Black history at center of cycle tour
Sep. 2—A chance meeting at a travel center started motorcycle enthusiast Eric Miksch down a path toward new adventure, new friends and a changed heart.
Miksch, a Nebraska Air National Guard member who lives in Lincoln, plans to return to Oklahoma on Labor Day weekend for his third Black Towns Motorcycle Tour.
"I think each year is going to be a chance to refresh myself on the history, as well as to meet with friends and make new friends," Miksch said.
"I am privileged to be a part of this. While it's not my ancestors' history, it's a part of American history that's been in the dark too long."
The tour of the 13 remaining historically Black towns in Oklahoma is set for Sept. 3-5, with launching points in Muskogee or Langston depending on the route taken, according to tour organizer Derrick Smith Jr. of Tatums, in northern Carter County.
Riders can visit all 13 towns in one day or spread the ride over two days.
Meet-and-greets are scheduled for the evenings of Sept. 3 in Langston and Muskogee. Musical celebrations are planned for the evenings of Sept. 4 in Muskogee and Sept. 5 in Tatums.
Miksch said he was cruising down to Texas in the summer of 2018 when he stopped for gas in Newcastle and was approached by Smith, who had noticed the Nebraska license plate on his motorcycle.
"He asked me if I had heard about the Black towns. He said he was putting together a motorcycle tour to visit all 13 remaining towns and asked if I thought other bikers might be interested. I said absolutely."
On the first tour, in 2019, Miksch ended up riding with members of the RPM Motorcycle Club from Oklahoma City, who invited him to stay with them when they learned he didn't have a hotel reservation.
"Stopping at each town and reading the markers allowed me to pause and reflect and really take a moment and think about the origins and history of these towns. Derrick has a very strong vision for these towns that I really admire. I would love to see them grow and develop and get the resources they need to carry on."
Miksch said he's since started learning about historical Black towns in other states, including Nebraska. He visited a Black history museum in Omaha.
"There are things that happened in Nebraska that I had no clue about," he said.
The registration fee for motorcycle riders will cover a spot on the tour, tour patches and entry to all tour concerts and events.
Towns on the tour include Redbird, Tullahassee, Taft, Summit, Rentiesville, Langston, Boley, Clearview, Grayson, Vernon, Lima, Brooksville and Tatums.
Non-riders can participate in the 13 Black Towns Tour in their vehicles and can purchase passes online. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 833-344-TOUR or go to 13blacktownstour.com online.
