A Tulsa history class would encourage discussions on important issues, which have and will continue to affect the U.S. as a whole.
One missing element in the University of Tulsa’s history curriculum is the option of learning about local history. While discussing events in world history is obviously extremely important, a Tulsa history course could be a new avenue for students to learn about their city’s past. There is a rich amount of information that is being left out due to the lack of this class. While it may be argued that the interest and educational worth of this course would be of little importance to some of the student body since not all students are from Tulsa,, Tulsa and its history are a micro example of the larger issues that the United States has and will continue to face in the future. This can be seen in particular in three different fields: race relations, activities with native people groups and the economic boom of resources in the modern age.
For example, discussion on the plight of minority groups could be seen through the event of the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. Through this event, students would not only learn about the specific historical event of the early 1900s but also key themes such as mob justice, racial biases and historical bias.
Other events such as the Creek Council Oak Tree and the oil boom of the 1920s could provide a similar result that would provide worthwhile discussion on issues that have mattered throughout history.
With a class on Tulsa history, the University of Tulsa would not only provide a look into the history of our local region but a broader discussion into the problems of the United States as a whole.
