Is Tulsa safe for blk people? It's Complicated...😳

[@mdm032s]

Im a black male born and raised in Tulsa, and I will say that stigma derives from hiding the truth. Its has only been called the Tulsa race massacre recently before it was known as a race riot implying that black people were somehow involved and were able to defend themselves from the white people that burned Greenwood. It was also the first time bombs had been dropped on american soil by other americans. Another thing is it wasnt widely taught in Oklahoma history. I was fortunate enough to attend schools that had programs that allowed us to tour the Greenwood Cultural Center but I didnt have a formal lesson until I was in high school. And that was in the form of an elective class. Its not that the Tulsa Race Massacre is different from those other places, its the cover up that happened afterwards and continues to occur til this day.

[@keeturned40]

@@mdm032s Thank you for commenting! I just went to the Cultural Center’s tour on Saturday. It was heartbreaking! I agree with you…the extent of the coverup (that’s still going on to this day) is unbelievable. Even “reconciliation” seems to be part of the coverup. The tour helped me start to understand why Tulsa is so notorious for racism. From the Boomer-Sooners, to the Klan presence, Black & Native disenfranchisement…there’s too much to list really! 😠 I was asking people for specifics when they told me not to move here…and oh boy, the tour gave me enough reasons to about for months! I can see how educating the descendants about their ancestor’s accomplishments and the Massacre wasn’t part of the plan. For one, it’s easy to start looking around and wonder how much of Tulsa’s wealth was stolen. I was starting to get suspicious of Black Tulsans insisting that everything is okay…Maybe they just don’t know the history or don’t know it fully for the reasons you explained. I still don’t get why they might overlook open hostility and violence if those reports I mentioned from Reddit are true.

[@MrsK4759]

I'm really enjoying your videos. It's giving me a whole new perspective on Tulsa. I'm glad you are overcoming your own biases. Life is so much more fun when we're open to others, isn't it?

[@Nia_Authentically]

I am not judging you at all for your concern! Really appreciate the research you did before hand. It’s a new place and it’s important for safety and mental health. I recently moved to the DMV and work at Howard so definitely resonate with the energy here. I’m glad there is black pride because I really do need that in my environments on some level.

[@keeturned40]

@@Nia_Authentically Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts. I have to say there is community here, and pride! Most of all I was concerned about overt racism and discrimination (slurs, threats, harassment) based on what I heard, read, history, etc. I’m glad to say that has not been an issue at all.

[@Nia_Authentically]

@ happy for you. Look forward to learning more from your journey!

[@christinamcdaniel800]

Love your content, I’ve lived here now for four years and I really like the slower pace moving from Dallas, TX. You should definitely check out the Gathering Place and Broken Arrow where I currently live, our downtown area is small compared to Dallas, but fun.. Be blessed and enjoy!

[@keeturned40]

Thanks so much! My latest video is the Gathering Place. I still haven’t made it to Broken Arrow yet, but soon! ❤️ And yess it’s so much slower compared to Dallas 🥹😅

[@smoothg5146]

Your Tulsa content is great. You have a knack for a nuanced personal honesty. As a black man born and raised in Tulsa, I’m always disheartened by the fear my people have of Oklahoma and Tulsa. No question there is a very disturbing history that was and in many ways continues to be denied. However, Tulsa is a fantastic city that is getting better and more diverse everyday. Hope to keep up with your weekly updates. My wife hates the Tulsa Remote Program because she believes the influx of people will alter our hidden gem. I love it, especially for diversity sake and hope you decide to stay. Oh and the suburbs are even whiter but the folks are great. We’ve lived in a suburb for almost 20 years and other than disappointment in the lack of diversity in the city and schools (which is slowly changing) we love it. Also, been to the Okmulgee rodeo many times and several other black rodeos, you’ll have to check it out. Also, don’t miss the Cowboys of Color rodeo next year in OKC.

[@keeturned40]

@@smoothg5146 Wow! Thanks so much 🥹 for the kind words, and encouragement! I appreciate your candor as well. I kept getting that feeling Oklahomans are hiding something. Just that “Everything is fine, don’t worry! 😬 But also don’t go here, there & there” didn’t sit right with me. I feel more optimistic about Tulsa every day. I think a person really has to be here to understand how progressive and nice this city really is! I hear where your wife is coming from! I hope Tulsa doesn’t grow too large, or lose its charm. I am so excited for the rodeos! I hadn’t heard of that one, putting it on my list!

