What happens when history isn’t as pretty as we once thought?
Tulsans are dealing with that very question right now, as some members of the community are demanding that the Brady District get a new name in light of revelations that the city father was once involved with the Klu Klux Klan and the 1921 race rights that tore apart what was known as “ Black Wall Street.”
This discussion began with an expose in This Land Press, and the debate has continued since. The merchants and property owners in the Brady District argue that historic record also indicates that Brady later reversed his stance against the KKK. They are refusing to change the name of the district, a decision that is in their control.
But Tulsa City Councilor Jack Henderson is moving forward with his plans to seek a name change for the street that runs through the heart of the downtown Tulsa entertainment district. Early city plans show that the first name proposed, Burlington Street, may also have some ugly ties – this time to early slave trade. Read that story here:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Substitute_for_Brady_name_Burlington_also_questioned/20130730_11_A1_Cagnha410427
In Oklahoma City, a bit of digging might reveal some similar distasteful information about early day town fathers whose names are prominent downtown today. So with that said, what do you think? Should historical tributes be erased if new information is revealed about those who continue being honored with place names today?