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JOHN OKE-THOMAS
John Oke-Thomas grew up in Nigeria and eventually moved to Springfield to pursue an education and a career as an architect. One of his first major projects was helping Drury move and reconstruct the historic Washington Avenue Baptist Church.
FINDING A VOICE
John Oke-Thomas isn’t from Springfield, but for him, this is home. Now he’s making sure minority leaders and business owners also have a home and a future in the Queen City. BY TOM CARLSON
*rowing up in Nigeria, it took awhile for -ohn 2ke-7homas to feel at home after he left his native country with the goal of continuing his education. $fter stints in Italy, )rance and the 8nited .ingdom, 2ke-7homas eventually landed in Springfield, 0issouri. In some ways, Springfield reminded 2ke-7homas of home, but the Nigerian native was constantly reminded that he was a minority in his new country. $s the chamber worked to include more minority members on its board and in leadership roles, 2ke-7homas found a chance to serve as a voice for a community that felt left out of the conversation.
$s a young boy in Nigeria, 2ke-7homas didn’t reali]e his father’s social activism would rub off on him³In fact, 2ke-7homas’ social activism wouldn’t kick in until later in life. +is father, after graduating from pharmacy school in London, moved back to Nigeria and Moined the
8nity 3arty, which 2ke-7homas says promoted free education for everyone in the country and was often at odds with other political parties. ´7he various parties were constantly at war with each other,µ 2ke-7homas remembers. ´If your party was out of power, you might end up in Mail as my father did.µ
$fter high school, 2ke-7homas left Nigeria and headed for (urope to continue his education. +e received an $ssociate 'egree at 7he
T h e r e i s as h or t age of c ar p e n t e r s , “
3olytechnic of North London then worked in the city’s public works department. ´I spent two years making sure cobblestones on the streets of London were turned right side up,µ he Mokes.
COMING TO DRURY With a goal of becoming an architect, 2ke-7homas was accepted at the 8niversity of .ansas but was overwhelmed by the si]e of the campus. When a friend suggested he check out 'rury &ollege, he visited and felt at home. $fter three years on campus, 2ke-7homas was one credit hour short of receiving his degree, but he had to pause his academic pursuits while the school’s architecture program received its accreditation. 7wo years later in , 2ke-7homas returned to campus and took his last credit hour³in weightlifting. $fter a three-year internship with Warren *oodin, 2ke-7homas sat for his boards in .
7hat same year, 2ke-7homas was hired by Springfield 3ublic Schools to help with the construction and remodeling of its facilities. 7he proMect gave 2ke-7homas a boost, and by 6 he was ready to open his own architecture firm. $s it happened, one of his largest clients was also his alma mater. 2ke-7homas managed the renovation of several buildings on the 'rury campus, and the school retained him to assist in the development of a new campus master plan.
WASHINGTON AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH CONTROVERSY While working on 'rury’s master plan, 2ke-7homas learned the school wanted to purchase Washington $venue %aptist &hurch to make way for 'rury’s new facility. 7he church held special significance to Springfield’s $frican-$merican residents. It dates back to 6, and in 6 $frican-$mericans took shelter in the sanctuary after three black men were lynched on the sTuare without a trial. News of the church’s proposed demolition was met with uproar. It fell upon 2ke-7homas to develop a compromise. ´2ne idea was to hire the firm that moved London %ridge to $ri]ona,µ 7homas says, ´but the cost was million, and they would not guarantee the work.µ
)or the ne[t several months 2ke-7homas acted as the liaison between 'rury, church
m as on r y , p l u m b i n g an d H V A C t e c h n i c i an s . I f w e ar e n ot c ar e f u l , w e are going to find ou r s e l ve s i n at ou gh situation in five or s i x ye ar s .” —John Oke-Thomas
members and historical advocates. (ventually, he constructed a plan that mirrored the move of London %ridge. Slowly, the crew disassembled the church brick by brick and numbered each brick and each pallet so the structure could be reassembled on a new site at North Washington $venue. (ven design Áaws in the original church were rebuilt e[actly as they were found. ´'uring construction, we discovered that the stained glass had been installed inside out originally, and that is the way we put it back,µ 2ke-7homas says. 'rury spent , on the proMect and named it the 'iversity &enter at +istoric Washington $venue %aptist &hurch and received a ´&ommendation Letterµ from the 0issouri 'epartment of Natural 5esources for the proMect. ´0y proudest moment was when a former congregant living in &alifornia came into the church and didn’t even reali]e it had been moved,µ 2ke-7homas says.
MINORITIES IN BUSINESS $fter relocating the Washington $venue %aptist &hurch, 2ke-7homas Moined the congregation, and the social activist roots he inherited from his father were awakened as he reali]ed Springfield’s young $frican-$mericans were moving to urban areas like .ansas &ity or St. Louis. ´We have had a brain drain in this area,µ he says. 7o combat the issue, 2ke-7homas, Lyle )oster and Wes 3ratt formed 0inorities in %usiness (0I% in . Lyle moved from &hicago to
Springfield to start %ig 0omma’s &offee and (spresso %ar on &ommercial Street, and 3ratt grew up in Springfield and lived in San 'iego where he served on the city council before moving back to take a Mob in administration at 0S8. 7heir obMective was to assist minority entrepreneurs grow their businesses. 7he three 0I% co-founders conducted workshops on marketing skills and networking, and together they urged local government to accelerate efforts to recruit minorities to Springfield.
CHAMBER ACTIVITY $ware that greater diversity is often linked with economic development, the chamber made an even greater effort to connect its work to minority business owners in . 7he initiative strengthened the relationship between 0I% and the chamber. ´&hamber members started coming to our meetings,µ 2ke-7homas says. ´Not too long after that, I was invited to serve on the chamber board.µ
2ke-7homas believes that the discussion of ineTuality is now moving from a racial basis to a class basis. +is focus on the chamber has since e[panded to workforce development. +e believes the city needs to increase its effort to train young people in the vocational and technical trades. ´$ four-year college degree is not for everyone,µ he says.
´I see it every day as an architectµ he says. ´7here is a shortage of carpenters, masonry, plumbing and +9$& technicians. If we are not careful, we are going to find ourselves in a tough situation in five or si[ years, as we will not have the workforce to fill these positions.µ 7he sociologist 0argaret 0ead once said, ´Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citi]ens can change the world indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.µ )orty years after leaving his country, 2ke-7homas too remains strong in that same commitment.
