The Oklahoma Historical Edwards Addition on Success Street

These stories are of our parents, my childhood, and the events of our family and friends living in The Historical Edwards in the community of one thousand homes owned by blacks. You must read it to believe it. I lived through it, and I know that the stories are true. These are facts and eyewitness reports of the "Smith" family and friends. These are stories of love and loss, from happiness to sadness, amazing fun, entertainment, recreation, excitement, performing, and instructive lessons we learned while growing up in the neighborhood.

This book is more than a collection of stories. It is based on a foundation of facts, knowledge, experiences, and events of how we lived on 2805 NE Success Street. However, after researching Historical Wall Street, I can compare Historical Edwards Addition to the same value system of those who lived in the prominent Black Wall Street massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma and died. The book also includes Atlanta GA. Trail of Tears travel of the five civilized tribes from Atlanta to Birmingham to Tennessee to Arkansas and settled in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. My ancestor on my mother side traveled with the trail of Tears.

These stories describe the genealogy, history, culture, education, religion, business, economy, capital, power, relationship and entertainment of the Smith family. As well as my personal journey, family icons and friends. The main idea I want to communicate with the reader is that Historical Edwards Addition has its own history. This includes the character, problem and solution in the story endings.

Connie LaRue Johnson was born and raised in Oklahoma City Oklahoma. She is the fifth child born to Harold Lewis Sr. and Bernice Smith. Rev. Johnson earned her Bachelor of Arts of Religion Studies in 2014 from Beulah Heights University in Atlanta, Georgia. Rev. Connie has provided leadership to the congregation of Pleasant Hill Victory A.M.E. Church in Atlanta GA. In 2019 she established and is the CEO & Founder of Gladness Bible Institue in Atlanta GA. She received the President's Life Achievement Award in 2021.