Urban Life and Culture class explores history, justice and community during Tulsa trip

above: Hesston College students pose in front of the Black Wall Street mural in Tulsa’s Greenwood District during their Urban Life and Culture spring break trip, where they learned about the history, resilience and ongoing legacy of the Greenwood community. Back row: Peter Lehman, Jacob Buller, Jaden Watson, Justin Young. Front row: Lilith Jackson, Margaret Brewer, Priscilla Spiker

During spring break, Hesston College’s Urban Life and Culture class spent nine days in Tulsa, Oklahoma, immersing themselves in the history, culture and community of the city while exploring themes of race, justice and urban life. The course was team-taught by Bible professor Michele Hershberger and history professor Peter Lehman and included five students and one community member.

Throughout the week, the group visited historic sites, museums, churches and community organizations, while also participating in service opportunities and group discussions designed to help students process what they were learning and experiencing.

For several participants, learning about the history of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and the Greenwood District was one of the most impactful parts of the trip.

Justin Young, a sophomore from Richardson, Texas, said the Greenwood walking tour stood out most to him “because it opened my eyes to the actual genocide that happened in Greenwood and how it was covered up for over 100 years.”

The group also visited the Greenwood Rising Museum, which left a strong impression on Lehman.

“There was a section with audio accounts by survivors themselves. The massacre happened when they were kids! It was harrowing and very emotionally impactful, even though I had known the ‘facts’ about the massacre for years,” Lehman said.

Community member Margaret Brewer also pointed to the Greenwood area as a highlight of the trip, saying the Real Black Wall Street walking tour was especially meaningful.

The trip concluded with the group attending worship at Historic Vernon African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, a congregation that survived the destruction of the 1921 massacre. For Hershberger, the experience was a powerful conclusion to the week.

“So many experiences shook me to my core. But my best experience was our final one,” Hershberger said. “We worshipped with the Historic Vernon AME Church on our last day in Tulsa. This church survived the fires of the 1921 massacre, and they have not forgotten their history. Now, over one hundred years later, I heard hope and resiliency. Because of this experience, I am more deeply committed to working for racial and economic justice.”

The Urban Life and Culture course is part of Hesston College’s intercultural experiences program and is designed to help students engage with communities different from their own, learn from lived experiences and better understand issues related to culture, race, poverty and justice.

Through site visits, conversations, service work and shared reflection, the Tulsa trip challenged students to think critically, listen carefully and consider how their faith and education can shape the way they engage with the world.

The group returned from Tulsa on March 22, bringing with them new perspectives, deeper understanding and experiences that will continue to shape their lives beyond the classroom.

photos below: (left) Chief Egunwale Amusan, left, leads Hesston College Urban Life and Culture students on a walking tour of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, sharing the history of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and recounting events at several historic locations during the group’s spring break trip to Tulsa, Okla. Also pictured are Jacob Buller and Justin Young. (right) Students and instructors from Hesston College’s Urban Life and Culture class prepare more than 100 sandwiches for Tulsa Food Not Bombs during their spring break trip to Tulsa, Okla., where they spent nine days learning about urban life, community organizations and issues of justice while participating in service opportunities across the city. Pictured clockwise: Priscilla Spiker, Jacob Buller, Margaret Brewer, Peter Lehman and Michele Hershberger.