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Oklahoma City Black Alumni Coalition urges preservation of Walnut Grove as riverfront redevelopment continues
Summary
At the Riverfront Redevelopment Authority meeting, the Oklahoma City Black Alumni Coalition detailed a history of Walnut Grove, shared OU engagement findings that included more than 80 participants, and urged site-based preservation and community benefits tied to future riverfront projects and 2028 Olympics planning.
Shontay Alexander, executive director of the Oklahoma City Black Alumni Coalition, told trustees the group has documented the history of Walnut Grove — a once-thriving Black neighborhood now largely within the Boathouse District — and urged that redevelopment include on-site preservation and community-led benefits.
The presentation explained OBAC’s mission to reconnect Black alumni and leverage collective power for advocacy and legacy work. Alexander said OU’s Institute for Quality Communities engaged more than 80 participants this spring in legacy mapping, site visits and oral-history sessions, and that students identified strengths and challenges for preserving Walnut Grove’s history on the riverfront.
"For us, this is about advocacy and ownership, creating a model where black voices lead conversations about the future of historically black spaces," Alexander said. She described the River Bowl regatta and other events as examples of how the group centers Black presence in riverfront programming and builds community identity.
OBAC presented a historical timeline showing Walnut Grove’s growth in the early 20th century, its decline after flood-control projects and highway construction, and later redevelopment that resulted in loss of housing and institutions. The group named local leaders and institutions associated with the neighborhood’s history and said much of that history had not been formally documented before OBAC’s work.
OU’s site analysis proposed on-site interpretation such as markers, plaques, murals, guided tours, sculpture, plazas and heritage trails. OBAC and OU students, led by Vanessa Morrison, will work on a professional guide that the group said will include concrete recommendations on mobility, cultural preservation, anti-displacement strategies and community benefit tied to possible 2028 Olympic-related investments.
Alexander noted recent, tangible outcomes including a Riverboat Classic boat dedication by Mayor Holt and a mayoral proclamation recognizing Riverboat Classic Day. Alexander thanked Councilwoman Jo Beth Hammond for extending the invitation for OBAC to present.
Trustees thanked the presenters and asked for future updates; no formal action was taken.
Next steps: OBAC will continue community engagement, share OU’s design concepts with the trust after the meeting, and pursue interpretive programming tied to events on the riverfront.
