Randy Hopkins

The CfPS Library

The library houses community journalism that explores the hidden, neglected, and misunderstood histories of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and beyond.

Lee Roy Chapman

Explore feature stories, videos, and short essays from CfPS founder, Lee Roy Chapman.

Greenwood History

Read longform stories about Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Native History

Learn about Tulsa's unique position at the nexus of the Mvskoke, Cherokee, and Osage nations.

Tulsa History

Explore stories about the hidden, neglected and misunderstood history of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

High School Football 1921: Return of the Hornets

By Randy Hopkins Courtesy of Tulsa Booker T. Washington High School. In the fall of 1921, students began returning to Tulsa, Oklahoma's...

GREENWOOD HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Feb 2, 20248 min read

An Open Letter to the Tulsa City Council

Once the Centennial was over and a single body with bullet holes was discovered in Oaklawn in late June 2021, things changed.

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 23, 202315 min read

Racing to the Precipice: Tulsa's Last Lynching

Pandemonium was loosed when the body finally dropped. The guards relaxed their grip and a mad dash ensued.

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 23, 202355 min read

Birthday of the Klan: The Tulsa Outrage of 1917

On November 10, 1917, a birth announcement for the “Modern Ku Klux Klan” appeared in a front-page headline of the Tulsa Daily World.

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 22, 202366 min read

The Plot to Kill "Diamond Dick Rowland" and the Tulsa Race Massacre - Part Three

May 31, 1921 Tulsa police officials “feared the explosive combination of forces” resulting from the news of Diamond Dick Rowland’s arrest.

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 22, 202323 min read

The Plot to Kill "Diamond Dick Rowland" and the Tulsa Race Massacre - Part Two

Claiming them to be dens of iniquity, the police had long cast a suspicious eye on negro rooming houses. The Rowland family ran a large one.

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 22, 202328 min read

The Plot to Kill "Diamond Dick Rowland" & The Tulsa Race Massacre - Part One

On Tuesday afternoon, May 31, 1921, a newspaper article titled “Nab Negro for Attacking Girl In an Elevator” hit the streets of downtown Tu

GREENWOOD HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 22, 202334 min read

Echo of History: The City of Tulsa’s Mass Graves Debacle

On the morning of July 30, 2021, an iron fence and locked gates divided two groups of Tulsans at the City-owned Oaklawn Cemetery.

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 22, 202329 min read

Mask of Atonement: The Plan to Rebuild the Homes of Greenwood

The Greenwood rebuilding “plan” was a major feature of the second full day of national news coverage of the then-called Tulsa Race Riot.

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 22, 20239 min read

Recovering History: The Freeing of Dick Roland

There's no listing for this prisoner during June or July. This supports claims that Roland was removed from the jail soon after his arrival.

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 22, 202315 min read

Alias: James Jones and "Diamond Dick" Rowland

Learn about James Jones, better known as "Diamond Dick" Rowland, the teenager at the center of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Aug 21, 202310 min read

The Notorious Sarah Page

Rated 1 out of 5 stars.(1)

By Randy Hopkins - Sarah Beaver (third from left) would eventually become Sarah Page, a central figure in the Tulsa Race Massacre of...

TULSA HISTORY

Randy Hopkins

Jul 6, 202315 min read