The Oklahoma Eagle

James Goodwin, Jim Goodwin, OPA, Oklahoma Press Association, H. Milt Phillips Award, All-Black Towns, Black Towns, Oklahoma Black Towns, Historic Black Towns, Gary Lee, M. David Goodwin, James Goodwin, Ross Johnson, Sam Levrault, Kimberly Marsh, John Neal, Jerry Goodwin, African American News, Black News, African American Newspaper, Black Owned Newspaper, The Oklahoma Eagle, The Eagle, Black Wall Street, Tulsa Race Massacre, 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

FEATURED

MJ: The Musical Brings Michael Jackson’s Story to Tulsa

J. Daughtry has a way of being in the right place at the right time. His musical career began with an unexpected turn in his earlier career in teaching. That led to a role playing the music legend Berry Gordy. He went on to play Gordy in another production. Next week Daughtry will bring his portrayal of the Motown icon – who played a vital role in Michael Jackson’s career — to Tulsa in yet another show -the touring jukebox musical production of MJ The Musical.

CONTRIBUTOR

Kimberly Marsh, The Oklahoma Eagle

FEATURED

918 Conversation With Tulsa’s Economic Development Director Erran Persley

Tulsa’s Economic Development Director Erran Persley, who began his new role in March 2024, spoke with The Oklahoma Eagle Managing Editor Gary Lee and Eagle contributor Kimberly Marsh about his plans for equitable economic growth across the city.

CONTRIBUTOR

Kimberly Marsh & Gary Lee, The Oklahoma Eagle

FEATURED

North Tulsa Neighborhood Revitalization Plan Faces Challenges

According to U.S. census tract estimates cited in the Kirkpatrick Heights-Greenwood Master Plan, north Tulsa is losing Black residents by the thousands.

The vital objectives of the Master Plan are to stem that outflow, and stabilize and revitalize north Tulsa neighborhoods. The Tulsa Development Authority (TDA), through its PartnerTulsa staff, is finalizing a legal process to begin implementing the plan. And yet, enforcing the master plan faces substantive obstacles.

CONTRIBUTOR

FEATURED

Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith Will Face Off in Mayoral Race

Recount of Primary Votes Yielded No Major Changes

CONTRIBUTOR

Kimberly Marsh, The Oklahoma Eagle

FEATURED

TPS Achieves State-Mandated Student Testing Benchmark

Tulsa Public Schools improved student test scores by five percentage points as mandated by the Oklahoma State Board of Education (OSBE). In a statement released to The Oklahoma Eagle late last week, TPS officials declared student test scores in English Language Arts (ELA) (reading/writing) have increased from 37% to 42% at the “basic and above” performance level.

CONTRIBUTOR

FEATURED

North Tulsa Neighborhood Revitalization Plan Is Underway

The City of Tulsa in late July awarded $2 million to spur the development of new housing, retail, and office space in north Tulsa. The Tulsa Development Authority (TDA) will use the money to finalize the legal process necessary to begin the development of seventy acres of largely vacant land in north Tulsa. The area designated for revitalization lies within The Kirkpatrick Heights-Greenwood Master Plan study area which is bordered by Pine Street to the north, US Highway 75 to the east, the rail line to the south (Archer Street), and LL Tisdale Parkway to the west.

CONTRIBUTOR

FEATURED

Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith Advance in Mayoral Primary

Monroe Nichols edged Tulsa mayoral candidates Karen Keith and Brent VanNorman on August 27, earning more votes than each competitor, but falling short of the 50 percent plus one needed to secure victory. The forced runoff between Nichols and Keith will be settled by Tulsa County voters during the November 5 general election.

CONTRIBUTOR

Kimberly Marsh, The Oklahoma Eagle

FEATURED

Mayoral Candidates Say Yes To ACTION Tulsa

The standing-room-only meeting drew historic attendance. In all, 559 people – a diverse group from across Tulsa – gathered to support the session and hear responses from mayoral candidates Brent Van Norman, Karen Keith and Monroe Nichols. The three were put in the hot seats in front of the church sanctuary to hear stories about issues Tulsans have had in their neighborhoods, and then respond to a group request to commit to work on those items.

