During his time working for the City of Tulsa, Dwain “Flip” Midget was “the loudest, most relentless and most consistent voice to ensure adequate funding for the North Peoria corridor.” At least that’s how former Tulsa Mayor Susan Savage remembers him.
Now the part of town for which he was a constant advocate bears his name.
City officials unveiled a “Dwain ‘Flip’ Midget Ave” sign Friday at the intersection of Pine and Peoria in honor of the man who served for over 30 years. It hangs above the “Black Lives Matter Street” signage unveiled in 2021.
Savage was one of several former and current elected officials to attend the ceremony, which also brought together Midget’s friends, family members and former colleagues.
He began his career with the city on a part-time basis in the 1970s before becoming a full-time employee in 1984. He went on to become director of Tulsa’s Working In Neighborhoods Department in 2008, a position he served in until he died in 2022.
He was an instrumental voice for several projects across the city, but particularly for the redevelopment of the North Peoria corridor, Mayor Monroe Nichols said at the ceremony.
Nichols remembered Midget as a mentor and guide who was “very sure of who he was and how important he was” to the community.
“I don’t think there’s a place that’s more appropriate for Dwain’s name to hang in north Tulsa — although it could be at any part of this community — but it’s very appropriate that it’s at this intersection,” the mayor said.
Over the years, Midget’s eldest daughter, Jemia, said she was overwhelmed with stories about the impact her father made on people’s lives.
“He was Dwain Midget and ‘Flip’ Midget,” she said. “And isn’t it magical how he was able to integrate the two and build a bridge between the administration and community?”
She told The Eagle that growing up with a father as active in the community as hers meant “his family definitely shared him with the city” but it was well worth it.
“His legacy is going to continue on with his family and the people he inspired in the community,” she continued. “We just hope that whenever someone passes this street and sees his sign that they get inspired, they remember that they’re part of this community and they have things to contribute and to do that.”
