Across from the raised flower beds and paved trails of the Boley Community Park sits the first historical marker of the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail.
Over the weekend, a crowd of townspeople, officials and members of the federal 400 Years of African American History Commission gathered in the Town of Boley to watch the sign's unveiling. The trail spotlights Oklahoma's role in the Civil Rights Movement and marks locations for people to visit and learn more about the state’s history.
Boley historian Henrietta Hicks spoke at the event and said people in town are grateful to be the first place to receive the marker.
“We are so delighted that you have chosen this spot, this town, to make this first unveiling,” Hicks said. “Boley is the crown jewel — and don't you forget it — of the Black towns.”
Oklahoma is home to more historically all-Black towns than any other state. The number of towns grew in modern-day Oklahoma after the Civil War. Formerly enslaved people of Oklahoma’s five largest tribes settled together, and many African Americans from other parts of the South also moved to the area.
Known for its rodeo, Boley is a town about 70 miles east of Oklahoma City and is home to roughly 1,000 people. The town was incorporated in 1905, and by 1911, it had over 4,000 citizens and multiple businesses, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
It’s the largest of the more than 50 historic all-Black towns scattered across the state. Thirteen of those towns remain today and a fourteenth town, IXL, was officially incorporated in 2001.
The trail connects the state’s 13 remaining historic all-Black towns along with locations such as Fairfax, a prominent site of the Osage Reign of Terror and Greenwood Rising, a museum relaying the story of Black Wall Street in Tulsa.
Commissioners of the federal 400 Years of African American History Commission said the trail helps build an understanding of the Civil Rights Movement. And it wasn’t limited to the 1950s and 1960s in the southeastern US.
Ted Ellis, chair of the federal 400 Years of African American History Commission, said Boley plays an important role in capturing the importance of American history as it relates to African American history.
“So you talk about being industrialists and being involved in capitalism and growing communities,” Ellis said. “So we look at this point in time, right now, we talk about the preservation and acknowledgement of what's important to all of us in this space.”
Officials say the trail showcases locations for visitors, which should increase tourism and tourism dollars for the areas.
Oklahoma lawmakers created the trail in 2023 by passing of Senate Bill 509. Authored by Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, it created a grant program through the Oklahoma Historical Society.
This year, the legislature approved $1.5 million in grant funding that can be used for projects like repairing visitor centers or for website development. The federal 400 Years of African American History Commission paid for the historical markers.
For Matthews, it’s an exciting moment that has been in the works for about five years.
“Today marks number one, my final official act as senator and number two, the beginning of the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail,” Matthews said.
On the green markers, people cannot only read what’s on the sign, but also scan QR codes to learn more about the area’s history. He said people can experience the places in Oklahoma themselves and learn about their history, which is good for the town, the state and the country.
He pointed out that tourism is the third-largest revenue driver in the state.
“Tourism is a way that we can grow these communities,” Matthews said. “Have people come and stay in these communities. Stay for the weekend, stay for a month, go to the rodeo, go do tours, trail rides and that type of thing.”
