I know this may have been covered before but I must have missed it. What is up with all the skyscrapers on N.W. Expressway. I am curious why they didn't build downtown? They would make our downtown look alot cooler. Any thoughts/answers?

This is referring to the New York Life building, Valliance Tower, 50 Penn Place, that round looking building, maybe the Classen as well.......?????

Because people CAN build tall buildings outside of downtown. And probably because they were built at the height of the flight to suburbia.

I know they CAN. I just don't really know what would make someone build buildings as attractive as those outside of downtown. I don't know anything about the flight to suburbia. hmm.....when did that happen? I suppose I am just daydreaming about the potential for our downtown area.

I actually like it, it makes the city feel more urban, than only seeing tall buildings just downtown.

I know they CAN. I just don't really know what would make someone build buildings as attractive as those outside of downtown. I don't know anything about the flight to suburbia. hmm.....when did that happen? I suppose I am just daydreaming about the potential for our downtown area.

If you were born in 87', you probably won't know much about white flight. It was basically when whites left the cores of cities and headed to the suburbs to avoid having their children go to school with black folk, also cheaper land.

I do like the buildings over there too but couldn't help asking why they were there and imagining them downtown as well. I was born in '87 so I haven't heard about the white flight. That's pretty interesting. I was obviously not one of those. haha. I grew up on the southside of the city, S.W. 44th and May area as well as by S.E. 28th and Central. I do remember that my mother moved to Norman, because of the crime, and I decided to stay in the city with my father.

There are a multitude of reasons to build outside of downtown, land cost, commute time, etc. White flight is 70's and very moldy and dubious reasoning today.

supply and demand. people didn't/don't like long commutes and companies were willing to build accordingly. White flight, no, don't think so, and I'm old enough to know... ;).

If you think white flight didn’t take place at that time or does not take place even today in most cities, you are naive. “I want my kids to be safe”, aka not be around black people. Edmond, Deer Creek, Jenks, and Broken Arrow. WHITE. Also please don't offend me and say your child has "black friends" in these districts.

I know this may have been covered before but I must have missed it. What is up with all the skyscrapers on N.W. Expressway. I am curious why they didn't build downtown? They would make our downtown look alot cooler. Any thoughts/answers?

I often wished these building had been placed downtown myself but about a year ago someone (wish I could remember who) did a little computer magic and moved these buildings downtown. Compared to even the smallest of downtown buildings, the office towers along NW Expressway are tiny. You couldn't even tell where they were. While they look big along NWExp, they are actually very small. And I don't mean just in height, the floorplates themselves are small. Somewhere on OKCTalk are the images. They are better off where they are.

Kerry, not exactly what you were looking for. But this is pretty close http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=299

I also agree with Kerry, very small buildings when compared to downtown. I think we need a few more skyscrapers of similar size (not huge) near Valliance and 50 Penn. Have a second skyline going.

Yeah, I dig them too, they are such a time capsule of a specific era, and a specific economic era for Oklahoma. White flight, of course, did VERY MUCH SO, take place. Cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and St Louis saw it the most amazing numbers, in some case well over half the population. It was a reaction, mainly to the reintegration of schools from Brown v BofE and was later sped up by brutal race riots accross the country and practices like blockbusting. New school systems were made (you can probably guess a few OKC ones), new municipalities were created (many with racially restrictive policies, again a few can be figured out around here), and downtown residential and shopping all but diss-appeared. At this same time, Oklahoma City was reinventing itself as a cosmopolitan, finance based economy, and companies were very eager to build. Those buildings along NW Expressway, which at the time, looked a LOT more like Memorial Rd, were not built out of partial necessity as buildings are in dense downtown communities. They were built purely as statements. They were built to show power, and to be seen for MILES. Thats what makes them so cool to me. They are made to be viewed, in their entirety. Just as many of the more attractive low rise buildings, most notably Founders National Bank on N May. They are all built on plots with plenty of space around them, and on the right nights just look so wonderful. It really is a great collection of late mid-century architecture of all kinds. The NW Expressway corridor is really a bit like a special district to showcase OKC's grand building boom. Also, if you really want to take a historical view of the changing tastes of Urban America, take a drive from about NW10th and May north to about May and Memorial. You'll first see the tightly clustered street car neighborhoods and corner shops of the 1920's-30's. Then, the early white flight shopping centers and midcentury buildings. Followed by 1970's-80's Penn Square era strip malls like the collonades, the rolls royce dealership, the gaudy condo buildings, and the TON of "luxury" tract homes. It all ends up with Super Target, mega strip malls, and McMansions. The latest of these changes in fashion, is occurring now, and it is a return to a desire for urbanism. With generations starting with about your generation (referring to OP) "White Flight" is becoming an increasingly foreign concept. Both suburbs and inner cities around the US are becoming increasingly diverse. Some see it as a transition to a reverse white flight phenomenon, but it could also be a bit of a settling, into more multi ethnic metropolitan areas. Anyway, Im sorry for the rant, but it is a subject I could chat about for days, really one of the most interesting periods in American history. Being kind of aware of these little fads in the way Americans live make so much of our chaotic little city make a bit more sense.

