Benefits of Homesteading

In some states, homesteaders can claim something called forced sale immunity to protect their primary residence from creditors. This means they can avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy.

Homesteading also involves learning many new skills, such as growing your own food and preserving it for winter. It also includes sewing, bartering and a host of other things that can make your life easier.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will host Dr. Kalenda Eaton for a free webinar on Thursday to discuss the Oklahoma Black Homesteader Project.

The presentation, titled “Turning Records into an Archive: A Reflection on the Oklahoma Black Homesteader Project,” starts at 12 p.m. Registration is required.

Over the past year, a small team of scholars worked to piece together an intriguing history of hope, migration, settlement, perseverance and politics on the Plains. The Oklahoma Black Homesteader Project, led by Dr. Eaton, was created to research and organize the experiences of African Americans who entered Oklahoma Territory from 1889-1920 and directly benefited from the Federal Homestead Act of 1862. The presentation will include a brief description of the project, a discussion of the process and methodology, a few surprise findings and a reflection on the digital archives’ role in making rural western Black history visible.

Dr. Eaton is the director of Oklahoma research for the Black Homesteaders Project and an associate professor of African and African American studies at the University of Oklahoma. She is known for her teaching and public scholarship on what the experiences of African Americans living on the Great Plains can tell us about American cultural and national politics.

Information: Kristina Wyckoff, historical archaeologist and Section 106 coordinator, (405) 521-6381 or kristina.wyckoff@history.ok.gov.

Source: muskogeephoenix.com