New Jackie mural overlooks Tulsa ballpark

When the Tulsa Drillers open their 2021 season, fans will be treated to a dazzling new sight: a massive, vividly-rendered mural of Jackie Robinson beyond the outfield wall. The Drillers are a Dodgers affiliate, which makes Robinson a natural fit for such an honor. But the significance of this large-scale work of public art, like Jackie himself, goes well beyond baseball.

The Drillers' home of ONEOK Field is located in North Tulsa's Greenwood District. This historic neighborhood rose to prominence in the early 20th century as America's "Black Wall Street," a sobriquet bestowed upon the area by Booker T. Washington. On May 31 and into June 1, 1921, this thriving neighborhood -- home to over 10,000 residents -- was decimated by what is now referred to as the Tulsa Race Massacre. A violent white mob, inflamed by specious allegations regarding a May 30 encounter in downtown Tulsa between a Black man and a white woman, looted the neighborhood and burned it to the ground. Thirty-five square blocks, comprising over 600 successful Black-owned businesses, were decimated.

The damage that resulted from this racist terror spree was incalculable. Over 800 people were treated for their injuries, and as many as 300 lost their lives (the search for victims' remains continues to this day). The Tulsa Race Massacre was perhaps the worst single instance of race-related violence in American history, and its reverberations continue to be felt. The Drillers' Jackie Robinson mural, completed last month, is one comparatively small aspect of a city-wide campaign to commemorate the event.

"The city formed a Race Massacre Centennial Committee," said Mike Melega, Drillers president and general manager. "This was history that was excluded from the history books. A lot of people who grew up here never learned about it, but in the last five to 10 years especially there¡¯s been a lot more recognition about how horrible it was."

The Drillers are set to host ballpark events related to the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial. The Double-A team's season kicks off at ONEOK Field on May 4, the first of 12 home games in which their uniforms will feature commemorative patches. These patches feature the word "riot" crossed out, with "massacre" in its place. This is in line with a recent emphasis on re-contextualizing the event as such.

The Jackie Robinson mural, measuring 26 feet by 40 feet, is a collaboration between artists Chris "Sker" Rogers and Thomas "Detour" Evans. It is painted on the back of a historic building owned by the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, overlooking left field.

"It was the perfect place for a mural that looked inside the stadium," said Melega. "As we approach the Centennial, and with our relationship with the Dodgers being extended [through the 2030 season], we approached [Greenwood Chamber president] Dr. Freeman Culver and pitched the idea. He was super-supportive. ... Jackie was a perfect tie-in because of his importance socially and to the game of baseball and then, again, our relationship to the Dodgers."

The Jackie Robinson mural is accessible to the public at all times, and lit up at night. Dr. Culver said that it has become an immediate neighborhood attraction; his hope is that visitors use it as a springboard to learn about the neighborhood and, in particular, support the "Deep Greenwood" businesses that carry on the neighborhood's legacy. The Greenwood Chamber of Commerce has launched a GoFundMe campaign connected with these goals, with most of the funding aimed toward preserving the 10 surviving original Black Wall Street buildings.

"Not to always make things political, but W.E.B. DuBois once said that all art is propaganda," said Dr. Culver. "Well, if that¡¯s the case, then this is good propaganda that the Tulsa community needed to come together. This being the centennial of the darkest chapter in Oklahoma history, and possibly American history. This massacre happened in the heart of Greenwood proper, so to be able to put an emblem of togetherness and change and promoting civil and human rights with this Jackie Robinson mural, I¡¯m glad we could be a part of it and house it in the Greenwood Chamber West Building.

"We want to encourage people to come down to see the last Black Wall Street buildings," he continued. "We have 30 businesses in these buildings. Twenty-eight are owned by African-Americans. ... 85 percent of them are owned by African-American women. We want people to go out of their way to support these businesses. The pandemic hit these businesses pretty hard. They need love down there. We have restaurants, souvenir shops, insurance agencies, a jewelry store, a gym, a tattoo parlor, educational exhibits. And the welcome center is free for everyone. We have a lot going on."

To bring the Jackie Robinson mural to life, the Drillers turned to Rogers, a Tulsa-born artist and creative consultant known as "Sker" in the city's creative community and beyond. Sker has created or overseen myriad public artworks throughout Tulsa, including several in the Greenwood District. Perhaps most notably, he served as project manager for the neighborhood's Black Wall Street mural.

When it came to the Jackie Robinson mural, Sker had both a creative and managerial role. He procured all the art supplies, as well as the heavy-duty industrial equipment needed to bring the work to completion.

"The goal of a large-scale project is to turn the concept into a plan and then organize the plan with a bunch of different moving parts and different players," he said. "It¡¯s a process, so looking at the size of the wall and the importance of the subject matter, early on in the conversation I knew I¡¯d be bringing in another artist."

That artist was Evans, who is based in Denver. He and Sker have a history of collaboration, including the tribute to local musicians that is the Tulsa Sound Mural.

"I go for a multi-colored abstract sort of feel," said Detour. "That¡¯s mainly because there are a lot of muted colors in buildings and architecture, streets and public spaces. So when you add yellows, teals, reds, pinks, it really pops off the wall and separates itself from the surroundings. That¡¯s why I love using color. I¡¯ve done a series of murals in that way. It¡¯s something that has helped me grow as an artist and to have my work recognized. It¡¯s more figurative, a lot of the work I do, and colorful. It¡¯s made to stand out."

That aesthetic is evident in the Jackie Robinson mural, which Sker and Detour completed in the span of just three days (albeit after months of planning). Both men were thrilled with the final product.

"For me street art is about, in part, enjoying the aesthetic," said Detour, whose next goal is to partner with his hometown Colorado Rockies on a ballpark mural. "But a lot of it is tied to education and the community. It's about showing something that you want people to know more about. Here, that was Jackie Robinson but also what happened in Greenwood and Black Wall Street."

"The idea of two Black artists painting an iconic Black figure in the historic Greenwood District in 2021, the importance of it is not lost on me," said Sker. "There were times I was up there painting on the wall and had to take a second to soak it all in. It was a great feeling and a great opportunity, to be a part of this in this capacity."

More from MLB.com

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com