Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1512887
DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 | maconmagazine.com 65 Pleasant Hill]. Here, hundreds of miles apart, the exact same thing has happened. You can't see that as disconnected and not intentional." Coming to grips with our pasts Tulsa and Macon are trying to come to grips with our histories. Racial segregation has left deep marks on white, Black, and Native American people. Shortly after landing in Tulsa, the city's mayor, G.T. Bynum, welcomed the group. Following his presentation, hitting the highlights of what his administration is accomplishing, Vanessa Adams-Harris, the Outreach and Alliances Director of the John Hope Franklin Center, which commemorates the Greenwood District, gave a different impression of what was going on in the city and pulled back the wool to reveal lingering tensions between the African American community and the white power structure. Adams- Harris has a unique perspective of Tulsa. Her lineage is Native American, white, and Black, all the cultures that share such a tumultuous history. She stressed, "Reconciliation is not a destination, but an ongoing process." Jam-packed tour The itinerary for the 2023 Intercity Tour was full. In just two days, the Macon contingent heard presentations by 23 representatives from different organizations, toured the Council Oak Tree, the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation and Greenwood Rising, the Creek Nation Council House, and downtown Okmulgee. They met with the heads of essential services for the Nation, had lunch at the Nation's Looped Square Ranch (a 5,570-acre ranch in Okmulgee County where they raise hundreds of head of cattle and process them in their plant), the Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan centers, downtown Tulsa, and the Bank of Oklahoma Center, an almost 20,000 seat arena in downtown Tulsa. The group stayed at the Nation's 483-room River Spirit Resort, one of 10 casinos the Nation operates that fund most of the Nation's initiatives. Native American nations have exclusive rights to operate the 143 gaming establishments in Oklahoma. Similarities "While some examples in Tulsa were extreme," Rogers said, "I think we are both communities in a transition between grappling with our challenges and seizing opportunities. We should never hesitate to invest in improving the quality of life for our citizens. The better we make it for us to live in Macon, the better Macon is for newcomers as well." Redmond added, "I think there are parallels with any city where we all struggle with some of the same issues… poverty, homelessness, mental health, collaboration, etc. One thing that stands out is that we both had to start somewhere. The only way we can move forward is with education... Education TOP LEFT The Great Temple Mound at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Photo by Larry Najera, Jr. ABOVE The Arkansas River in Tulsa, viewed from from the River Spirit Casino Resort. Photo by an Intercity Tour member. but home is there?" —Joy Harjo, 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate