TULSA, Okla. — A historic Green Country staple is now back open in north Tulsa. The Big 10 Ballroom has hosted countless black musicians, like Tina Turner, Ella Fitzgerald and The Temptations. But now, the Big 10 Ballroom will be home to something new.
The ceremonial ribbon was cut Saturday, marking the completion of a 15 yearlong dream.
Back in the day, the Big 10 Ballroom was the place to see black musicians in Tulsa. But after years of disrepair, the once starlit ballroom was in bad shape. That is until Dr. Lester Shaw bought the building for a new venture.
“The legacy will continue. This is the soul of music culture. You know, so the legacy of the historic Big 10 Ballroom will continue. And we’re gonna add our history as well to the history that was here,” said Dr. Shaw.
And that new history includes Dr. Shaw’s non-profit, A Pocket Full of Hope.
“We needed a space to perform, we needed a space to rehearse, we needed a space to show kids how to be self-directed, how to be self-sufficient, how to be inspired,” said Dr. Shaw.
Dozens came out Saturday to celebrate the grand reopening including State Senator James Lankford, who said reopening the ballroom acts as a welcome sign to the community.
“For a long time on this particular street, everybody’s been fleeing from this street. This is the reopening of something beautiful here to say we’re starting again so we’re inviting the rest of the community to be able to come in. So that kind of engagement and that kind of activity really makes a big difference for people,” said Lankford.
Dr. Shaw said this has been a labor of love and he couldn’t have done it without the countless people that helped through funding, design, and bringing this dream to life.
The Big 10 Ballroom is nearly complete. Just one stage left which is being done by HGTV. And Dr. Shaw said seeing his dream become a reality is something he will be forever grateful for.
He said putting the Big 10 Ballroom back together is a testament to the resiliency of north Tulsa. And shows regardless of what’s happened in the past, the community will continue to stand up and fight.
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