ABSTRACT
The Harlem Renaissance in Oklahoma was influenced by its geographical location as a state bound in the combination of the Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory. Oklahoma’s mixture of peoples and cultures influenced a distinct black consciousness and artistic expression. The African Americans who settled in Oklahoma were descendants of the involuntary migration of Native Americans in the early nineteenth century and the voluntary migration of freedmen after the Civil War. This mixture of ethnic groups influenced a uniquely Oklahoma contribution to black arts and culture: a musical blend of country music, carried by the descendents of rural southerners, and jazz (swing). Though far removed from Harlem, “the Capital of the Black World,” Oklahomans managed to create a unique Oklahoma sound that would influence larger metropolitan areas including Kansas City, Chicago, and New York. The most significant contribution of the Harlem Renaissance in Oklahoma is that it brought forth and nourished some of the best jazz musicians in the world.
