The Great Oklahoma Swindle: Race, Religion, and Lies in America's Weirdest State by Russell Cobb

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Great Oklahoma Swindle: Race, Religion, and Lies in America's Weirdest State by Russell Cobb Matthew G. McCoy The Great Oklahoma Swindle: Race, Religion, and Lies in America's Weirdest State. By Russell Cobb. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2020. Pp. xviii, 249. $29.95, ISBN 978-1-4962-0998-6.) In this book, Russell Cobb examines the social, political, and cultural underpinnings of what it means to be an Oklahoman in the early twenty-first century. Born and raised in the state, Cobb is now a professor at the University of Alberta. He has also worked as a journalist, with his work appearing in various outlets including the New York Times and NPR. Cobb, a self-described liberal, sees Oklahoma as a state cursed with poor political leadership and a legacy of racism but home to a population that might be more progressive than elections would suggest. In the title, Cobb lays out what he sees as the original sin of Oklahoma's birth. The state was created from lands supposed to be granted in perpetuity to Indians. White land speculators connived to steal desirable land well into the twentieth century, leading to many notorious incidents, some of which Cobb discusses. From that tradition, Cobb argues, the modus operandi of Oklahoma's political and social leadership developed. "We do not like to talk about anything unpleasant," Cobb says of white Oklahomans (p. 102). Cobb writes that [End Page 428] growing up he never heard of the land thefts, the Tulsa Race Massacre, or even the origin of the term Sooner in his history classes. And even as these incidents have become more widely known, Cobb says that the tradition remains, with white Oklahomans preferring to fall back on religious platitudes or political posturing rather than confronting the state's problems. This is the ongoing swindle at the heart of his argument. Cobb spends an entire chapter describing Oklahoma as a "failing state" (p. 27). He points to the collapse of a variety of basic government services to support his claim. And yet, Cobb argues, many Oklahomans like to blame the government for their problems instead of tax cuts that reduce revenues. Cobb's mother refused to seek public assistance when he was growing up. He concludes, "Antigovernment ideology is so rooted into the consciousness [in Oklahoma], it does not even register as ideology" (p. 38). But the author sees hope for the future. He mentions widespread support for teachers in the aftermath of their walkout in the spring of 2018, even among Republicans. Passage of a medical marijuana law and some criminal justice reforms indicate that the pendulum may be swinging back toward the center. Cobb naturally approaches the project as a work of cathartic reportage, meaning that historians of Oklahoma, or the South in general, will find little new in the book. He almost exclusively cites recent journalistic sources, which is understandable given his purpose, but more references to key works of Oklahoma historiography would add greater context. Moreover, Cobb spends much of his time discussing Tulsa specifically, with less attention given to other parts of the state. Oklahoma City, for instance, plays little part in his examination. When the author discusses the history of Jewish communities throughout the state or the all-Black towns that once existed, his work is most impactful. His discussion of the mixed-race complexities of Oklahoma, a "mestizo state," as he calls it, is also valuable (p. 125). Breaking away from Tulsa to explain these other areas strengthens his argument. Ultimately, the book is both critical and confessional. Cobb makes clear in his writing that he is searching for reasons to explain Oklahoma's contradictions, in particular to his liberal acquaintances who seem baffled by the state. But he also wants to come to terms with his own upbringing and experiences. "[D]isavowing the Great Oklahoma Swindle can result in a new way forward," he writes, both for himself personally and for the people of his home state (p. 234). Matthew G. McCoy University of Arkansas–Fort Smith Copyright © 2022 The Southern Historical Association