Life in Oklahoma City by Ralph Ellison

I. Life in Oklahoma City by Ralph Ellison

The author Ralph Ellison is a renowned writer and scholar with significant nonfiction stories credited to his name. He was born in Oklahoma City about the year 1913. His family had a small business wherein his father worked as a foreman but soon died when he was only three years old. After several years, he later found out that his father wished that he would someday become a poet after the great American essayist popularly known as Ralph Waldo Emerson who became his namesake. His mother was Ida Millsap Ellison who was involved as a political activist campaigning for the Socialist Party. Moreover, she was arrested several times in violation of the segregation orders.

At the time of the birth of Ellison, life in Oklahoma City then was still considered as part of the frontier. His parents were originally Southerners from a lineage of slaves. When his parents got married, they proceeded to the west toward Oklahoma in the hope that the lives of their children would be better in this state. Oklahoma during this time held the distinction and reputation for its freedom. However, it wasn’t long, however, before the prejudices of Texas and Arkansas soon fell upon Oklahoma.

When Ellisons’ father died in the year 1917, Ida had supported Ralph and his younger brother working as a domestic aide at the Avery Chapel Afro-Methodist Episcopal Church. The family moved into the rectory and Ellison was exposed to the minister’s library. When he grew up, Ellison grew engrossed with the topic of literature which became a medium for him to grow and love his studies. Moreover, the enthusiasm he showed for reading was encouraged by his mother who had brought home plenty of books including magazines from houses which she had cleaned. There came a time when a black Episcopal priest in Oklahoma city challenged the white custom of barring blacks from the public library. As a result, this custom was overturned. As such, it became another outlet for Ellison to further his passion for reading. Although his family was sometimes short of money, Ellison and his brother were able to study well and had a healthy childhood lives.

Ellison grew and developed a liking in music where he studied piano and the trumpet. It was during this time that Oklahoma City was famous with several great jazz musicians. This influenced him to study classical composition and follow his yearning for music. As such, he wrote an essay entitled “Remembering Jimmy” among the entries in his book of criticism Shadow and Act. There were always traces of the theme of music in his writings and personal life.

Ellison would always quip that he is foremost a novelist and not an activist. He believes that all his writings or followers of his principles are a reflection of his desire for the freedom movement. He is convinced with his calling that he is primarily responsible for the continued health of the American culture and literature. It is clear to Ellison that writing is an instrument to be able to put order in chaos. It is never the consideration of a writer to fall in a trap by writing on topics dealing with Negroness.

It should be noted that America during the time Ellison was growing up was prominently a separation of the blacks from whites which was evident in the year 1900s. Moreover, the blacks were very much not allowed to use the same public facilities as the whites. As such, the blacks experienced extreme discrimination and racism. Fortunately, Ellison grew up in a quite relatively unbiased atmosphere. His environment belonged to a close-knit black community that supplied him with support and images of endurance and courage and much more the interest for music.

During his teenage years, Ellison together with his friends agreed and created for themselves an ideal and goal to look up to. They aspired to be in the league of Renaissance Men who had broad intellectual interests. They were a group who were also accomplished in both the sciences and arts. The friends believed that they have the power to be able to do whatever they would want in life as well or much better than any men belonging to any race. Ellison places into practice this line of thinking by concentrating the more on the medium of music and further participating in an intense way in the music program for about twelve year under the auspices of the Frederick Douglas School in Oklahoma City.

Ellison was trained to play many instruments but he had a preference for the trumpet. As such, he played in many marches, concerts, and town celebrations. He never forgot to pursue and achieve the ideal of being a Renaissance Man. In between his activities, he spent time playing football, experimenting in electronics and working on small jobs.

He left Oklahoma