Yeah, I dig them too, they are such a time capsule of a specific era, and a specific economic era for Oklahoma. White flight, of course, did VERY MUCH SO, take place. Cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and St Louis saw it the most amazing numbers, in some case well over half the population. It was a reaction, mainly to the reintegration of schools from Brown v BofE and was later sped up by brutal race riots accross the country and practices like blockbusting. New school systems were made (you can probably guess a few OKC ones), new municipalities were created (many with racially restrictive policies, again a few can be figured out around here), and downtown residential and shopping all but diss-appeared. At this same time, Oklahoma City was reinventing itself as a cosmopolitan, finance based economy, and companies were very eager to build. Those buildings along NW Expressway, which at the time, looked a LOT more like Memorial Rd, were not built out of partial necessity as buildings are in dense downtown communities. They were built purely as statements. They were built to show power, and to be seen for MILES. Thats what makes them so cool to me. They are made to be viewed, in their entirety. Just as many of the more attractive low rise buildings, most notably Founders National Bank on N May. They are all built on plots with plenty of space around them, and on the right nights just look so wonderful. It really is a great collection of late mid-century architecture of all kinds. The NW Expressway corridor is really a bit like a special district to showcase OKC's grand building boom. Also, if you really want to take a historical view of the changing tastes of Urban America, take a drive from about NW10th and May north to about May and Memorial. You'll first see the tightly clustered street car neighborhoods and corner shops of the 1920's-30's. Then, the early white flight shopping centers and midcentury buildings. Followed by 1970's-80's Penn Square era strip malls like the collonades, the rolls royce dealership, the gaudy condo buildings, and the TON of "luxury" tract homes. It all ends up with Super Target, mega strip malls, and McMansions. The latest of these changes in fashion, is occurring now, and it is a return to a desire for urbanism. With generations starting with about your generation (referring to OP) "White Flight" is becoming an increasingly foreign concept. Both suburbs and inner cities around the US are becoming increasingly diverse. Some see it as a transition to a reverse white flight phenomenon, but it could also be a bit of a settling, into more multi ethnic metropolitan areas. Anyway, Im sorry for the rant, but it is a subject I could chat about for days, really one of the most interesting periods in American history. Being kind of aware of these little fads in the way Americans live make so much of our chaotic little city make a bit more sense.

Thank you EBAH for that detailed response, very well said.

If you think white flight didn’t take place at that time or does not take place even today in most cities, you are naive. “I want my kids to be safe”, aka not be around black people. Edmond, Deer Creek, Jenks, and Broken Arrow. WHITE. Also please don't offend me and say your child has "black friends" in these districts.

Did I say that White Flight didn't exist? No... read again. I am saying the buildings along NW Expressway, in my opinion, were not directly related to that reason. You're a fine one to ask to not be offended with your generalities and assumptions. I lived at Council and NW Expressway area for many years and we had neighbors of all ethnic groups. Don't be so full of yourself. The NW side of Oklahoma City has been predominately white for many more years than those buildings on NW Expressway existed. Another thing, you need to check on who works in those buildings, it is NOT just 'white folk' from the burbs.

I'm sure that most people are aware that this isn't something unique to OKC. Just look at Dallas as a close example and the LBJ Freeway corridor. Suburban highrise districts are common around the country. And I doubt that "white flight" had anything to do with decisions to build office buildings in suburban areas.

