OKC seeking stories from forgotten Black communities

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Rosetta Funches was born in Oklahoma City in 1937. 

She’s the founder and director of the Oklahoma Black Museum and Performing Arts Center. For years, she’s wanted a way to record the neighborhoods she grew up with. 

"A lot of people you mention where you were born and they don't know. They've never heard of it,” said Funches. “We've been left out of history, and other things. I felt that it's very important that these neighborhoods be included." 

She’s working with the City of Oklahoma City and OSU’s Oral History Department to create a project titled “Oklahoma City’s Forgotten Black Communities: Where safe spaces, equity, culture, and creativity lived." 

"We believe it's a part of the fiber of what created Oklahoma City and what makes our city so great today,” said OKC Arts Project Manager Leondre Lattimore. 

Now the city is asking you, or someone you may know who remembers living or working in one of these disappeared communities, to reach out. 

• Sandtown
• Brickyard
• West Town
• South Town
• Walnut Grove
• East Side
  • 2nd Street
  • 4th Street
• Old Fair Grounds
• Carverdale
• Edwards Addition
• Garden Oaks
• Garden Day
• Hicks Addition
• Harrison Addition
• Green Pastures
• Parkes Heights
• Choctaw

"A lot of the individuals speak to how these communities were sustainable with their own stores, schools, doctor's offices, things of that nature,” said Lattimore. 

Lattimore said the final project will include archived interviews. They’re also looking into other ways to make the project easily accessible. 

"It's important you know that we all talk about it and we all love each other. I do,” said Funches. “You know history is history." 

Organizers are hoping to wrap up the interview process by the end of August. 

The link to submit your stories is here: vision.okc.gov/yourstory.

More information can be found here.