An ongoing series that explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, partially on Black, Indigenous and people of color communities in Oklahoma.
By Gary Lee, The Oklahoma Eagle.
FEATURED
Post Pandemic Food Insecurity Worsens for Black Americans
An end to government pandemic relief programs has worsened food insecurity and other measures of well-being for thousands of north Tulsans and millions of other Americans. Multiple reports reveal that the fallout is more significant for Black Americans. The end of a variety of temporary relief assistance programs is plunging poor adults and children back into poverty.
CONTRIBUTOR
John Neal
MORE BY JOHN NEAL
FEATURED
‘Meet the Press Day’ to feature leading journalists, Dec. 9
The half-day program will include three workshops featuring publishers, editors, and media leaders from leading publications and non-profit organizations. The topics will range from media literacy, diverse voices in the media to how to get news in the news.
CONTRIBUTOR
Dr. Jerry Goodwin
RELATED
FEATURED
FEATURED
Revivalists Envision Future For All-Black Towns
Most Oklahomans are familiar with the state’s historic All-Black towns, the significance of the independence established by their residents, the economic freedom earned and the safe haven provided throughout the country’s and state’s racially charged history.
CONTRIBUTOR
Kimberly Marsh
RELATED
FEATURED
FEATURED
Bishop Carlton Pearson Passes
Bishop Carlton D’Metrius Pearson, one of the most popular and influential preachers in America and around the world, died peacefully on Nov. 19, 2023. He was 70 years old. He had a brief battle with cancer that had returned after first defeating it 20 years ago. He was surrounded by his family.
CONTRIBUTOR
The Oklahoma Eagle
RELATED
FEATURED
Tulsa Man Recounts Serving 31 Years In Prison After Wrongful Conviction
Lott was arrested after the lineup. He was tried and convicted and given a 100-year prison sentence. However, in 2014, the Innocence Project ordered DNA tests of the rape kit, which showed that Lott was not the rapist.
CONTRIBUTOR
Jeremy Kuzmarov
RELATED
FEATURED
TALK OF GREENWOOD
PEOPLE, NEWS AND THE PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF TULSANS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO THE BUILDING A GREATER TULSA, EVERY DAY.
Fulton Street Books & Coffee Has Moved To Greenwood, And We’re Here For It
Should anyone perceive Fulton Street Books & Coffee's recent grand opening, at 21 N. Greenwood Ave. (next to Greenwood Rising), as merely a change of location to the historic district, that would completely miss the point of the event... A blame for the head, not the heart.
Voices for the Heart to address a rare heart disease affecting the African diaspora disproportionately
The Greenwood Chamber of Commerce in partnership with several other sponsors is hosting the lighting of Black Wall Street with activities throughout the day. On Nov. 25, the holiday market will be open from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., and the Christmas lighting and concert will begin from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
FEATURED
FEATURED
2001 Tulsa Race “Riot” (Massacre) Commission Report Update: From Rhetoric To Remedy
"While this study is long overdue, we are blessed to have eyewitnesses, our great survivors, more than 100 years later, among us... We will stare American history in the face to truthfully discuss recommendations, challenges, reparations, and policy. Right solutions lead to long-sought restorative justice." - Okla. St. Rep Regina Goodwin
CONTRIBUTOR
Ross D. Johnson
RELATED
FEATURED
Hughes Van Ellis: Survivor, Community Advocate, Eternal Optimist
As a survivor of the 1921 Race Massacre, he was making a plea that through legislation, lawmakers could bring about some justice for him and the other two survivors his 109-year-old sister Viola Fletcher and 108-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle - that the courts had denied. Van Ellis’ speech, along with those of others who testified, was broadcast nationally from the chambers of the U.S. Congress. Listeners tuning in across the country heard – and clung to - his words.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
FEATURED
New TPS Superintendent Gives Progress Report To State Board
Tulsa Public Schools is undergoing a period of regrouping. Administrators at TPS are looking for ways to raise the test scores of students, lift the classroom experience and address other challenges. It is an apt moment for the community of educators, parents, students, and concerned citizens in the North Tulsa community to turn to its most tried and true resource: teachers.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
AROUND TOWN: BLACK WALL STREET & GREATER TULSA
DISCOVER ALL OF THE GREAT FILMS, OUTDOOR EVENTS, CONCERTS, EXHIBITIONS AND FAMILY FUN THAT GREATER TULSA OFFERS.
