Oklahoma's first Black library seeking assistance with restoration efforts

When Guthrie was still the capital city of Oklahoma, African Americans were denied access to the original Carnegie Library in the city.

According to the Excelsior Library Foundation, Judith Carton-Horton had been telling her husband about an idea to create a library for African Americans. However, it wasn't until her husband, Joseph Carter, went to the Carnegie Library and was told he could not access nor use the books on account of his skin color.

History of Excelsior Library

In 1908, Judith Carter-Horton created Oklahoma's first public library for African Americans, Excelsior Library, which was also the first for African Americans in the entire southwestern region of the United States.

The original Excelsior Library held over 5,000 books, and was also home to the Excelsior Club, the first women's club for African Americans.

Despite the library gaining success, in rural areas – which most of Oklahoma was at the time – only 7.7% of African-Americans had library access, according to a 1926 survey.

It was not until the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954 that those numbers improved, according to Pastor Hersey Hammons, a member of the foundation.

In 1955, the original library was replaced with the current one thanks to the Negro Chamber of Commerce asking the City of Guthrie to include it in a bond issue.

The chamber cited that the project was needed as the original library was in poor condition, and was a pivotal safe space for African Americans.

By the 1980s, Excelsior became a hub for community and education for Guthrie's Black youth, serving as a hop club, church and temporary Guthrie Police Department station.

In 2016, the National Register of Historic Places recognized the library, however, its condition continued to deteriorate over time.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it especially hard for repairs to be done, the library foundation said, and now. the structure suffers from significant foundational and internal damages, which could cost up to $1 million to fix.

Leaders of the library foundation, l;like Hammonds, say the building's importance cannot be understated.

"I think it's important for us to understand that we did not allow our circumstances to minimize our progress," Hammons said. "This is the type of history and legacy that is very important."

How you can help

The Excelsior Library Foundation is now looking for new board members, as many are getting older or have passed away.

The organization is also in need of donations. You can donate by visiting the foundation's website, and you can join the board by contacting Pastor Hersey Hammonds at herseylh@gmail.com.