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I actually ran into someone from Raleigh the other day who told me, "Yeah, Oklahoma is more Midwestern, I can't see how it'd be a part of the South." I'll admit that it's a little southern, though.
Actually, from what I've heard, Oklahoma was mainly settled by people from the Deep South. Tulsa has a history that isn't too dissimilar from southern cities, just look at the 1921 race riot and the presence of Oral Roberts (making the city a Bible Belt buckle). Also, it's kind of Ozark-ish or at least getting there. Oklahoma City, not so much IMO. Tulsa strikes me as much more southern, while OKC is a little more of a cowboy town with western influences.
My spouse from Nebraska says Oklahoma thinks of itself as "western", not midwestern or southern.
My spouse from Nebraska says Oklahoma thinks of itself as "western", not midwestern or southern.
That's a better way of putting it. It's certainly nothing like Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, etc. It's a very hard state to pin down, but I've noticed tons of people on CD like to include Oklahoma in the South. Tulsa and areas closer to Arkansas, I can see that a little. Oklahoma City and areas further west, not at all. I felt like I was in the middle of Iowa when I visited Oklahoma City, with a cowboy/western flavor thrown in.
I tend to go by how Southern Baptist a place is as to how southern it is. On this metric, OK is only behind Mississippi and Alabama by percent of its population that is Southern Baptist.
I tend to go by how Southern Baptist a place is as to how southern it is. On this metric, OK is only behind Mississippi and Alabama by percent of its population that is Southern Baptist.
No, because the Appalachian tradition is independent churches not tied to a national church, so evangelicals in West Virginia do not get counted by this method. A survey of Wayne County, WV, showed twice as many churches as counted by the ARIS survey, and the 2nd largest category they found was "unaffiliated" churches. The Pew survey from 2014 does not go by official church reports. There are independent churches in West Virginia that make Southern Baptists look like Unitarians.
Even the American Baptist churches in WV refused to reaffirm their ties to the national church in 2005. A survey by the American Bible Society that ran from 2005-2012 found Charleston, WV, to be the 10th most Bible oriented city in the US. No city in KY or OK made the top 10.
That's a better way of putting it. It's certainly nothing like Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, etc. It's a very hard state to pin down, but I've noticed tons of people on CD like to include Oklahoma in the South. Tulsa and areas closer to Arkansas, I can see that a little. Oklahoma City and areas further west, not at all. I felt like I was in the middle of Iowa when I visited Oklahoma City, with a cowboy/western flavor thrown in.
Sorry, North Carolina's Southern legitimacy is severely impugned by being a "basketball state." Bunch of Yankees!
All truly Southern states I know of have crazed college football culture. Oklahoma has it. Texas has it. Arkansas has it. North Carolina?......do they even play college football there?
I tend to go by how Southern Baptist a place is as to how southern it is. On this metric, OK is only behind Mississippi and Alabama by percent of its population that is Southern Baptist.
Whatever it is they used to be they ain't anymore.
Good article. I had already read it. I see the writer's point for sure.
And I am, like most Evangelicals in Oklahoma, a Southern Baptist. I applaud the SBC's leadership in this area. The Battle Flag is very offensive to African Americans. It is not offensive to me as a Native/Anglo. But I totally see why it would be offensive to African Americans. As much as I love being an Oklahoman and then a Southerner (with former kin who fought for the South), I'm a follower of Christ first. That trumps all other distinctions which is essentially the writer's main point.
Also on the name change from Southern Baptists to Great Commission Baptists....I don't know of one Okie Baptist who calls himself "a Great Commission Baptist." Theologically/doctrinally that is certainly what we are supposed to be---Great Commission Christians---but us ol' timers still just call each other good ol' Southern Baptists. I'm guessing that it's that way in the majority of the old line/influential Southern Baptist states such as OK/TX/AR/LA/TN/MS/AL/GA etc.
Sorry, North Carolina's Southern legitimacy is severely impugned by being a "basketball state." Bunch of Yankees!
All truly Southern states I know of have crazed college football culture. Oklahoma has it. Texas has it. Arkansas has it. North Carolina?......do they even play college football there?
Haha, we do but our teams can't do anything! But to be fair, we do have NASCAR. Tons of people call NC, "The birthplace of NASCAR." Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson, etc. All from North Carolina. Most drivers live around Charlotte, too. If NASCAR ain't southern.....
We played basketball long before 'em Yankees came in
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Bunch of Yankees!