Dec. 1
RIBBON CUTTING, FULTON STREET BOOKS AND COFFEE
Fulton Street Books and Coffee, 21 N. Greenwood Ave., on Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. Other events scheduled are “Ask Atento Anything” from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. and First Friday Mixer from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Individuals will be encouraged to join the Tulsa Arts District First Friday Art Crawl after the festivities.
Dec. 1
FIRST FRIDAY FOUNDERS MARKET
Join us for the Holiday Edition of the First Friday Founders Market, where the spirit of the season meets entrepreneurial energy.
Dec. 2
RECESS ADULT GAME NIGHT, UGLY SWEATER EDITION
Tired of adulting? Tell us about it! Save the date for RECESS Tulsa's favorite game night. This months theme is "For the Culture".
Dec. 7
AMERICAN RED CROSS, DISASTER PREPARATION CLASS
American Red Cross to host Disaster Preparation class at Greenwood Women’s Business Center, 102 N. Greenwood Ave., Suite 201 (Second floor) on Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. For more information, contact (539) 867-4127 or info@greenwoodwbc.com.
Dec. 8
FEMALE FOUNDERS PITCH NIGHT (BUILD IN TULSA)
Cheer on our female-founded startups who are launching tech or tech-enabled solutions in Tulsa, OK!
FEATURED
Victims Allege Corruption In Tulsa Criminal Justice System
On July 17, Chico and 20 other protesters rallied and spoke at a rally for criminal justice reform in front of the Tulsa County Courthouse against corruption in the Tulsa judicial system and for reforms in the system.
CONTRIBUTOR
Jeremy Kuzmarov
RELATED
FEATURED
Oklahoma State Officials Vote To Accredit Tulsa Public Schools, Averting State Takeover
Tulsa, Okla. The Oklahoma State Board of Education on Thursday, Aug. 24 voted to approve the accreditation of Tulsa Public Schools. The OSBE set the accreditation status at "accredited with deficiencies."
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
FEATURED
TAKEOVER? What It Means For Tulsa Public Schools
Should Oklahoma officials ‘make good’ on their threats of further punitive action against TPS, and takeover the state’s largest school district in pursuit of its perceived Brave New World, Tulsa students and parents will ultimately shoulder the weight of such partisan bias.
CONTRIBUTOR
Ross D. Johnson
RELATED
FEATURED
FEATURED
“A Whistle Blew About 5:00 A.M., And The Invasion Of Greenwood Began”
The survivors, descendants, and communities of Tulsa, Oklahoma that continue to struggle in the wake of the state-sanctioned, institutional and societal racism that culminated in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, followed by more than 100 years of legislative cowardice intended to protect the interests of those who benefited from the deaths of the innocent, will find no immediate respite in the halls of Tulsa district courts, reveals by Tulsa County Judge Caroline Wall’s final ruling late Friday, Jul.7.
CONTRIBUTOR
Ross D. Johnson
RELATED
FEATURED
Will Justice Prevail For Race Massacre Survivors?
With Tulsa County District Judge Caroline Wall’s dismissal of the Race Massacre survivor’s case for reparations, the burning question is whether there is any remaining hope for justice for the victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the most murderous, violent acts in the city’s history.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
The Eagle Receives Top Awards In Annual Oklahoma Press Association Competition
SHAWNEE – The Oklahoma Eagle – the state’s oldest Black-owned newspaper that rose from the ashes of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre – won a record number of top journalism honors in the Oklahoma Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest Awards.
CONTRIBUTOR
The Oklahoma Eagle Staff
RELATED
FEATURED
FEATURED
Post Pandemic Food Insecurity Worsens for Black Americans
An end to government pandemic relief programs has worsened food insecurity and other measures of well-being for thousands of north Tulsans and millions of other Americans. Multiple reports reveal that the fallout is more significant for Black Americans. The end of a variety of temporary relief assistance programs is plunging poor adults and children back into poverty.
CONTRIBUTOR
John Neal
MORE BY JOHN NEAL
FEATURED
‘Meet the Press Day’ to feature leading journalists, Dec. 9
The half-day program will include three workshops featuring publishers, editors, and media leaders from leading publications and non-profit organizations. The topics will range from media literacy, diverse voices in the media to how to get news in the news.
CONTRIBUTOR
Dr. Jerry Goodwin
RELATED
FEATURED
Revivalists Envision Future For All-Black Towns
Most Oklahomans are familiar with the state’s historic All-Black towns, the significance of the independence established by their residents, the economic freedom earned and the safe haven provided throughout the country’s and state’s racially charged history.