CONTRIBUTOR

Kimberly Marsh, The Oklahoma Eagle

FEATURED

The Myth of the Christian State

The Gospels, with which most orthodoxies were aligned in Oklahoma, were objectively not applicable to Black Tulsans. Segregation, lynchings and mass murder were the justified responses to perceived encroachment and entitlement. No Black Tulsan man, woman or child was deserving of dignity, as represented in the state’s constitution, yet faith, Christianity, was regarded as the foundation upon which all were governed. BTW graduates of 1921 were subject to both the legal cruelty of the state and a demand to accept that faith, a faith unlike their own, was the state’s moral foundation upon which life was governed, without objection.

CONTRIBUTOR

Ross D. Johnson, The Oklahoma Eagle

MORE ROSS D. JOHNSON STORIES

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We Shall Know Them By Their Deeds

Edward Goodwin, Booker T. Washington High School, BTW, BTW Tulsa, All-Black Towns, Black Towns, Oklahoma Black Towns, Historic Black Towns, Gary Lee, M. David Goodwin, James Goodwin, Ross Johnson, Sam Levrault, Kimberly Marsh, John Neal, African American News, Black News, African American Newspaper, Black Owned Newspaper, The Oklahoma Eagle, The Eagle, Black Wall Street, Tulsa Race Massacre, 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

FEATURED

Williams Named National Geographic Wayfinder

Kristi Williams, a stalwart advocate for Black culture and heritage in Tulsa, has been named a National Geographic Wayfinder. This coveted role positions Williams to amplify her brand of storytelling on national and international platforms.

CONTRIBUTOR

Gary Lee, The Oklahoma Eagle

FEATURED

Lee To Receive Honor At National Association Of Black Journalists Convention, July 31 – Aug. 4

The National Association of Black Journalist will be presenting a special honor to one of the first Tulsans to be recognized by the national organization.

CONTRIBUTOR

Staff, The Oklahoma Eagle

FEATURED

Dennis Larsen, a stalwart of Tulsa police, takes command of the Police Department

Deputy Chief Dennis Larsen, a 45-year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department, was gracious, sincere, and genuine as he launched an open conversation with The Oklahoma Eagle about his succession to Tulsa’s Chief of Police on Aug. 1. He was equipped with a pile of documents ready to respond to questions. Larsen replaces Chief Wendell Franklin, who retired from the department to lead private security operations for the Bank of Oklahoma.

CONTRIBUTOR

FEATURED

TPS Offers Second Chance for High School Diploma

Tulsa Public Schools is offering a free summer program for recent high school dropouts and struggling students to get a diploma. The credit recovery program enables students to complete or make up coursework working online at their own pace, with help from certified teachers based in north Tulsa. The Bridge to Graduation program is open to former high school seniors from two years ago (2021-22) to current high school students who are behind on course credits.

CONTRIBUTOR

FEATURED

Eagle Receives Top Awards In Annual Oklahoma Press Association Contest

‘Clear Winner. Bold Cover Layouts, Almost Magazine Like. Reminds Us Of The Sunday New York Times,’ Judges Noted.

CONTRIBUTOR

Staff, The Oklahoma Eagle

FEATURED

Eagle Publisher Honored As One Of Oklahoma’s Journalism Giants

James O. Goodwin Is The First African American To Receive OPA’s Highest Honor

CONTRIBUTOR

Staff, The Oklahoma Eagle

FEATURED

Lawsuit Against TPS Moves Forward

Two Tulsa Public School Board members are moving forward with a lawsuit alleging that other TPS school board members violated Oklahoma’s Open Meeting Act. The suit could eventually have a major impact on how the TPS board conducts meetings.

CONTRIBUTOR

MJ The Musical Tour

We are excited to announce that tickets to the Tulsa performances of MJ The Musical Tour are now on sale!

Celebrity Attractions brings the multi-Tony award winning musical to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center (TPAC) from Oct. 15 to Oct. 20. Centered on American pop singer Michael Jackson’s making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ The Musical offers a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status.
For tickets: MJ the Musical – Tulsa online, call (918) 596-7111 or go to the ticket office, located at 101 East 3rd St., open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Get tickets now

FEATURED

We Shall Know Them By Their Deeds

God’s place, one may objectively determine, of most early 20th century Oklahoma legislators, was to guide and protect the hand that inflicted harm, as the back upon which it fell was not worthy of His grace.