[@terrellstreet2439]

I diiied laughing when u said she winked Meaning the mob is on the wayyyyyy lmaooooo😂

[@keeturned40]

🤣🤦🏾‍♀️Looking back I can’t believe I was scared like that…the 1st couple weeks I was really expecting the worst!

[@raybowens3765]

Hello! I have a similar story to yours, I moved my family to OKC from Dallas back in 2017. We too heard the Oklahoma stories about racism and nothing to do etc.. but after we made the move we quickly found out that those stereotypes was totally false. The people here are extremely nice, we've been here 7 years and we wouldn't move back to Texas for nothing. We live in a quiet neighborhood and our girls go to great schools we love it here.

[@keeturned40]

Glad to hear your family is having a great experience here! ❤️❤️❤️

[@FamilyinTulsa]

Hello, I’m in Tulsa Remote too. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@MsNikkiCrucio]

Me too! I was approved and Im going to visit next month.

[@ubermoc]

Im latin, and my wife is black, and we have 3 kids in school from 1 grade to high school. And out of side of our son being told his white because he looks asainish we haven't had any issues. We have gone to restaurants where 2 people will pay 300 minimum and have had random old white people just shot the shit with us a few times. My wife has gone with just the kids a few times and had a blast with the kids. They always get compliments and how great it is to raise little foodies. We live in South tulsa and mostly stay in that area. The nicer places we go to are in mid town.

[@keeturned40]

Thanks for sharing that! It’s so encouraging to hear from real people who are living and thriving in Tulsa, and not just horror stories on the internet! I’m glad I took a chance on Tulsa to see for myself. Blessings to you and your beautiful family!

[@tjayer011]

Glad you feel safe here in Tulsa. I’ve been in the area all my life 52 years. I enjoy your videos and seeing how new people feel about our town. I’m W so I don’t know how it feels to be a different race but my own. I haven’t personally witnessed any individuals being racist since I was very young. If I were to ever witness it I would 100% call it out. Treat people how you want to be treated is my motto. Although I will say being in a same sex relationship has gotten more difficult since the maga era. It’s not blatantly in my face but it just feels different, like being excluded and so forth. I can acknowledge and see how that could happen with different races as well and maybe I don’t know it’s happening because it’s not happening to me. I hope you continue to love Tulsa and stay for a very long time. 😊

[@keeturned40]

Thanks for sharing. That’s a great point about your experience as part of the lgbt community - issues are not limited to race. We could all potentially face some type of discrimination based on characteristics we can’t change. Sorry to hear you’re feeling less comfortable in the maga era…I think many people are. ❤I’m optimistic things will get better though!!

[@crixa6120]

So about Claremore... I know ppl who live there. During the summer of 2020 around July there were several BLM marches in Tulsa and some of the local suburbs, though iirc only one was officially with the BLM organization. There were discussions about a march happening in Claremore but it was cancelled. A lot of the residents and business owners reacted by getting their rifles and shotguns and "lining the street" of the main streets in town. I heard about it from someone I know who brought his gun and participated in this "counter-protest." In my defense, I had no idea he was that radicalized at the time and tried to talk him out of it. I'm glad nobody was hurt, but I do wish a spotlight had been placed on the actions of the ppl there. That does sound like something from the 1950s and I am still incredulous that it happened so recently.

[@keeturned40]

@@crixa6120 I’m glad no one was hurt!! And much respect to you for talking your friend out of it!

[@kateskeate8911]

I appreciate your video. I'm a white woman, in Tulsa area, and have black Grandchildren on the west coast. Their Mom is convinced that OK is racist, specifically Tulsa, and that her kids would not be safe here. They have never come to visit. Breaks my heart.

[@keeturned40]

I’m so sorry to hear that! Hopefully you get to meet your grandkids someday. 🥲 it seems like you really want to know them. I was naïve to a lot of Oklahoma history before moving here, and still have a lot to learn!

[@missbb5432]

As a person of color who moved to Tulsa in 2022, I have found Tulsans to be some of the nicest folks with a spirit of generosity.. that’s been my experience.. glad I’m here 👏🏽👏🏽

[@naturallydope6971]

I am an hour in half from Tulsa, welcome!

[@keeturned40]

@@naturallydope6971 Thank you! ☺️

[@shanshanthegem334]

I'm enjoying watching your experience in Tulsa. I was born and raised in Okc. My sister moved to Tulsa around 5 years ago, and she seems to be enjoying it. Tulsa has a great vegan scene. There is also an amazing vegan cinnamon roll company called Cinnaholic. So good!!

