Doris Youngblood remembers the excitement and sense of affirmation she felt as a young Black girl learning about Black Oklahomans who overcame the trials of racism and segregation to triumph as successful leaders in their communities.

As founder of Oklahoma Black Living Legacy, Youngblood and other members of the nonprofit hope to share that same excitement and pride with other Oklahomans through a new mobile app designed to educate users about the state’s rich Black history.

“This type of access to our history is important because it makes it readily available to people,” Youngblood said. “This is what Oklahoma Black Legacy is all about.”

The app will be officially introduced at a gathering set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 15 at the Oklahoma History Center, with live jazz music to be featured. Broadcast journalist Bob Dotson, the event’s keynote speaker, holds a special place in Youngblood’s heart because of all the Black history she learned watching “Through the Looking Glass Darkly,” his Emmy Award-winning documentary that aired in the 1970’s which focused on the history of Blacks in Oklahoma.

The app is designed for walking and driving tours of 31 sites in Oklahoma City, with some sites shining a spotlight on more than one person. All in all, the app tells 50 stories of historic people and places, like the mansion built by Dr. W.H. Slaughter, Oklahoma City’s first Black physician and property owner known for his generosity and love for his community. Youngblood and her husband Marq have owned the Slaughter Mansion since 2013 and they have restored the three-story structure not far from the intersection of Interstate 35 and NE 63.

Another house on the tour is that of Walter and Frances Edwards, who developed the Edwards housing addition to provide quality housing for Black families after World War II.

More: Edwards Family Efforts Recognized

“We thought it was important to document these landmarks,” Youngblood said. “As people drive by, the site or significant person will pop up on a map. The map is interactive, and participants can take quizzes.”

Neighborhoods included on the tour include JFK, Deep Deuce and the Edwards Addition. Buildings will also take center stage, including the Jewel Theater, plus churches, schools and the homes and businesses of prominent Black leaders.

The app will highlight the stories of historic figures like author Ralph Ellison, civil rights leader Clara Luper, musician Charlie Christian, Dr. W.L. Haywood, haircare magnates Sidney and Mary Lyons, Dr. Charles Morgan, Dr. Gravelly Finley and musician, educator and theater owner Zelia Breaux.

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Vision to highlight history

Other members of Oklahoma Black Living Legacy include James R. Johnson, Oklahoma Black Living Legacy chairman and grandson of developers Walter and Frances Edwards; Marq Youngblood, Doris Youngblood’s husband; Renita Fish-Wisby, the great-great niece of Dr. Haywood; Christian Jackson, Rozia McKinney-Foster and Marcus Young.

Doris Youngblood said their group has been anticipated sharing the app they created with the community-at-large. She said she has a background in project management and software development so she had an “inkling” of what she wanted to see created. She said an Oklahoma Historical Society Preservation Grant and other sponsors helped fund the project.

Volunteers with Oklahoma Black Living Legacy conducted the research for the app, with help from staff and volunteers at the Oklahoma History Center. The group said more information will be added to the app eventually.

Youngblood said she hopes people who engage with the app glean valuable insight into the lives of Black Oklahomans who lived, worked and raised their families with dreams of creating brighter futures.

“What I think about is how determined these folks must have been,” Youngblood said. “I mean, look at all they created.”

More: St. Anthony Hospital’s first Black doctor was generous from Oklahoma to Africa

Much of what these pioneers created still stands. The Slaughter Mansion, Calvary Baptist Church, the Edwards Addition and the home of Walter and Frances Edwards are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

But the tour also highlights some historic sites that are gone. During visits to sites where the original buildings no longer stand, vintage photos will appear on the app, Youngblood said.

Johnson said the app is a way to help people look back at the past to gain a better understanding of their history.

More: OKC’s first Black doctor built a mansion in 1921. Today, it is helping keep his story alive.

“Hopefully, the children and youth that see this, they will have an image of what they can become,” he said.

“They can be anything they want to be.”

Oklahoma Black History app launch

• When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 15.
• Where: Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive.