Oklahoma Contemporary welcomes works by Canadian artists tracing Black communities over time

Photo courtesy: © Oklahoma Contemporary

Soon after Oklahoma joined the Union in 1907 as the nation’s 46th state, more than 1,000 Black Oklahomans began leaving the state for Canada in their search for true freedom, which they had enjoyed before statehood when Oklahoma was known as Oklahoma Territory.

The emergence of Black towns during and after slavery, along with land runs in the early 1900s, made Oklahoma Territory an attractive place in which former slaves and Freedmen could safely settle. That all changed, however, upon statehood when new laws were enacted, including Jim Crow laws, that sparked racial animosity toward Black Oklahomans. That growing disdain led to their eventual migration to Canada and other places west and into Mexico.

The flight of Black Oklahomans from the state between 1908 and 1911 to the Canadian prairies in Alberta and Saskatchewan is depicted in black and white photographs and audio recordings by Canadian artists Donna Paris and David Ofori Zapparoli, respectively, as part of an exhibit at Oklahoma Contemporary beginning Nov. 9, 2023, through April 1, 2024. The works will be displayed in the Mary LeFlore Clements Oklahoma Gallery, 11 NW 11th St. in Oklahoma City.

In “Descendants of the Black 1000: Flight from Oklahoma Black Towns to Canada,” Paris and Zapparoli feature 12 photographs, as well as corresponding audio interviews and archival materials, which trace the historical movement of Black communities over time. Through these mediums, the artists create a fuller picture of how Black history in Oklahoma connects with communities across the North American continent. The exhibit also captures the human spirit that stirs people into movement away from persecution and the sheer will to forge a new life in an unknown land that is passed down to descendants.

Paris is a multi-generational African Canadian based in Toronto. Her work includes producing audio recordings chronicling the journeys taken by African Canadians and their ancestors from the U.S. to Canada. Zapparoli, also based in Toronto, collaborates with Paris to produce stunning photographic portraits of all the interviewees.

For those individuals who want to learn more about the artists and their collaboration on “Descendants of the Black 1000: Flight from Oklahoma Black Towns to Canada,” a free opening reception and artist talk is scheduled Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. Although the event is free, attendees must reserve their tickets here.