By Russell LaCour
CLEARVIEW – Not long ago, I headed south out of Tulsa, destined for Clearview, one of 13 surviving Black townships in Oklahoma. The excursion turned out to be an enriching experience in a key chapter of the state’s Black history.
I knew that Clearview had been established in 1903 as one of Oklahoma’s original 50 Black Townships. But I was curious to discover more. A program on the culture and past of the town, featuring Clearview’s mayor and other supporters, is what prompted my sojourn.
My history lesson started as soon as I pulled onto a grassy dirt area around the Clearview community center. The building was originally constructed as a gymnasium in 1939 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA was an employment and infrastructure project of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt presidency). It was converted into a community center in 1988. The program they had organized was a fundraising event to keep the center open.