Here's some trivia....the Executive Terrace Building which was torn down in 2008 was just east of May on Northwest Expressway and was the first high-rise on Northwest Expressway. It was quite the fancy place when it opened. Interestingly, Jim Thompson designed and built that building as a young man. He kept his office there on the ground floor until shortly before demolition. He still designs the "rough drafts" (or whatever you call it in architecture) for all of his properties and that includes his latest project --- the Aloft Hotel.

very interesting that most if not all of the buildings in the NW business district are basically the same height as the Renaissance Hotel. ... Only Valliance Bank tower comes 'close' to the downtown skyscrapers and even it is basically the same as Mid America tower. ...

Very interesting, and I agree - it is better to have them in the NW where they are. Now we need to fill it in with midrise infill and focus skyscrapers in Downtown (as well as highrise infill).

I wonder what the vacancy rate is for the Northwest buildings and also for downtown buildings.

I wonder what the vacancy rate is for the Northwest buildings and also for downtown buildings.Price Edwards' report had Northwest office vacancy at about 14% and CBD was about 25%. But Class A vacancy Northwest was about 22% and Class A in CBD was about 14%. That was the mid-year report I think.

All the class C property downtown really skews the vacancy rate.

I'm surprised no one mentioned it, I too don't think white flight had as much to do with it as much as most of those were built in the height of the oil boom, when money was abundant and the need for more office space was prevalent. ie Penn Square Bank. I think they had the right mentality in a lot of regards back then, more than we do now. I think if it weren't for the huge oil bust and bad habits with banks, OKC would be a much more urban minded city, and NW Exp. would have seen many more mid to highrises. Honestly I think we need more mid and high rises all throughout the City. Memorial Rd. needs taller buildings in it's office park west of May. Southside has practically zero other than hospitals. As someone said, most major cities have several highrise districts. OKC is boring in that regards, we have too much one story development, especially in the office space sector.

All the class C property downtown really skews the vacancy rate.About 50% I think.

As someone said, most major cities have several highrise districts. OKC is boring in that regards, we have too much one story development, especially in the office space sector.

Name me one city with-in 500,000 people of OKCs population with multiple high-rise districts. OKC is way ahead in this regard compared to peer-cities. Jacksonville has 3 buildings over 10 stories outside the urban core and that is it. Take away the hotels around Disney World and Orlando is the same way but with a population 2X that of OKC metro. You have to get in to the 5,6,7 million people range before seeing consistent clustered suburban high-rises.

If white flight is defined by blacks displacing whites, can anyone cite an example in OKC?

If white flight is defined by blacks displacing whites, can anyone cite an example in OKC?Practically that entire NE part of Oklahoma City from about 30th to 50th and east clear out to Forrest Park. Whites moved out NW. Guess that was in the 60's sometime.

Believe it or not Tulsa with 160-180k less people(city proper) and 300k less in it's metro compared to OKC has more skyline clusters outside it's downtown than OKC does!Most major cities have secondary skylines outside that cities DT!Some cities have Multiple skylines 2,3,4,5 etc....

The previous posted who commented about the oil boom is, of course, correct. That cluster of buildings is most definitely the artifacts of Oklahoma's oil boom. That is not to say, however, that it had nothing to do with White Flight. I believe both correlate in this case. A large oil boom, coinciding with the "change in fashion" (i.e. White Flight) that made the western suburbs a more desirable locale for your flag ship headquarters/office tower/campus/etc. Keep in mind that Nichols Hills and much of Putnam City were White Flight exclusive communities (Not to mention Edmond which is widely known to have had twilight laws). Before the height of white flight many of the wealthier residents of the city that would go on to occupy Nichols Hills lived in Heritage Hills, and in clusters of mansions throughout the inner city. Many of the residents who ended up in Warr Acres, The Village, Putnam City area, etc lived in the middle class neighborhoods like Crestwood, University Park, or Jefferson Heights . From 70's up in to the start of our "rebirth" in the 90's MANY of the inner city neighborhoods including some that are now, once again, known to be quite desirable, were in desperate shape. It wasn't so much a displacement of whites to be directly replaced by African Americans or other specific minorities. It was also in many cases a replacement of owner occupied houses by renter occupied houses or just plain abandonment. Some mansions became boarding houses and office space, and the sea of lovely little houses in many inner city neighborhoods became the domain of renters. Then, just as now, business owners wanted there office space to be along side good retail space and trendy lunch spots. All the downtown retail was destroyed to make way for a master plan, to "clean up" our seemingly seedy and run down downtown, and in the first couple of decades of White Flight, shopping centers like Penn Square, and Nichols Hills plaza, sprung up along with dozens of surrounding mostly white middle to upper middle class housing developments. It all added up to make the NW Expressway corridor the logical place to build you office complex or headquarters. Much of that, also coincides with a huge boom in highway construction, thanks in part, to US Government grants. The new highways made it possible for any OKC worker to live in the (at the time) far flung reaches of the northwestern suburbs. and easily travel over "less desireable" inner city neighborhoods to get to countless other suburbs and enclaves. There are, of course, MANY exceptions to the rules. Many white middle class families stuck it out in the inner city and still own property there today, but there were certainly enough that left to consider it a trend.

