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Editor's note: In February, the Tulsa World will share a series of thoughts from Black Tulsans about the future of Tulsa and what role they are playing to make it happen. Growing up in north Tulsa, my childhood was filled with playing with friends until the streetlights came on, dodging stray dogs and habitually dreaming of what life could be. Those dreams often felt far away, but looking back now, I see how my roots in this community shaped me into who I am today — a proud product of and champion of the city that raised me.
As the Student Council treasurer at Central High School, I often heard friends from Tulsa's suburban areas mention that they had never been to north Tulsa. I started inviting them to hang out with me in my neighborhood. I had no expectation that they would agree, but they did.
A cultural exchange was born as I realized I had not been to their neighborhoods, either. We lived in two separate worlds. People are also reading.
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For the first time in our city’s history, we elected a Black mayor — a milestone that reflects progress and a renewed commitment to equal opportunity. On 36th Street North, construction has begun on the largest housing project Tulsa has ever seen, a bold step toward addressing decades of need in our community. The Greenwood Cultural Center, a beacon of history and hope, is undergoing a stunning renovation.
The Big 10 Ballroom on Apache is returning to its glory days with frequent music and cultural celebrations in the neighborhood. We’re building spaces where families can gather, children can play, and dreams can take root with improvements to Chamberlain and Berry parks. None of this would be possible without the generations of Black Tulsans who paved the way.
To the educators, entrepreneurs, activists and everyday heroes — thank you. You laid a foundation and made sacrifices so future generations could dream bigger. North Tulsa has always been more than just a place.
It’s an heirloom crafted by trailblazers who believed future generations deserved to stand on the shoulders of giants. As we move forward, let us carry their legacy with us. Despite divisiveness, the future isn’t just bright; it is ours to shape.
Together, we will honor our past, celebrate our present and build a Tulsa where every child’s dreams feel within reach. — Brandon Oldham serves as a senior program officer at the George Kaiser Family Foundation on the Vibrant and Inclusive Tulsa team. He leads the foundation’s Invest North strategy.
The collected series: go.tulsaworld.com/tulsafuture The Tulsa World is where your story lives.
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