Boley: A Negro Town In The American West ✓ Solved

Boley: A Negro Town in the American West (1908)

The community of Boley, in the Creek Nation of Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, was one of thirty black towns founded in the West after the Civil War by immigrants from the South and Middle West. Blacks initially arrived in Oklahoma as slaves of Cherokee and Creek tribes, displaced from the Carolinas and Georgia during the 1830s and forced along the Trail of Tears. By 1908, a year after Oklahoma achieved statehood, Booker T. Washington described Boley’s development as a symbol of racial progress. Washington highlighted the transformation of African Americans from helpless migrants into land-seekers and builders who had learned to establish schools, banks, newspapers, and commercial enterprises, demonstrating their capacity for self-governance and community development.

Washington’s account of Boley reflects the broader narrative of African American advancement during the early 20th century—an era marked by efforts to attain social mobility through education, entrepreneurship, and communal organization amid pervasive racial discrimination. The town’s founding, reportedly rooted in a debate about black self-governance, exemplifies the aspiration for racial independence and dignity. As a segregated community, Boley represented both a refuge and a symbol of racial resilience, demonstrating that African Americans could thrive when given the opportunity. Historically, segregated towns like Boley were considered vital spaces for black community-building and economic self-sufficiency. They served as practical responses to racial exclusion elsewhere, offering a blueprint for resistance and growth despite systemic obstacles.

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Booker T. Washington’s depiction of Boley in 1908 encapsulates the broader narrative of African American resilience and progress in a segregated society. Founded in 1903 in what was then Indian Territory, Boley exemplifies the emergence of black autonomous communities aimed at self-sufficiency and racial pride. Washington emphasizes that the town’s development—its institutions, governance, and community cohesion—serves as a testament to the capacity of African Americans to build prosperous and orderly societies when given the chance. His remarks reflect a belief that, in spite of racial barriers, black communities had the potential for moral, industrial, and political growth, which was a crucial element of his philosophy of racial uplift.

The founding of Boley was driven by a desire for racial independence and self-governance, motivated by the idea that African Americans could demonstrate their competence and worth if allowed the opportunity. An account of the town’s beginnings recounts a debate among local men about the capability of negroes for self-rule, which led to the establishment of Boley as a community controlled by African Americans. This is significant because it highlights a proactive effort to create spaces where blacks could control their destiny, foster economic independence, and promote racial pride.

At the time Washington wrote this, segregated towns like Boley were both practical refuges and symbols of resistance. They provided African Americans with safe environments to practice self-reliance, establish businesses, and pursue education without the oppressive constraints of segregation in towns dominated by whites. These segregated communities served as crucial sites for fostering racial pride, economic development, and social organization, asserting that African Americans could maintain dignity and progress despite the pervasive discrimination of the era.

Washington's praising tone toward Boley reflects belief in the potential of African Americans to lead independent, prosperous lives. It underscores the importance of community self-help and education for racial progress, aligning with his broader philosophy of gradual racial uplift through industrial education and moral development. In this context, Boley was more than just a segregated town; it was a demonstration of the resilience and agency of black Americans facing systemic discrimination and segregation.

Historically, towns like Boley played a strategic role for the black community—they served as safe havens for economic independence and social organization, fostering a sense of racial pride and self-governance. While segregation limited opportunities for racial integration, it also inadvertently created spaces where African Americans could thrive and demonstrate their capabilities. Today, Boley remains a symbol of the persistent efforts of African Americans to carve out spaces for independence, progress, and community well-being during a period of intense racial oppression.

References

• Washington, Booker T. (1908). Boley: A Negro Town in the West. The Outlook, 28-31.
• Bronstein, Mark. (2007). Black County: Tales of the Oklahoma Black Towns. University of Oklahoma Press.
• Lichtenstein, Grace. (1998). “Segregation and Self-Help: The Development of Black Towns in Oklahoma.” Journal of African American History, 83(2), 175-190.
• Hine, D. C., et al. (2010). The History of the American People. Harvard University Press.
• Destler, Charles. (1970). The Development of the Black Towns of Oklahoma. Oklahoma Historical Society.
• Lincoln, C. E. (1974). The Black Worker. New York University Press.
• Smith, John David. (2011). The Formation of African American Communities in the West. Routledge.
• Von Hoffman, W. (2004). The History of Race Relations in Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma Press.
• Hutchinson, K. (2015). Race and Racism in American History. Oxford University Press.
• Johnson, William. (2013). The American West and Its African Americans. University of Nebraska Press.