Greenwood in Tulsa in Tulsa County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
A Bench by the Road
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 9, 2025
1. A Bench by the Road Marker
There is no place you or I can go, to think about or not think about, to summon the presences of, or recollect the absences of slaves; nothing that reminds us of the ones who made the journey and of those who did not make it. There is no suitable memorial or plaque or wreath or wall or park or skyscraper lobby. There's no three-hundred-foot tower. There's no small bench by the road. - Toni Morrison 1989The Bench by the Road Project was launched by the Toni Morrison Society in honor of Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison. This Bench is placed to commemorate the history of the Mabel Little Heritage House, which is the only home built in the Greenwood District in the early 1920s that is still standing. The House is located on the site of the original home built by Sam and Lucy Mackey in the Greenwood District. The original home was destroyed in 1921 during the Tulsa Race Massacre. The Mackeys rebuilt the house in 1926 on the same site. In 1986, the Mackey House was relocated and renamed in honor of Mabel Little, a Tulsa icon and community advocate who praised the resiliency of those who lost their homes during the Massacre and who was the oldest living survivor. The Mabel Little Heritage House now serves as a museum dedicated to the history and resilience of Tulsa's Black community.
this page online
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Erected 2021 by The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission The Rotary Club of Tulsa.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Rotary International series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.
Location. 36° 9.705′ N, 95° 59.206′ W. Marker is in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in Tulsa County. It is in Greenwood. It can be reached from North Greenwood Avenue north of Crosstown Expressway (Interstate 244), on the left when traveling north. Marker is in front of the Greenwood Cultural Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 322 N Greenwood Ave, Tulsa OK 74120, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Oklahoma’s Muscogee Nation and specifically in the Cherokee Nation. It is also in the American South, specifically on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 1921 Black Wall Street Memorial / O Greenwood!/Commercial Destruction During 1921 Race War (a few steps from this marker); Black Wall Street - 1921 (within shouting distance of this marker); Mabel B. Little Heritage House (within shouting distance of this marker); Vernon A.M.E. Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Lynching in America / The 1921 Tulsa Massacre (within shouting distance of this marker); Historic Vernon AME Church Prayer Wall for Racial Healing
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 9, 2025
2. A Bench by the Road Marker
Photographed by Jason Voigt, April 7, 2021
3. The Mabel B. Little Heritage House
Credits. This page was last revised on May 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 15, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 152 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 15, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on April 20, 2021, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.