The funniest thing to me about the oil boom architecture on the NW side, as well as the SW side (I240 Corridor being another huge relocation of inner city retail and office space), is the slight tinge of "Hillbilly won the lottery" it has to it. This was also an era when OKC, long a city with a lower class, agricultural, government, and industrial economy, was transforming itself into a "financial center". It was a new place for newly rich and powerful people, with education and a desire for perceived class. Check out Juniors some time, the mirrors, the red pleather, low slung seats, piano bar, etc. It's like a cartoon of "New Money" excess (no offense to Juniors because I LOVE IT!). With some of those buildings, I can just imagine the conversation with the architects. "I want people that see it to think they have arrived in the future" or "Something that evokes the majesty of ancient Greece" or "I would like it to be, sort of a monument to prosperity". The grandest excess of them all would have to be "The Tower", the aforementioned headquarters for Penn Square Bank. The building cost a fortune, and is built to look so imposing and intimidating with it's huge pedestal, tinted glass, and natural stone trim. It also, of course, stands as the ultimate reminder of the foolishness of that period, considering that it's builders never got a chance to occupy it.

The funniest thing to me about the oil boom architecture on the NW side, as well as the SW side (I240 Corridor being another huge relocation of inner city retail and office space), is the slight tinge of "Hillbilly won the lottery" it has to it. This was also an era when OKC, long a city with a lower class, agricultural, government, and industrial economy, was transforming itself into a "financial center". It was a new place for newly rich and powerful people, with education and a desire for perceived class. Check out Juniors some time, the mirrors, the red pleather, low slung seats, piano bar, etc. It's like a cartoon of "New Money" excess (no offense to Juniors because I LOVE IT!). With some of those buildings, I can just imagine the conversation with the architects. "I want people that see it to think they have arrived in the future" or "Something that evokes the majesty of ancient Greece" or "I would like it to be, sort of a monument to prosperity". The grandest excess of them all would have to be "The Tower", the aforementioned headquarters for Penn Square Bank. The building cost a fortune, and is built to look so imposing and intimidating with it's huge pedestal, tinted glass, and natural stone trim. It also, of course, stands as the ultimate reminder of the foolishness of that period, considering that it's builders never got a chance to occupy it.

This is a very cool history lesson. I live in downtown, but work at 50 Penn - I never really gave the midrise developments where I office much thought, if any at all, but they all do speak to a very unique period in OKC's history. Personally, I totally love Juniors too - it feels so terribly retro now, I hope they never change it.

I have to say EBAH your response it well thought out and factual. Hats off to a great job describing the OKC time line. Having gone through busing in the 70's, attended and graduated from Star Spencer I saw a lot of issues busing brought on. Not gonna discuss the details here, no point really. What I want to say is that white flight or at least in OKC seems to be a thing of the past. I now live in NW OKC the Putman City area to be exact. There are now numerous Black and Hispanic businesses and churches in the area. There are many home owners of all races in most of the neighborhoods. I have not heard one of my neighborhoods make any comments or contemplating moving due to the increasing diversity of the area. On the flip side there are now many White families moving to the NE section of town. Just look around the State Capital complex.The apartments as well as Lincoln Terrace has a mix of everyone. The racial line in the sand has seemed to have eroded over time.

EBAH - Great write-up, and I totally agree with your "hillbilly" observation. I suspect that everyone living in Tulsa would as well!

If white flight is defined by blacks displacing whites, can anyone cite an example in OKC?

Inner south side. Doesn't have to be "blacks."

