Bonus episode: Connie Cronley reads October's column
Hear TulsaPeople's Musings columnist Connie Cronley read her October piece, plus a farewell from host Blayklee Freed.
Read more: Any fool can do it
TulsaPeople Magazine
en-usOctober 29, 2023
On this page
education
business
reconciliation
juneteenth
slavery
people
commerce
black history
african americans
emancipation
2.11: Don’t Hold Back — Sherry Gamble Smith
en-usJune 05, 2019
About this Episode
Today, a conversation with Sherry Gamble Smith on Tulsa’s Juneteenth celebration, and how we as a city can continue to move toward reconciliation.
Then, editor Anne Brockman offers her top picnic tips for that perfect summer meal.
This episode of Tulsa Talks is brought to you by the Tulsa Regional Chamber.
So let’s talk, Tulsa.
Topics in this episode
- Juneteenth: its significance/history nationally and here in Tulsa. How Sherry and her committee helped reinvent Tulsa Juneteenth. What Tulsans can look forward to at the 2019 festival June 13-16 on Greenwood Avenue.
- Her 2018 reinvention of Tulsa’s black Chamber, called the Black Wall Street Chamber.
That’s the voice of Sherry Gamble Smith, president and CEO of the Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce, a group she and other community organizers created in 2018 to educate, create and inspire economic vitality in Tulsa’s African-American community. Founding the Black Wall Street Chamber was a reinvention for Sherry, who had formerly served as executive director of another group, the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce.
Beyond helping African-American businesses and professionals, the Black Wall Street Chamber advocates for other important changes identified by the black community.
Summer is in full swing, and Tulsans will soon be planning Fourth of July cookouts and fireworks shows. But before that holiday, there's another Independence Day to be celebrated.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that the abolition of slavery was announced in Texas, the last U.S. state to free its slaves — nearly three years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
Juneteenth celebrations take place in many cities across the nation, including here in Tulsa for more than 20 years. This year’s celebration is June 13th-16th in the historic Greenwood District. The festival is a multi-arts experience that recognizes and celebrates the rich heritage of African Americans.
Sherry Gamble Smith discusses the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. This month marks the 98th anniversary of the horrific event that likely killed hundreds and decimated Tulsa’s Black Wall Street on Greenwood Avenue.
For more information on the Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce, visit bwschamber.com. And for a full schedule of Tulsa Juneteenth activities, go to tulsajuneteenth.org.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, @TulsaPeople, or head to our home on the web, TulsaPeople.com/podcast. There, you’ll find show notes and more info about our guests and topics.
Every episode, we play you out with some local music. Here is Desi and Cody's new single, "Dandelion Wine."
For more music by the Tulsa folk duo, visit desiandcody.com.
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Tulsa Talks goes About Town
Welcome to Tulsa Talks presented by Tulsa Regional Chamber. I'm your host Tim Landes.
After more than 100 episodes over the past four years it's time to go About Town.
On this episode Tim and About Town host Blayklee Freed talk about the future of this podcast channel and all the exciting things to come in the biweekly episodes of About Town that will run 10-15 minutes an episode.
We also reflect on the five years of Tulsa Talks and discuss some of the highlights.
All the podcast episodes will remain here and at TulsaPeople.com/Podcast.
We might be back later with more special episodes of Tulsa Talks. In the meantime, Tim will continue making appearances on random episodes of About Town.
So stay subscribed, buckle up and get ready to go About Town.
Walk and talks and a "Road Trip": Excerpts from chats with filmmaker Brea Mullen and musician Branjae, plus a Connie Cronley column
Welcome to Tulsa Talks presented by Tulsa Regional Chamber. I'm your host Tim Landes.
Business is getting back to normal around Tulsa after the devastating effects of the June 17 storm that left me, some coworkers and thousands of other Tulsans without power for nearly a week. It was hot, but we made it… unlike way too many trees.
So this episode is dropping a week late and it’s a different format than usual.
I’ve been doing a lot of online content this year. Lots of concert photo galleries and some reviews, plus Q&A and photo galleries with local creatives. Plus our team publishes updated music listings, a weekly rundown of things to do, a beer of the week and more. We’re staying busy.
We have so many talented artists in this town, and I want to spend time with as many of them as possible. I love learning their stories and having the opportunity to share a part of it with our readers. Plus often there are lessons we can learn and use in our own endeavors.
As I continue to evolve in my work, I’ve been spending a lot more time working on my photography. It’s been a lifelong hobby, and a part of my jobs for over a decade. Most of it is photojournalism, which means capturing moments. I’ve been pushing myself to do more portraits, which pushes me out of my comfort zone. I’m getting better at it, and excited to keep chasing it as I move toward video, finally.
The film industry is exploding in Tulsa, and it’s inspiring to see so many creatives growing their styles here in Tulsa. Many are homegrown, but some are coming here to learn and make movies.
I recently went for a walk and talk with filmmaker Brea Mullen, a Tulsa transplant who didn’t go to film school and is grinding it out and learning as she goes and loving every second of it.
Her documentary Oklahoma Underground will premiere locally as part of the upcoming Circle Cinema Film Festival.
Read the Q&A with Brea.
Back in late May, I went for a Turkey Mountain hike with Branjae.
We covered a whole lot in this Q&A
She discussed how she took a break from music to take care of her mental health, and now she’s back and ready to roll out new music and more.
What didn’t make the cut in print is her thoughts on the local music and creative scene in 2023.
While she did take a break from most her musical duties, she did perform at the legendary Apollo Theater in NYC. I had to ask her about that experience.
And now since things got twisted, turned and thrown across Tulsa, I’m going to leave you with Connie Cronley reading her June column. This would normally appear on our About Town episodes, but even our podcast schedule felt the effects of the derecho.
Also congrats to Connie for her recent awards from the Great Plains Journalism Awards as well as the Oklahoma Press Association. She’s one of the best writers in the state and more than worthy of these awards.
Take us on your road trip, Connie.