Of the 21st century, one may objectively determine that Oklahoma courts and legislators are convicted to guard against demands of accountability for sins that define the state’s history and moral character.

CONTRIBUTOR

Ross D. Johnson

MORE ROSS D. JOHNSON STORIES

From Brooklyn to Oakland: Passing the Baton from Chisholm to Harris

The Myth of the Christian State

We Shall Know Them By Their Deeds, All-Black Towns, Black Towns, Oklahoma Black Towns, Historic Black Towns, Gary Lee, M. David Goodwin, James Goodwin, Ross Johnson, Sam Levrault, Kimberly Marsh, John Neal, African American News, Black News, African American Newspaper, Black Owned Newspaper, The Oklahoma Eagle, The Eagle, Black Wall Street, Tulsa Race Massacre, 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

FEATURED

New Community Mural Spotlights North Tulsans

At the Elgin Avenue underpass, a new scene welcomes passersby as they are greeted by the faces of Greenwood’s past, present, and future. Twenty portraits decorate the walls of the Elgin street underpass located between Mt. Zion Baptist Church and ONEOK field, home for the Tulsa Drillers and FC Tulsa. The murals are a community project titled, “Doorways to Hope,” referencing the neighboring Pathway to Hope.

CONTRIBUTOR

Sam Levrault

FEATURED

Oklahoma Court Dismisses Race Massacre Lawsuit

The long pursuit of justice by the two last-known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre took a decisive blow on June 12, when the Oklahoma Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s dismissal of their lawsuit seeking reparations.

CONTRIBUTOR

Gary Lee

FEATURED

Judge Rules Educators May Teach Racial History

A federal court judge has blocked enforcement of key provisions of an Oklahoma law that aimed to restrict educators from teaching America’s sordid racial history.

CONTRIBUTOR

John Neal

FEATURED

Oklahoma Gives Huge Subsidies To Private School Students

Oklahoma taxpayers have made a significant contribution of $150 million to support the education of private school students, a move that could undermine public education across the state. This is part of an ongoing private school funding scheme passed into Oklahoma law in 2023. Oklahoma Tax Commission records obtained by The Oklahoma Eagle reveal that these funds were used to pay the tuition and fees of 27,800 private school students in the 2023- ‘24 school year.

CONTRIBUTOR

John Neal

FEATURED

My Brother’s Keeper-Tulsa Seeks To Transform Black Boys Into Men

My Brother’s Keeper-Tulsa, an organization focused on improving outcomes for boys and young men of color, has launched a new initiative to expand reading opportunities. The Books in Barbershops program comes a year after MBK-Tulsa was designated a “model community” by the Obama Foundation.

CONTRIBUTOR

Deon Osborne

FEATURED

News Analysis: Public School Leader Johnson Wins Over Walters and State Education Board

By the spring of 2024, the Tulsa Public School district was able to document the achievement of goals in all the objectives in Johnson’s monthly reports to the State Board. These achievements reversed the State Board’s negative perception of the Tulsa Public Schools district, which began a discussion among the board about a roll-out of a similar effort for other struggling school districts in the state.

CONTRIBUTOR

John Neal

FEATURED

Muscogee Nation Supreme Court To Decide Fate Of Creek Freedmen

When Creek Freedmen plaintiffs Rhonda Grayson and Jeff Kennedy won their civil case for citizenship in Muscogee Creek Nation (MSN) on Sept. 27, 2023, they thought it would end the years-long legal battle for full recognition in the tribal nation of their ancestors.

CONTRIBUTOR

Deon Osborne

FEATURED

BRANJAE, A Tulsa Singer Rises To Higher Ground

Those who know her best recognize her stories in the songs she writes. She is a storyteller as well as a gifted lyricist and performer. She is known locally for her rhythmic performances as a co-fronter with Count Tutu, high vibrational solo albums and music videos, on-stage dance energy, and multiple style changes during a performance. She brings the venue to life with every move and every word.