I have to say EBAH your response it well thought out and factual. Hats off to a great job describing the OKC time line. Having gone through busing in the 70's, attended and graduated from Star Spencer I saw a lot of issues busing brought on. Not gonna discuss the details here, no point really. What I want to say is that white flight or at least in OKC seems to be a thing of the past. I now live in NW OKC the Putman City area to be exact. There are now numerous Black and Hispanic businesses and churches in the area. There are many home owners of all races in most of the neighborhoods. I have not heard one of my neighborhoods make any comments or contemplating moving due to the increasing diversity of the area. On the flip side there are now many White families moving to the NE section of town. Just look around the State Capital complex.The apartments as well as Lincoln Terrace has a mix of everyone. The racial line in the sand has seemed to have eroded over time.

Oh absolutely! I'm very happy to say I think it is a thing of the past too. Especially here in our fair city. I think we have a uniquely diverse city. Maybe because our housing values never fluctuated with the kind of extremes seen in other cities. Many of our nicest neighborhoods have a surprising level of ethnic diversity. I live over in Crestwood (16th&May) and our neighborhood sounds a lot like your description of yours. Ours has a large central american population (mainly Guatemalan) with considerable numbers of miscellaneous hispanic ethnicities, african americans, and whites. Many of the white households are reverse white flight folks (so called urban pioneers, admittedly, like myself) and many are families that never left the inner city. My hope is that our city will grow more diverse with each passing year.

The whole ethnic diversity stuff is way off topic...but..."I think we have a uniquely diverse city." HUH??? An almost one-of-a-kind level of diversity? In Oklahoma City?!?! No way. A few minorities living in certain predominantly white parts of town do not a diverse city make. Even in these cases, they usually form their own pockets. Yet, the vast part of NE Oklahoma City is black and hardly diverse. And to me, there's not a thing wrong with that. Generally speaking, people like to be with their own kind. All races. As for ethnic diversity and so-called "multiculturalism" - talk to German Chancellor Angela Merkel,who finally said what needed to be said:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/1017/Germany-s-Angela-Merkel-Multiculturalism-has-utterly-failed

Saying we hope our city becomes "more diverse" is wishing the hell of our mega cities on us. Racist? Absolutely not. Truth has a certain way of not being boxed in by such terms.

^ "with their own kind"?

And there are success stories on Multicultural big cities. Check out Vancouver, Toronto, and Seattle. Houston is also quite multicultural and OKC is more multicultural than you want to admit, Mike. Even the Eastside, it is not JUST a huge black ghetto. It arguably is the most diverse section of OKC in fact, predominantly black - yes, but there is a lot more too it than just one race just like it is in MOST of OKC where other ethnicities predominate.

It has nothing to do with people wanting to 'be with their own kind', unless you're talking about everyone being human beings - then with that point, I agree.

The whole ethnic diversity stuff is way off topic...but..."I think we have a uniquely diverse city." HUH??? An almost one-of-a-kind level of diversity? In Oklahoma City?!?! No way. A few minorities living in certain predominantly white parts of town do not a diverse city make. Even in these cases, they usually form their own pockets. Yet, the vast part of NE Oklahoma City is black and hardly diverse. And to me, there's not a thing wrong with that. Generally speaking, people like to be with their own kind. All races. As for ethnic diversity and so-called "multiculturalism" - talk to German Chancellor Angela Merkel,who finally said what needed to be said:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/1017/Germany-s-Angela-Merkel-Multiculturalism-has-utterly-failed

Saying we hope our city becomes "more diverse" is wishing the hell of our mega cities on us. Racist? Absolutely not. Truth has a certain way of not being boxed in by such terms.

I really do think our special blend of hodge-podge is quite unique, at least in terms of how it is experienced by it's citizens. It's cool if you don't agree, our experiences are our own. But I've been many places, and our city, to me, seems uniquely mixed up both for better and for worse. Just on the drive from my house to downtown, a distance of around 4 miles, I pass through neighborhoods that are mainly poor, mainly middle class, mainly wealthy, majority hispanic, majority african american, majority white, majority east asian, etc. Nearly all of them are nowhere near homogeneous, they have a slight edge in one direction or another. I think one of our strong suits as a city, is that no matter who you are, if you are in okc proper, you probably live at least within a few hundred yards from someone living an enormously different existence than yourself. It's always seemed to me that we really just dont have the kind of ethnic and class division that even a city like Tulsa has. I wouldn't say one of a kind level diversity, but for where we are, and our size, yeah, I think our composition is pretty unique. Just one guys opinion...

