The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 100, July 1996 - April, 1997 Page: 39
551 p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Racisim and Censorship in Cold War Oklahoma
spite of her occasional opportunity to address the issue of race-even to
the "chief oily words hand-rubbing anti"-by April 1951 she was ready to
leave Bartlesville. She wrote CORE's Houser that she had been invited to
become librarian at Piney Woods Country Life School, a school for
African American children just south ofJackson, Mississippi. She had de-
cided to go for the summer; she would probably just stay. "The word
Communism is in everyone's mouth," she said, "and four months away
from it will be wonderful."38
In addition, she wrote, the school board had dismissed Gracey. His fir-
ing was the final scene in the show that began with the March 1950 offer
of a Negro community center by the "Anti group" and Drew's threats
against Gracey. In April, although the Drew faction had presented "sev-
eral grievances" against Gracey to the school board, his contract had
been renewed for the 1950-1951 year. In January 1951, however, the
board informed Gracey of possible "opposition from local sources," so
he "might feel free to exercise his option of... accepting another posi-
tion." He apparently declined to take the hint; they warned him that his
job might be in jeopardy. In response, fifty-six Douglass School patrons
assured the board that "Mr. Gracey was an asset to the colored commu-
nity and should be retained as Principal." Less than a month later, a
committee of twelve, including Drew and T. P. Scott, were "introduced"
to the school board to offer "direct rebuttal" to the previous group's tes-
timony. Among the charges against Gracey was that he had "caused
some of the community confusion and discension [sic]." A few days lat-
er, the school board voted not to renew Gracey's contract. The white
power structure had succeeded in dividing the African American com-
munity and ridding it of its strongest voice for integration.9
It had also succeeded in depriving Brown of a number of her support-
ers connected with Phillips Petroleum. Because transfers among Phillips'
several facilities were not unusual, it is difficult to determine how many
left Bartlesville unwillingly, how many by choice. As the YWCA Annual
Report for 1950-1951 put it, "The frightening aspect of the present day
in Bartlesville is that the young progressive leadership is leaving the
community, in one or two [cases], 'by request,'-and others 'because we
don't want our children brought up in this kind of atmosphere."' Some,
1 "City Wins Court Library Decision," Bartlesville Examznder-Enterprmse, Sept. 16, 1952; Brown
to Houser, Jan. 6, 1951 (1st quotation), Frames 66o-661, Reel 9 Series III, Exec. Secretary's File
22, CORE; Brown to Houser, April 21, 1951 (2nd quotation), Frame 662, ibid.
9 Brown to Houser, Apr. 21, 1951, Frame 662, Reel 9 Series III, Exec Secretary's File 22,
CORE. The school board considered opposition to and support of Gracey at meetings held on
April 1o, 1950 (1o6, 1st quotation) and at seven meetings held between Jan. 8, 1951 (144, 2nd
quotation) and Mar. 12, 1951 (Jan. 22, 1951, 145, 3rd quotation; Feb. 14, 1951, 152, 4th quota-
ton, Mar. 8, 1951, 153, 5th-7th quotations), Mznute Record, Board ofEducatzon, Bartlesvile, OK.1996
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 100, July 1996 - April, 1997, periodical, 1997; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101218/m1/67/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.