CONTRIBUTOR

Kimberly Marsh

FEATURED

Cindy McGhee: How One Woman Built A Business From Scratch

One Of Fastest Growing Companies In The Country: Building The Next Generation Of Entrepreneurs (and Homeowners)

CONTRIBUTOR

Dr. Jerry Goodwin

FEATURED

The TINA TURNER Musical Reveals Trials And Triumphs

The arc of Tina Turner’s career is well-known. Although Ike’s story is lesser known, he had a powerful influence on Tina’s life and career. They had a family together, and he witnessed Tina rise to superstardom.

Ike Turner may have had multiple sides to his personality, according to Tulsans who knew him and the actor who plays him in the musical, “Tina, The Tina Turner Musical,” coming to Tulsa next week. However, the Ike Turner the public has seen is a violent man.

CONTRIBUTOR

Kimberly Marsh

FEATURED

Wendell Franklin Retires As Tulsa’s Police Chief

Tulsa’s first Black police chief will retire July 31 and assume a new position leading security for the BOK Financial Corp. Chief Wendell Franklin was hired as the City of Tulsa’s 40th police chief on Feb. 1, 2020, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in Franklin’s career, he was called upon to create secure spaces for a series of high-profile events significant in the Black community, including the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter rallies, Black Panther marches, and the 2021 centennial anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

CONTRIBUTOR

Kimberly Marsh

FEATURED

Report Shows Minimal Progress For Black Tulsans

The City of Tulsa has released its annual Equality Indicators report for 2023 revealing that the needle marking progress in opportunities and well-being for disadvantaged communities has hardly moved during the last six years of reporting. The Indicators reports measure equality disparities among populations across various themes and topics, assessed using more than fifty-four metrics. The Oklahoma Eagle, as it has each year, closely examines how racial and community disparities affect North Tulsans.

CONTRIBUTOR

John Neal

FEATURED

COVID Learning Losses to Cost Students Billions in Lost Income

Oklahoma Students Will Suffer Most. For the thousands of pupils in Tulsa – and across Oklahoma – who struggled with school during the COVID-19 pandemic, those challenges are destined to impact their earnings potential in the workplace. Students of the COVID-19 era will likely take home thousands of dollars less in wages annually than they would have had the pandemic not occurred, according to a new education study.

CONTRIBUTOR

John Neal

FEATURED

Foundation Supports Programs For TPS Pupils

While Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) receives the majority of its funding from state tax dollars, millions of dollars in local grants and contributions boost the TPS education budget annually. Additional charitable donations also support public education in a variety of ways under the auspices of the Foundation for Tulsa Schools (FTS).

CONTRIBUTOR

John Neal

FEATURED

Their

Minutes after the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s summary report was shared, regarging Nex Benedict’s death, by the Owasso Police Department on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) Libs of TikTok account followers began to demand an apology from local and national media, LGBTQ advocacy groups and Oklahomans who attributed the violence and hatred experienced by Nex to their rhetoric.

CONTRIBUTOR

Ross D. Johnson

FEATURED

The Story Of Greenwood Will Survive Any Court Decision

During the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Ford Fletcher’s voice didn’t crack while seated before the U.S. House of Representatives, describing the violence of the white mob in her childhood community of Greenwood, the Tulsa, Oklahoma district, known as Black Wall Street. “I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire,” Fletcher told the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee in May 19, 2021.

CONTRIBUTOR

Deon Osborne

MORE ROSS D. JOHNSON STORIES

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The Myth of the Christian State

Viola Ford Fletcher, Lessie Benningfield Randle, All-Black Towns, Black Towns, Oklahoma Black Towns, Historic Black Towns, Gary Lee, M. David Goodwin, James Goodwin, Ross Johnson, Sam Levrault, Kimberly Marsh, John Neal, African American News, Black News, African American Newspaper, Black Owned Newspaper, The Oklahoma Eagle, The Eagle, Black Wall Street, Tulsa Race Massacre, 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

FEATURED

Women’s History Month Profile – Ashley Townsend teaches how to save money and create generational wealth