[@keeturned40]

I need to get out to OKC & see what I’m missing! 🤣 Sounds like there’s more to do there, but Tulsa has a lot to explore. I’ll try Cinnaholic…I love cinnamon rolls ❤️

[@katyb3869]

Wut?? i didn't know we had a great vegan scene.. I'mma have to check those out! ty!

[@alwaysaprilmac]

@@katyb3869Check out the Tulsa Vegan Guide.

[@ProcessCapture]

Wonderful content

[@keeturned40]

Thank u 🙏🏾

[@RachaelSparkles41]

Hi! I just found your channel yesterday. Welcome to Tulsa, you’re definitely in a fun area of town for a single adult! I’m a native Tulsan. My parents moved here for work back in 79 and fell in love with the city. I’m bi-racial and while there were not as many mix families when I was growing up in the 80s, I personally haven’t been discriminated against.

[@keeturned40]

@@RachaelSparkles41 Hi! Thank you ☺️ I’m liking it so far! That’s very reassuring to hear ❤️

[@katyb3869]

I'm really glad you feel safe here... just being a woman here feels a little uneasy to me sometimes but it's not that bad. Most people here are pretty friendly. I'm trying to move to the Netherlands from Tulsa and I've been told that they are very unfriendly and cold so, I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised like you were.

[@keeturned40]

Moving out of the country might be my next step if Tulsa doesn’t work out. Glad you’re feeling pretty safe here too! Good luck with the Netherlands if you decide to go! ❤️

[@tayasoap]

They haven't reconciled and moved forward, if anything they're more regressive. They just denied the survivors a huge lawsuit. If everybody is saying it and everybody is smelling it, you better catch the right sniff too. That being said I am also accepted and I'm still on the fence. My visit was pleasant but I can see the racial separation, I can see the financial disenfranchisement of certain groups. I went to a arc store or good will on my visit. Went to use the bathroom and a worker literally was banging on the door almost as soon as I went in. I spoke to a cashier at "reesers" I forget the name.. but as an empath I could feel her sadness, in Tulsa I rarely saw black ppl. That's not really an normal thing. A Caucasian lady saw my daughter and I've never seen a person give a little girl such a nasty look. Anyhow everyone's experience will be different. I can be hyper vigilant about such things but I was slightly disappointed. The Tulsa remote team was great, made me feel welcomed. There is a division along racial lines that tends to happen in groups normally, but I gotta admit, it's a nice city, nice architecture but there is a very solemn sadness that permeates the city. We went to the parks and had a good time. Their food scene was mid OK. But I definitely understand why people say be wary. I also looked at who the workers are and it seems like many are low level workers. I hope you have a blast, stay safe and I'm watching you because I I have 4 months to decide if I'll move. I was super excited to move their but I an adult. I have tuned my discernment and my antennas are up personally. Just my two cents, thank you for sharing 😊

[@keeturned40]

Thanks so much for sharing! I personally didn’t go on a Hosted Visit, but if I’d had experiences like you’re describing, I’d pause and rethink too. All the best, no matter what you decide to do!

[@vivafamilia7867]

I think the coldest people I've met here are people that relocated from other states (also I can spot a California driver). Even they are in the minority imo. I relocated here with my family to the middle of nowhere in the country and it takes an hour to get to Tulsa. My kids love it here. I grew up in a beach community in southern california and that was the most racist area and time for me personally. Arizona was also pretty racist in our experiences. My white husband and I moved to New Mexico and he faced more prejudice than I did and I am Hispanic. Oklahoma is slower paced and has great laws for our family and opportunities for our kids. They went through culture shock because they went from everyone looking like them to no one but they adapted and love it. My Mom was concerned for us and she was surprised at how nice Tulsa is. Great content and your personality and candor are refreshing.

[@keeturned40]

@@vivafamilia7867 Ohh yes I can instantly spot a non-Tulsan! 🤣 It’s the person scowling who didn’t wave or say hello. Or that person going swerving across lanes for no reason or doing 40mph in a parking garage?…I think “mhm Texan!” Soon as they pass I see the plates…yup! So glad your family is having a great experience here! 😊 That makes me so sad about AZ…Have wanted to visit for years, especially Sedona, but I don’t want to have any weird experiences. Thank you for your kind words!!