Also, I think it's interesting that you bring up Angela Merkel's comments this week. The death of Multikulti, as she is referring to it, is the death of what we in this country woud refer to as "separate but equal". She is not saying, as you suggest, that trying to get along with immigrants is a failure. She's just trying to get people in Germany to accept the fact that a man born to immigrant parents in Germany, is actually a German, and should be treated like any other German. While our race/class struggles are far from fixed, America (and by default Oklahoma) has been very familiar with that way of life for a long time now.

I agree with EBAH - good post.

Well, when I moved my family from NE 44 near Prospect in the late 60s, it was the last white family with children in our neighborhood, and one of only two white families there (the other was a retired couple who lived next door to us). When my middle son attempted to enroll at Cleveland, school officials could find no record that he had attended Longfellow the previous year, so he had to repeat third grade. When my mailbox was rifled by a youth from across the street not long before our exodus, the OCPD officers who first investigated it advised us to move out of the area if we didn't want more of the same.

One of the major reasons we stayed so long was that I had learned in Korea, back in 1953, that skin color made no difference and that what counted was what was inside each individual. I wanted my boys to grow up in a fully integrated community. I didn't get that wish.

A few days ago I drove through the northeast area where we had lived more than 40 years ago. I didn't see any light skin. I think the displacement is complete.

Today at least two of the three boys are more racist in their views than my parents were; the third is a minister and doesn't speak out so strongly but I suspect he feels about the same as his brothers. They're not as violent about it as the KKK but their views, shaped by their experiences during that last year before we fled, are almost as extreme.

My estimate is that it will take at least 4 or 5 more generations before our culture achieves true integration -- if it ever does. It's a sad thought. However, we ARE making progress a little at a time...

These buildings had NOTHING to do with white flight. White flight was because of school de-segregation issues. If it did, Edmond would be full of high rise buildings. This thread takes 1+1 and tries to convince us it is 3. Everything isn't a racial or conspiracy, or corruption issue.

These buildings had NOTHING to do with white flight. White flight was because of school de-segregation issues. If it did, Edmond would be full of high rise buildings. This thread takes 1+1 and tries to convince us it is 3. Everything isn't a racial or conspiracy, or corruption issue.

Wow, I dont think anyone here ever tried to chock it up to a conspiracy. I believe you are kind of missing the point. The point being, that due to white flight, and a large building boom, the economic center of the city shifted to the suburbs. It's not like corporate heads of the era got together and said, "no more building in downtown, there are too may undesirables there." It wasn't a conspiracy. It's just that businesses and investors build where the growth, or speculated future growth, is. Or more simply, they build offices where they can most easily be accessed by the potential workers in those buildings. In the 50's, 60's, 70's it was clearly the NW expressway strip (and a few other areas of suburban OKC) that would be most likely to be surrounded by housing for white collar office workers. I really think you need to learn the difference between a corollary and a cause. No one is saying that the ONLY reason they exist is because of white flight. But it can be said that if the mass migration of white collar middle class workers to the suburbs had not happened, it would be very likely that a few of those buildings would have been built downtown.

I was pretty young in the late 1950's and mid 1960's and that of course influences my recollections.

It was a rather optimistic and exciting time of many development projects both nationally and locally. The Interstate System was well underway as was the Post World War II residential subdivision building boom. Lake Eufaula was being built with two remarkable lodges. Citizens Bank, The Church of Tomorrow, National Cowboy Hall of Fame and many other projects were under way. Oklahoma companies were even working on projects in Washington D.C. which was undergoing its own major expansion at the time.

I clearly remember people talking about wanting to live in the northeast part of Oklahoma City because of the natural beauty of the trees and rolling hills and so on.

At some point that seemed very sudden to me this all changed. Putnam City was "the" school district to be in and that northwest area of Oklahoma City just exploded in all types of development.

It was probably more complicated than just "white flight" but that's how I remember it happening.

Added: And I should add that Oklahoma City was selected for the huge Western Electric plant which was a very big deal at the time and not long afterward the Firestone Tire Plant and about the same time a major expansion at Tinker AFB. There were other expansions in several truck companies and a big influx of people for other new businesses. It was a very exciting time for Oklahoma City as I recall it.

Today at least two of the three boys are more racist in their views than my parents were; the third is a minister and doesn't speak out so strongly but I suspect he feels about the same as his brothers. They're not as violent about it as the KKK but their views, shaped by their experiences during that last year before we fled, are almost as extreme.

That's so sad, especially if one of the brothers is a minister. If he can find it within himself to analyze and reassess his views, perhaps he can reach out to the rest of your sons?