Deep Deuce                                                                                                 2003

East of the gleaming façades and upscale apartments along West 2nd Street in Oklahoma City lay abandoned homes and weed infested lots. Little remains of what was one of the most successful Black business districts in the nation.

 

Known as the "2“, "The Deuce”, and "Deep Deuce“, the area was akin to Harlem of the 1930’s in spirit, if not in scope. It spawned legendary figures such as jazz guitarist Charlie Christian, Blues shouter Jimmy Rushing, and internationally acclaimed writer Ralph Ellison. These historic structures are silent testimony to those vibrant, forgotten legacies.