Oklahoma history is his life
GUTHRIE – Although Bob Blackburn was born Sept. 10, 1951, it seemed as though today, Oklahoma’s 100th birthday, is his birthday.Oklahoma history has been Blackburn’s life for almost 35 years and today the executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society served as narrator of the Statehood Day Inauguration Ceremony at the Carnegie Library here.
Oklahoma history has been his focus during thousands of speeches, 18 books and many television appearances including several on The History Channel.
“That’s when I started dedicating everything to Oklahoma history. my professional life, my reading at home, my books, my weekends, they have all been about Oklahoma history,” he said of that time period of about 35 years. “And so I’ve been putting together the little bits and pieces. It’s like doing a painting. You’re doing all these little brush strokes around the canvas and all of a sudden it starts making sense.
“This situation almost accentuates that understanding. This is kind of like the capstone on my personal career, all my books, working on the History Center, all the thousands of speeches I’ve done it’s all coming together here in this event.”
About 10 a.m. today he took his place, microphone in hand, on the steps of the Carnegie Library.
After a welcome and introductions he stepped into his responsibility as a narrator.
“Now I invite you to travel back in time, 100 years, to Nov. 16, 1907. The day had dawned bright and sunny,” he told the crowd today.
In Oklahoma where weather isn’t predictable from hour to hour, the day again dawned bright and sunny as the focus turned to the steps of the library.
It almost seemed that those steps were a bridge between 1907 and 2007.
To Blackburn’s back was the entrance to the Carnegie Library. In front of him amid the enthusiastic crowd were television cameras, sound systems, digital cameras and cell phones and above a helicopter dotted the blue sky.
“When I give a speech, I’m the center of attention,” he said, “but today I felt like more of an observer, more like I was watching history. It was like I was at a distance, watching this on stage.”
And one thing he noticed was the participation not only of the re-enactors but of those in the crowd.
“The audience was very responsive today,” he said. “I did not have to cue them or lead the applause.
“They understood what we were trying to do with this.”
Blackburn said that Statehood Day in 1907 not only marked change, but began change.
“They celebrated 100 years ago today,” he said. “But they were celebrating the beginning of something; today I think we’re celebrating the fulfillment of that promise.”
- Bryan Painter, Columnist
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