CONTRIBUTOR
Kimberly Marsh
RELATED
FEATURED
Bishop Carlton Pearson Passes
Bishop Carlton D’Metrius Pearson, one of the most popular and influential preachers in America and around the world, died peacefully on Nov. 19, 2023. He was 70 years old. He had a brief battle with cancer that had returned after first defeating it 20 years ago. He was surrounded by his family.
CONTRIBUTOR
The Oklahoma Eagle
RELATED
FEATURED
Tulsa Man Recounts Serving 31 Years In Prison After Wrongful Conviction
Perry Lott was arrested after the lineup. He was tried and convicted and given a 100-year prison sentence. However, in 2014, the Innocence Project ordered DNA tests of the rape kit, which showed that Lott was not the rapist.
CONTRIBUTOR
Jeremy Kuzmarov
RELATED
TALK OF GREENWOOD
PEOPLE, NEWS AND THE PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF TULSANS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO THE BUILDING A GREATER TULSA, EVERY DAY.
Fulton Street Books & Coffee Has Moved To Greenwood, And We’re Here For It
Should anyone perceive Fulton Street Books & Coffee's recent grand opening, at 21 N. Greenwood Ave. (next to Greenwood Rising), as merely a change of location to the historic district, that would completely miss the point of the event... A blame for the head, not the heart.
918 SERIES
A BRIEF Q&A WITH TULSANS WHO SHARE THEIR PASSIONS AND INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
918: ABA N. HAMMOND, OUTGOING CHAIR, TULSA'S YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Aba N. Hammond, the outgoing chair of Tulsa's Young Professionals (TYPROS). Hammond, 30, a business strategist and consultant by profession, is the first Black to serve in TYPROS's chair role.
FEATURED
2001 Tulsa Race “Riot” (Massacre) Commission Report Update: From Rhetoric To Remedy
"While this study is long overdue, we are blessed to have eyewitnesses, our great survivors, more than 100 years later, among us... We will stare American history in the face to truthfully discuss recommendations, challenges, reparations, and policy. Right solutions lead to long-sought restorative justice." - Okla. St. Rep Regina Goodwin
CONTRIBUTOR
Ross D. Johnson
RELATED
FEATURED
Hughes Van Ellis: Survivor, Community Advocate, Eternal Optimist
As a survivor of the 1921 Race Massacre, he was making a plea that through legislation, lawmakers could bring about some justice for him and the other two survivors his 109-year-old sister Viola Fletcher and 108-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle - that the courts had denied. Van Ellis’ speech, along with those of others who testified, was broadcast nationally from the chambers of the U.S. Congress. Listeners tuning in across the country heard – and clung to - his words.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
A Conversation With Traci Manuel, Oklahoma Teacher of The Year
Tulsa Public Schools is undergoing a period of regrouping. Administrators at TPS are looking for ways to raise the test scores of students, lift the classroom experience and address other challenges. It is an apt moment for the community of educators, parents, students, and concerned citizens in the North Tulsa community to turn to its most tried and true resource: teachers.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
New TPS Superintendent Gives Progress Report To State Board
Newly appointed interim Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson used a Sept. 28 meeting to address the conditional expectations the Oklahoma State Board of Education (OSBE) placed on TPS.
CONTRIBUTOR
John Neal
RELATED
FEATURED
Victims Allege Corruption In Tulsa Criminal Justice System
On July 17, Chico and 20 other protesters rallied and spoke at a rally for criminal justice reform in front of the Tulsa County Courthouse against corruption in the Tulsa judicial system and for reforms in the system.
CONTRIBUTOR
Jeremy Kuzmarov
RELATED
FEATURED
Oklahoma State Officials Vote To Accredit Tulsa Public Schools, Averting State Takeover
Tulsa, Okla. The Oklahoma State Board of Education on Thursday, Aug. 24 voted to approve the accreditation of Tulsa Public Schools. The OSBE set the accreditation status at "accredited with deficiencies."
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
“A Whistle Blew About 5:00 A.M., And The Invasion Of Greenwood Began”
The survivors, descendants, and communities of Tulsa, Oklahoma that continue to struggle in the wake of the state-sanctioned, institutional and societal racism that culminated in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, followed by more than 100 years of legislative cowardice intended to protect the interests of those who benefited from the deaths of the innocent, will find no immediate respite in the halls of Tulsa district courts, reveals by Tulsa County Judge Caroline Wall’s final ruling late Friday, Jul.7.
