Buck C. Franklin was a prominent attorney in Tulsa, Oklahoma through the 1920s. He played a significant role in advocating for the rights of Black Americans during a time of deep segregation and racial tension. Born in Homer Oklahoma in 1879, Franklin moved to Tulsa in 1921, just before the infamous Tulsa Race Massacre. Beginning on May 29th of that year, more than 300 people were murdered in a wave of racial violence that lasted two days. Franklin and his family had managed to survive the horrific events in the prosperous Greenwood district known as Black Wall Street. But they were among the thousands of people whose homes were destroyed by a white mob. In the aftermath of the carnage, the Tulsa City Council passed an ordinance that restricted the Black people of Tulsa from rebuilding their community. Instead, the city planned to rezone the area from a residential to a commercial district. Franklin led the legal battle against this ordinance and sued the city of Tulsa before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, where he was successful. Thanks to his efforts, the Black residents of Tulsa were able to rebuild, but without the benefit of insurance or reparations.
The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.
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Buck C. Franklin