More than 100 Years of Truth, Justice & Community

The Oklahoma Eagle has been a trusted voice for Tulsa’s Black and underserved communities — reporting truth, championing justice and standing up for equity for more than a century.

Founded in 1922 in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District, The Eagle rose from the ashes of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. When much of Greenwood was destroyed, The Eagle became a symbol of survival and defiance — proof that truth-telling could not be silenced.

Through segregation, urban renewal and the digital age, The Eagle has endured — continuing to tell the stories that matter most and to stand as a voice for those too often left unheard.

Over the years, The Eagle has provided news, information and narratives about Tulsa’s Black and underserved communities that do not appear in other publications. 

Now, The Eagle is proud to join operations with the Tulsa Flyer, a new independent newsroom covering Tulsa’s neighborhoods, government and community life with depth and care.

This collaboration builds on the paper’s legacy and strengthens local journalism across Tulsa. The Eagle maintains its status as a print and digital publication separate from the Flyer. Although it is now published by the Tulsa Flyer, it remains independently owned by the Goodwin family. James and David Goodwin both serve on the Tulsa Flyer board of directors, which oversees both organizations.

You’ll continue to get the same trusted Eagle reporting — now with even more depth and reach. You’ll also hear from new voices covering City Hall, local businesses, neighborhood life and community celebrations, all as part of a growing network of readers supporting local journalism that matters. In addition to the digital version, The Eagle will appear weekly in print and will be distributed at approximately 70 locations throughout Tulsa.

Together, The Eagle and the Flyer are building the future of local news in Tulsa.

Rooted in Greenwood

Our story begins long before 1922, when Tulsa’s Greenwood District — once known as Black Wall Street — was home to thriving Black-owned businesses and two pioneering newspapers: the Tulsa Star and the Oklahoma Sun. After the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre destroyed their presses and much of Greenwood, journalist Theodore Baughman founded The Oklahoma Eagle to ensure the truth would survive. With borrowed printing equipment and determination, he began publishing from the neighborhood later that same year. 

In 1937, Edward L. Goodwin Sr. purchased the paper, starting more than 85 years of Goodwin-family leadership. Under four generations, The Eagle became both a newsroom and a movement, chronicling the civil rights era, demanding accountability from power  and celebrating the everyday triumphs of Black Tulsans.

In the 1960s, when urban renewal projects threatened to erase what remained of Greenwood, The Eagle refused to be displaced. It was rebuilt across the street — proof that Black enterprise and truth-telling would continue, no matter the odds.

Over the decades, The Eagle has trained and inspired countless journalists, advocates and community leaders. It has been recognized nationally for its journalism and its advocacy. In 2024, the Oklahoma Press Association honored the Eagle with 20 awards, including nine first-place wins. Publisher James O. Goodwin became the first Black recipient of OPA’s highest individual honor — a milestone in state journalism.  

Our Commitment

Through more than a century of change, our mission remains the same: We make America better when we aid our people. We remain dedicated to telling stories with courage, integrity and care.Our belief hasn’t changed: A strong, free press builds a strong, free community.

That’s the heart of our work — yesterday, today and tomorrow.