CONTRIBUTOR
Ross D. Johnson
RELATED
FEATURED
Will Justice Prevail For Race Massacre Survivors?
With Tulsa County District Judge Caroline Wall’s dismissal of the Race Massacre survivor’s case for reparations, the burning question is whether there is any remaining hope for justice for the victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the most murderous, violent acts in the city’s history.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
The Eagle Receives Top Awards In Annual Oklahoma Press Association Competition
SHAWNEE – The Oklahoma Eagle – the state’s oldest Black-owned newspaper that rose from the ashes of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre – won a record number of top journalism honors in the Oklahoma Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest Awards.
CONTRIBUTOR
The Oklahoma Eagle Staff
RELATED
FEATURED
The Oklahoma Eagle Wins Best Page Design Award In Great Plains Journalism Contest
TULSA – The Oklahoma Eagle, the state’s oldest Black-owned media company and the last privately-owned business that owns property and continues to operate in Tulsa’s famed Historic Greenwood District, won Best Page Design in the Great Plains Journalism Awards competition on May 5.
CONTRIBUTOR
The Oklahoma Eagle Staff
RELATED
Embrace
“We must be committed to every tomorrow.“
The Oklahoma Eagle, its staff, partners, affiliates and supporters embrace every opportunity to review and assess strategies and solutions that strengthen our ability to thrive.
FEATURED
Tulsans Remember Tina Turner, A Down-To-Earth Rock Star
In February of 1968, The Ike and Tina Turner Revue came to Tulsa to entertain the home crowd. Even back then, fans recall, at all of 29, Tina showed up at the North Tulsa-based Big Ten Ballroom with her self-styled diva glamour.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
The Oklahoma Eagle Wins Best Page Design Award In Great Plains Journalism Contest
TULSA – The Oklahoma Eagle, the state’s oldest Black-owned media company and the last privately-owned business that owns property and continues to operate in Tulsa’s famed Historic Greenwood District, won Best Page Design in the Great Plains Journalism Awards competition on May 5.
CONTRIBUTOR
The Oklahoma Eagle Staff
RELATED
FEATURED
FEATURED
Students of the COVID-19 Era: How the Pandemic followed them to Langston University, Oklahoma’s only HBCU
TULSA – The coronavirus pandemic may be waning across much of the globe. However, for many students at Langston University – the only Oklahoma historically Black college and university – the aftereffects still impact their lives at its campuses in Langston, Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
Oklahoma GOP-led Measure Providing Public Funding For Private Education Becomes Law
The new legislation will likely weaken Tulsa Public Schools and other public school systems across the state by diverting millions of dollars from them. It may also disadvantage families in economically disadvantaged communities, many of whom cannot afford private schools, several educators and lawmakers have said.
CONTRIBUTOR
John Neal
RELATED
FEATURED
A Book That Finally Tells Greenwood’s Epic Story
“Before its burning, Greenwood Avenue had been lined with hotels, restaurants, furriers, and even an early taxi service using a Ford Model T,” Luckerson wrote in The Ringer. “Nearly 200 businesses populated the 35-square-block district in all, as did some homes as stately as the ones owned by upper-class whites in the city.”
CONTRIBUTOR
M. David Goodwin
RELATED
FEATURED
Two Tulsa Educators Who Overcame The Pandemic’s Challenges
The impact of the COVID-19 virus was brutal for Tulsa Public Schools’ teachers. The same woes that burdened educators across the country – and indeed globally – affected them, too: school administrators who were ambivalent about how to respond to the pandemic; off-and-on decisions about whether schools would be remote or in-person; coping with COVID-19 illnesses themselves or among colleagues; having to learn the tools of remote teaching on the spot.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
Alisa Bell, J.A.M.E.S.: A Champion For Young Mothers
Since it was founded in 2007, J.A.M.E.S., Inc. has helped hundreds of young Tulsa mothers, Bell estimates. Around 70 percent are young Black Tulsans, while the others are white, Native American or Latina.
PHOTOS
Ross D. Johnson, The Oklahoma Eagle
RELATED
FEATURED
FEATURED
FEATURED
Oklahoma GOP-led Measure Providing Public Funding For Private Education Becomes Law
The new legislation will likely weaken Tulsa Public Schools and other public school systems across the state by diverting millions of dollars from them. It may also disadvantage families in economically disadvantaged communities, many of whom cannot afford private schools, several educators and lawmakers have said.
