Date Established1927Date Abolished~1981AddressPhoenix,United StatesWebsiteThe Lost Legacy of OkemahDescription
Okemah was a Black community in Phoenix, Arizona, bound to the north by the Salt River, to the south by Broadway Road, the east by 48th Street, and the west by 32nd Street. Today the area is occupied by warehouses, businesses, and Interstate 10, which demolished much of Okemah when it was completed in 1971.
Okemah was named after Chief Okemah of the Kickapoo Tribe. Many of Okemah's citizens were originally from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Citizens began arriving in the area in 1910 to work on the Bartlett Heard Ranch, owned by Adolphus Bartlett and Dwight Heard. In 1927, small portions of the ranch were sold to some Black families and Okemah grew from there.