Tulsa, Oklahoma
Race and Reconciliation

Ages

High School Students, College Students, Adults​

 

Maximum Group Size

25 people, including adults

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Available Dates​

• ​June 6 to 11, 2027

• June 13 to 18, 2027

 

Tulsa holds deep significance for Be The Neighbor's Race and Reconciliation trips because it sits at the crossroads of America's ongoing reckoning with racial injustice. From the forced relocation of Indigenous peoples along the Trail of Tears, where 60,000 Indigenous people were forced from their lands, to the devastating Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, in which over 1,400 Black businesses and homes were burned to the ground and an estimated 300 people died, the city has witnessed the consequences of systemic racism firsthand.

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During your trip, your group will walk the grounds of Greenwood, once home to the thriving Black Wall Street district before it was destroyed in the massacre, and engage directly with local historians, community leaders, and descendants who carry that history forward today. The experience extends beyond this singular event to explore the broader arc of the Black American experience in Oklahoma, alongside the histories and living realities of the Indigenous nations whose forced removal along the Trail of Tears brought them to this same land, including the complex and often overlooked history of Black Freedmen within tribal communities. Days will be split between guided learning through museum visits, panel discussions, and site visits with organizations doing racial reconciliation work, and hands-on service alongside local nonprofits addressing needs in Tulsa's underserved communities. Along the way, your group will learn about different types of racism, the distinction between equity and equality, and the realities of the racial wealth gap.

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By grounding the trip in Tulsa, participants leave with a deeper understanding of how historical trauma shapes present-day inequities, along with concrete relationships and tools for continuing anti-racism, reconciliation, and community-building work back home.

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Your group will explore how the topics you're learning about relate to your own community and develop a plan for how you can continue this work when you get home. Be The Neighbor weeks are learning and launching trips, meaning participants will leave the week equipped to live lives of love, service, and justice in ways that are relational, sustainable, and dignity-affirming!

 

Be The Neighbor’s summer programming begins on Sunday evening and concludes on Friday morning. You may stay an additional night to explore see the city in this location for an additional $10 per person. Check out is 10 am Saturday morning.

Trip costs follow our equitable pricing model. You can read more about it here. We want everyone to be able to participate no matter their financial realities. Regardless of which level you select, your trip includes: 

 

• A simple breakfast, lunch and snack Monday morning through Friday morning

• A dedicated Site Director and Intern(s) to facilitate your week

• Fully planned service and educational experiences

• Theological reflections created to engage participants in connecting what they are learning to their faith

• Discussion guides for priviate group reflection

• Group interactive education led by BTN staff 

• Lodging, including showers, dedicated sleeping rooms, gathering rooms, and kitchens use - most sites include air mattresses or cots for all of your participants

• Costs covered for honorariums for speakers, activities, supplies for projects with community partners, and any entrance fees for educational experiences

• Journals for each participant

• Online orientation for your adult leaders 

• A t-shirt for each participant

 

Please note that your group will be responsible for dinners and transportation during the week.