CONTRIBUTOR
John Neal
RELATED
FEATURED
Students of the COVID-19 Era: How the Pandemic followed them to Langston University, Oklahoma’s only HBCU
TULSA – The coronavirus pandemic may be waning across much of the globe. However, for many students at Langston University – the only Oklahoma historically Black college and university – the aftereffects still impact their lives at its campuses in Langston, Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
A Book That Finally Tells Greenwood’s Epic Story
“Before its burning, Greenwood Avenue had been lined with hotels, restaurants, furriers, and even an early taxi service using a Ford Model T,” Luckerson wrote in The Ringer. “Nearly 200 businesses populated the 35-square-block district in all, as did some homes as stately as the ones owned by upper-class whites in the city.”
CONTRIBUTOR
M. David Goodwin
RELATED
FEATURED
In The Era Of COVID-19, Tulsa Public Schools Lost A Generation Of Black And Brown Students
The Oklahoma Eagle is investigating how the coronavirus pandemic impacted the education of the Black and Brown children in Tulsa Public Schools. In the first installment of our three-part series, we detail the impact the pandemic has had on the disadvantaged schools in our community.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FEATURED
Doubts Rise Over A Resolution To Tulsa Race Massacre Mass Graves
Is the city of Tulsa serious in its mission to uncover the mystery of bodies still missing from the 1921 Race Massacre?
PHOTO
The Oklahoma Eagle
RELATED
FEATURED
Remote Learning Delivers Mixed Success for Tulsa Area Students in the Era Of COVID-19
The Oklahoma Eagle has conducted a probe into how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the nearly 33,000 students in Tulsa Public Schools and the surrounding metropolitan area school districts.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gary Lee
RELATED
FWD: People First
“Nearly 2 million people are incarcerated in U.S. jails & prisons. Too often, they are described as “offender” & “felon”. These labels bias the public against criminal justice reform and make more freedom less possible.“
Word choices matter. Put #peoplefirst.
EDUCATION
WE PURSUE THE FULL AND CLEAR TRUTHS ABOUT THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN GREATER TULSA AND OKLAHOMA, FROM K-12 TO OUR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS.
ARTS & CULTURE
THE HISTORIC GREENWOOD DISTRICT AND GREATER TULSA HAVE A VIBRANT AND RICH ARTS COMMUNITY, WORTHY OF DISCOVERY AND CELEBRATION.
EDUCATION
WE PURSUE THE FULL AND CLEAR TRUTHS ABOUT THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN GREATER TULSA AND OKLAHOMA, FROM K-12 TO OUR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS.
Republican governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma and their respective GOP-majority legislatures have moved aggressively to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in the education system in their states.
ARTS & CULTURE
THE HISTORIC GREENWOOD DISTRICT AND GREATER TULSA HAVE A VIBRANT AND RICH ARTS COMMUNITY, WORTHY OF DISCOVERY AND CELEBRATION.
HADESTOWN: A CLASSIC PRODUCTION WITH CONTEMPORARY THEMES
“It is about hope and love, and will love win? Will love carry you through?”
Explore
“The narratives and voices of the African American community are worthy of being amplified while aligned with our highest virtue, truth.“
We actively build and nurture a culture that is committed to an unwavering exploration of truth and what it reveals.
Explore
“The narratives and voices of the African American community are worthy of being amplified while aligned with our highest virtue, truth.“
We actively build and nurture a culture that is committed to an unwavering exploration of truth and what it reveals.
LOCAL
CAN BUTTIGIEG'S $1B PLAN HELP TULSA
The U.S. Transportation Secretary hopes to deliver on Pres. Joe Biden’s pledge to reconnect Black communities across America.
Of Greenwood: Liberty Mutual Insurance Series
The Oklahoma Eagle’s “Of Greenwood” series is part of our 2nd Century Campaign, which commemorates the hundredth anniversary of this African American newspaper. “Of Greenwood,” is a monthly series examines key legacies that helped to shape our community as the “Black Wall Street of America.” Our series receives support from Liberty Mutual Insurance.
STORIES
Publish
“What will provide the most appealing, engaging and memorable experience for our readers, while aligning with our values?”
We ask ourselves this question prior to publishing every article, post, advertisement, branded/sponsored content, editorial and op-ed… And our responses must meet the established standards.