[@Growmap]

@@keeturned40 The problem is you can have weird experiences anywhere. I'm white so I experience people's racism different than you do in that they'll openly act racist in front of me. The most racist family I ever met lived in rural central Texas. They raised their son up being a bigot. But I got to set him straight when he made threats to go beat some guy up for "messin' with a white woman". I told him to sit down. That I happened to know that wasn't his girlfriend. And if it had been, that was HER decision and had NOTHING to do with him. Then I pointed out that he better take a good look at that black guy. Because he could wipe the floor with his scrawny little head. After that he calmed down to mind his own business. I hope he grew out of that. And shame on his family for raising him that way. Rural central Texas is also where the most horrific story I'd ever heard from a black man about what was done to him happened. And it was quite obvious to me that an announcement at a particular cowboy bar in Waco, TX was intended to scare black people into not hanging out there. I couldn't believe what I heard! So I actually asked others if they heard it, too. But most Texans are not bigots. I once went dancing with a friend who happened to be black. He wanted to go to a cowboy bar. There were only three black people in the entire place - him and a couple of others. And, yes, after that announcement at the other cowboy bar I was pretty nervous being a white woman with a black man. (Nothing happened.) One of my favorite people to play racquetball with in Texas was black. No one cared even though most racquetball players were white. Another friend I played with was Hispanic. No one cared. But Texas isn't the only place. A nightclub in Washington D.C. in 1977 tried to charge us a $5/cover on a weeknight no band. So we left and went someone else. I questioned that because it was free on the weekend with a band. So I asked the hotel owner what the deal was. He immediately said, "who was with you"? I replied, just some of the other IBMers in town at the ed center. Then he said, "No, WHO was with you?" So I rattled off some names and he said, "Oh, that's why"? I still had no idea what he was talking about. It was because Clarence happened to be black and that is how they deterred most non-white people from wanting in. Our basic instructor in Washington DC was from NYC. He was sure only white males could do the job we were being trained to do. That guy was a bigot and a male chauvenist. It drove him crazy that the two best students in our class were a black guy and a white woman. He was so bad that we complained to the head of the ed center and he never got promoted out of education. (He had been on a fast track to management.) So the bottom line is that there are a small minority of bigots everywhere. If they're smart, they'll keep it to themselves. There may be some neighborhoods best avoided. And that applies to certain neighborhoods for specific types of people -- not only black people. I hope you enjoy your life in Tulsa and you don't ever have to dealt with any ignorant people behaving badly. Hopefully, by now, most people don't care -- especially in the Bible belt.

[@keeturned40]

@@Growmap Thanks so much for sharing your stories! Texas is interesting that way…extremes of people either not caring about race, or caring way too much imo. Having Texans warn me about OK shook me up. Especially since there are plenty of issues like what you mentioned happening in TX too (and everywhere, really). The current political climate was a factor too - sometimes the orange man tells his followers to “stand down” and sometimes he tells them “fight! fight.” I didn’t want to be caught in a red state as a single black woman if things took a turn for the worse in this country. I appreciate your comment, you gave me a lot to think about. 🤗 P.S. That instructor got what he deserved - nothing! lol. I’m sure he blamed it on dei and insisted no one was actually qualified to get those positions. 😌 Oh well!!

[@saymodaymo]

Welcome to Tulsa!

[@keeturned40]

Thank you 😊

[@nayjavu]

seems to me if you have already experienced living in melting pot cities...you aren't going to be as culture shocked by "too many" white folks, but definitely I think it's something to consider because everyone is bound to have their own experiences and I don't think your time there can properly speak to anything like that yet. I'm light skinned and I have my own concerns because whether people want to admit it or not, I have experienced racism from a couple sides and I grew up in europe, seattle, denver, louisiana in the 80's (which was probably the most difficult in terms of race). As an adult, I've lived in DC, georgia, florida and california and so for me, race isn't on top of my list of fears for oklahoma. My top was actually tornado's lol

[@keeturned40]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I never said anything about “too many” white people. So not sure why that is in quotes. Tulsa is far from a “melting pot” demographically, and pretty homogeneous. Still, I do not think there are “too many” people of any skin color present and that wasn’t the intent of the video. At all. Tornadoes are definitely on my list as well! At this point, natural disaster/a tornado seems like a more realistic threat than anything else I heard about and researched prior to moving to Tulsa (whether it was crime, red state politics, infrastructure problems, health care, the city being segregated, etc.)

