Doorways to Hope: An Art Installation That Opens A Portal To Honor North Tulsa's Legacy

A downtown Tulsa art installation that was launched in June honors the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre descendants and the lives of 20 North Tulsa residents.

Each individual that is showcased in the interactive art project was chosen by the community.

Lead Artist behind Doorways to Hope Marlon F. Hall and Dr. La Verne Ford, a retired educator and one of the 20 people featured in the art project joined News On 6 On the Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch to talk to us about the project.

Hall said that one of the main goals of the work is to celebrate the resilience of the Greenwood District.

"Oftentimes, people think of Greenwood as a graveyard, but Greenwood is not a graveyard. It's a garden, and we decided to honor the fruit of the garden that is an impenetrable force by featuring 20 people who are living North Tulsans who honor the eternal legacy of Black Wall Street," said Hall.

Portals to Shared Humanity

The name "Doorways to Hope" was carefully selected by Hall and his partner, Gordon Huether, to represent the strength of the community.

"Every door has a story. And every story is a doorway, a doorway through which the storyteller can share their humanity, and the story listener can receive their humanity," said Hall. "And so we decided to use these archival doors as sort of a representation of the portal through which you travel when you come to the exhibition featuring 20 large scale images, 20 QR codes that you can hit and link to the Tulsans telling their story in their own words."

Honoring a Lifetime of Contributions

One of the featured individuals, Dr. Laverne Ford Wimberly, a retired educator who worked in Tulsa Public Schools for 39 years, shared her perspective on being recognized in this way:

"It's just an appreciation of the contributions that I've made over time, over the years. I have been an educator for over 40 years. I was with Tulsa Public Schools for 39 years, and also I was a part of the Black Wall Street. I worked on Greenwood for several years."

Wimberly's connection to the Greenwood district runs deep, as she recounted her time working at Harris Pharmacy and the Prescription Shop, as well as growing up in the neighborhood.

Celebrating Collective Humanity

For Marlon Hall, the project is not just about honoring the Black community, but about celebrating the collective humanity that can be found in their stories and contributions.

"When black folk have an opportunity to be celebrated, the end to which is not just an opportunity for black folk to be celebrated, but for all human beings to benefit from the sum total of human flourishing that Black people contribute. And so it's not just a project for Black people. Through black folk, we are experiencing our collective humanity."

The "Doorways to Hope" art installation offers visitors a chance to connect with the resilience and stories of North Tulsa, honoring the past while celebrating the present and future.

To learn more about more about Doorways to Hope Click Here or find more information about Marlon F. Hall at marlonhall.com