger Hunt, Hunter’s Home, Park Hill
27 - Hands-On Historic Skills, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
30–31 - History Day Camp, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
31 - A. Day’s Work art exhibit closes, Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library, Guthrie
1 - History Day Camp, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
1 - Vintage Snack Sets exhibit opens, Fred and Addie Drummond Home, Hominy
1 - Hidden Oklahoma: “Geoarchaeology” presentation by Dr. Debra Green (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
3 - Guided tours, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
3 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
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Masthead image: 1886 map of Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) showing tribal lands, reservations, towns, villages, schools, rivers, forts, agencies, and railroad lines, published by G. W. and C. B. Colton and Company, New York. The Oklahoma panhandle is not depicted at the time this map was published because it was not yet affiliated with the state—popularly referred to at the time as "No Man's Land" (ITMAP.0182, Oklahoma Historical Society Indian Territory Maps, OHS). |
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