As we continue to celebrate African-American Heritage month, the Friends of the Ferguson Home invite you to an evening with Professor Roger Hardaway of Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alava.  He will present “Buffalo Soldiers”, the IX and X Cavalry made up of African Americans after the Civil War.  Join us at 5:30 PM on Thursday, February 19 at the Watonga Public Library.   Light refreshments will be served.

Edna Ferber writes “Cimarron”

Continuing African-American Heritage month, we consider the attitudes toward African-Americans in Edna Ferber’s 1930 book “Cimarron”.  RKO Studios purchased the rights for an astounding $125,000 and produced the Academy Award winning 1931 movie.  In 1960, MGM produced a second version Wikipedia Edna Ferber.  Edna Ferber, the daughter of Jewish immigrants, researched her book while staying with Mrs. Ferguson in the late 1920s in Watonga.  Sabra, the heroine, is loosely modeled after Mrs. Ferguson. T.B. Ferguson serves as a model for Yancey even though he had passed in 1921. However, some say the flamboyant lawyer and son of Sam Houston, Temple Houston, served as a model for other aspects of Yancey. He moved to Woodward, OK in 1893 when the Cherokee outlet opened.

Racial attitudes in 1889

Attitudes toward African Americans in Oklahoma have changed dramatically since the book and first movie.   The book reflects attitudes in place at the 1889 land run in the Unassigned lands area and later.  For many, the most racist character in the 1931 movie is Isaiah, a young black boy.  His job is to swing a fan over the dinner table in the home of Sabra’s parents in Kansas.  He hides in the wagon during the 1889 land run.  While not much is written of this character at the time, today his characterization is painful to watch Cimarron movie 1931.

Isaiah character is removed in 1960 movie

In the epic 1960 version of the movie the Isaiah character is removed Wikipedia Cimarron 1960. The focus is on Glenn Ford as Yancey Cravat, Maria Schell as Sabra Cravat and Anne Baxter as the “soiled dove” Dixie Lee. This reflects changing attitudes toward civil rights.  I recommend the review of the films Review of Forgotten Movies.

Progress in attitudes

There is still plenty of racism toward native Americans in both movie versions.  After Cheyenne-Arapaho adults each received an allotment of 160 acres, hunger for unclaimed land in western Oklahoma fueled the 1892 run.  In the films, ruffians mistreat native Americans, and Yancey stands up for them.  In the 1960 movie, never-do-wells attack a native American family. Yancey brings the widow and her baby into their home.  When Yancey tries to enroll the child in public school, this is not allowed.  Native Americans and African Americans attended different schools such as Dunbar in Watonga and the school at Cantonment.  Today, we can be thankful for the integration and more equal treatment and attitudes that have progressed over the past 130+ years