Efforts to Rename Brady Arts District

[guido911]

Just saw this story, and not sure if it has been covered here before.

Tulsa, Oklahoma -

The Brady Arts District has grown considerably with the opening of several restaurants, businesses and most recently the Woody Guthrie Center. However, some Tulsa residents are pushing to rename the area due to the controversial history of a Tulsa Founder.

Tate Brady, a founder of the City of Tulsa, was reportedly a member of the Ku Klux Klan. According to one Tulsan, Brady was responsible for much of the Tulsa Race Riots in 1921.

"Tate Brady was responsible for the division," Tulsa resident Kristi Williams said. "Let's name it the reconciliation district so we can say this is about coming together, not keeping separate."

[Emphasis added]. http://www.ktul.com/story/22136683/tulsa-residents-push-to-rename-the-brady-district

I prefer to rename it, "just another area of downtown district"

[RecycleMichael]

I just tell people it was named for Marcia and Greg Brady.

[BKDotCom]

"North of the tracks district"

[Quinton]

Seems to be a race related thing.

[Conan71]

Seems to be a race related thing.

Thank you Mr. Obvious!

[guido911]

Can someone teach me to spell "rename"?

[guido911]

Seems to be a race related thing.

You've earned this:

[TheArtist]

 Guthrie Arts District

[AngieB]

The Brady Arts District has spent a lot of time and money on their identity and it has great value. When someone wants to pay for all the costs incurred in renaming, then have at it.

[AquaMan]

This has been covered in previous threads here. And it was part of a series of stories in a local monthly newspaper.

My take is that if we have to go back and scrub off the graffiti of previous generations' work in building this city because of their political or societal views that don't match the current generation, we're going to have to totally rename large portions of the city and perhaps even its name.

[swake]

This has been covered in previous threads here. And it was part of a series of stories in a local monthly newspaper.

My take is that if we have to go back and scrub off the graffiti of previous generations' work in building this city because of their political or societal views that don't match the current generation, we're going to have to totally rename large portions of the city and perhaps even its name.

I'm not sure that completely whitewashing the past is the correct path either. You can't read about Tate Brady without being sickened. I think the whole length of Brady Street should be renamed John Hope Franklin Blvd (Give Haskell it's name back) with a monument in the former Brady District explaining the name change and that along with being a city father, Tate Brady was truly evil man that should not be celebrated. I like the Guthrie Arts District as well.

We also need to finish the John Hope Franklin Museum by 1921, and the park and museum needs a National Monument or Park designation. The past is ugly, but that does not mean it needs to be ignored and forgotten.

[AquaMan]

I understand that sentiment. The truth is he was representative of leadership in that era. The Klan was immensely popular at that time as many people were not aware it had become racist at its core. It lost membership quickly. He was a typical businessman of that time who is now being judged by a different generation.

Do we want to look back in 80 years to find that many of our current leaders were perhaps sexist, ageist, anti-gay, anti immigration, tea partiers, Birchers, NRA activists, sovereign citizens, jews for Jesus etc and decide we must scrub them from our public memory because we now find such views abhorrent?

I value honest history even if it offends. To ignore our progenitors weaknesses is to give them power. Washington and Jefferson had slaves yet we name our schools after them because of their good works. If we now decide to erase Brady's presence, we must not look much farther or we'll find other evil history that must be judged.

[patric]

I understand that sentiment. The truth is he was representative of leadership in that era. The Klan was immensely popular at that time as many people were not aware it had become racist at its core. It lost membership quickly. He was a typical businessman of that time who is now being judged by a different generation.

Do we want to look back in 80 years to find that many of our current leaders were perhaps sexist, ageist, anti-gay, anti immigration, tea partiers, Birchers, NRA activists, sovereign citizens, jews for Jesus etc and decide we must scrub them from our public memory because we now find such views abhorrent?

I value honest history even if it offends. To ignore our progenitors weaknesses is to give them power. Washington and Jefferson had slaves yet we name our schools after them because of their good works. If we now decide to erase Brady's presence, we must not look much farther or we'll find other evil history that must be judged.

Amen to that.
As far as Brady being KKK, the Klan wasn't even interested in Tulsa until after the riot, and it had already been disbanded at least once before (by N. B. Forrest himself) for becoming so radicalized.

[swake]

I understand that sentiment. The truth is he was representative of leadership in that era. The Klan was immensely popular at that time as many people were not aware it had become racist at its core.

It was always racist at its core. Are you kidding me?

Read this:
http://thislandpress.com/04/18/2012/tate-brady-battle-greenwood/

[guido911]

The Brady Arts District has spent a lot of time and money on their identity and it has great value.

And how damn pathetic is that? What is it, a 3-4 block area? It's not freakin Soho or Tribeca, or even "Bricktown" for that matter. Sorry, still giddy at the pretentiousness and uppity-ness  of these "districts" from the other thread.