[@shaughnessynoble410]

Hi, I'm a black female raised in Tulsa off and on for the last 30 years. I wanted to give a little background to a few things that you talked about in your video. First, let's answer the question: Is Tulsa/Oklahoma racist. In my opinion, the answer would be yes. However ,there are a few contributing factors for why this is. First off, the lack of diversity. Oklahoma till this day, in 2024, still has a huge racial imbalance when it comes to the population. This is because at least 70% of the people here are white. Given how small of a state Oklahoma is, having a 70% white population is a really big portion of the racial makeup of this state. As a result, for most individuals and their families, it is not imperative that Oklahomans teach their children about race/diversity, which causes a lot of ignorance to be maintained and made mainstream. Knowing this, does this make Oklahoma more racist than any other state in the U.S. No. You will find plenty of kind people here if you look in the right places. Second, when it comes to promoting the Tulsa Race Riots, Oklahoma is a poor state. This is not a state that attracts a lot of business or education. As a result, the state tries to keep its name in mainstream media for as long as it can, and using the Tulsa Race Riot as promotion is the best way to do so. Lastly, why can't you find any black businesses to cater to your needs/support in Tulsa? The reason for this is complicated. First, it's sad to say, but we just don't have many black businesses here. The black population in Oklahoma is very small, and most of us can't afford to have/maintain our own businesses. Second, these businesses are not being advertised. Refer to my earlier comments and deduct your own reason for why that is, but to put it simply, black businesses aren't seen as profitable in Oklahoma. Lastly, I feel as if there just isn't enough of us coming together as a whole to bring attention to diversity in Oklahoma. These are just a few of my thoughts. Let me know if you feel differently. Thanks.

[@keeturned40]

Thank you so much for sharing. That all sounds logical and makes sense to me. As an outsider and getting conflicting stories, I was genuinely worried about moving here at first. Thank you for being so patient with my ignorance of the big picture and for giving your perspective!

[@michigan_616]

Just because majority of the population is white does not indicate this is racist place to live. The ENTIRE world's population is 60-70% white, so your blanket statement really doesn't prove anything just stating facts that more white people exist in the world. To me, you sound extremely racist. You're judging everything based on numbers and making wild statements. If you think just because more white people live here and due to that fact, these families do not have the common decency to teach their children how to treat others is absurd.

[@Suddenlyyoufitness]

I have to disagree; maybe Tulsa surrounding areas are not as integrated, and I am sure that will change in Due time; it ALWAYS does when people start flocking to a state. It does bother me that the Hispanics are in one area, the blacks are in one area, and the whites are in one area. I am not used to this at all! I am used to everyone living among each other. Maybe( Tulsa Remote) reflects what I am talking about. However, I have not experienced any racism. Granted, Tulsa the city is more diverse and integrated but not as much as I am used to.

[@keeturned40]

I don’t think that’s what she means that at all. She even said outright that the fact there’s a population disparity doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a result of racism. The global population is only 16% white: we can’t forget about India and Asian. There are not more white people in the world. In North America, the population is 60% white and about 14% black. Tulsa is 6-8% black, depending on the source. That’s a significant difference from the national to the state level, and could lead inquisitive folks to question why there are not more black people in Oklahoma. Now Alaska is only 3% black and my inclination is that’s it’s just too cold! In the 1920s, Oklahoma was majority black and native. Those populations were decimated and those people did not just dissolve.

[@juanridge79]

The racial divide in tusla is more of the closest form. Give it time and youll see how some treat u vs others. However, the likelihood someone assaults you simply because you're black is rare. Alot of comments are from people who are not on all sides of this city.

[@keeturned40]

Thank you!

[@prot_ron2779]

I live in tulsa ok but I don’t see their discrimination or racist is up to you if doing wright or wrong tulsa their economy is getting better too the new generation now is better

[@michigan_616]

Did any of your Texan friends ever visit Tulsa? What are they basing their opinions on? Everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt. What one person believes a place is unsuitable, for themselves, does not always apply to someone else. We came here two years ago utilizing the Tulsa Remote program. Again, do not believe everything you read. It a little concerning that you've had no bad interactions with anyone in Tulsa but yet are holding every white person accountable for something they've never or haven't done.

[@keeturned40]

I refuse to believe that a human who actually watched and comprehended this video came up with this nonsensical comment, and I’m not about to argue with a bot! 😒🤣

[@haveatit5859]

It's also helpful that you work remotely. It keeps you away from more of the in you face racism. Imo no place is perfect unless you make it that way... Good wishes here ✌ & ❤

[@keeturned40]

@@haveatit5859 That part is interesting too…Tulsans I’ve met so far insist they don’t have any issues at work. So I’m remaining cautiously optimistic. I love the last sentence!! 😌 So true! ☮️ and ❤️!