In the latest bid to inform voters and encourage voter turnout in the Tulsa mayoral election on Nov. 5, the Tulsa World held a debate between the two candidates – St. Rep. Monroe Nichols (D-72) and County Commissioner Karen Keith – on Oct. 22.
Rules for others don’t apply to the Trumps. One of the best ways to know what it is about immigrants today that Donald J. Trump says would be bad for America is to compare those things to what has been good for his own immigrant family. So much that benefitted his own, he now wants to deny to others.
Trump’s Campaign Against Immigrants Echoes Earlier White Supremacist Tirades
Donald J. Trump’s latest rant against immigrants - that murder is “in their genes” -brings his campaign rhetoric closer than ever to the strategically crafted propaganda that powered the White supremacist insurrection in Wilmington, N.C., in 1898. Both Trump’s rant and the earlier rhetoric are marked by unapologetic racism.
Mayor's Race: A Faceoff Between Two Brands of Democrats
The contest for the City of Tulsa Mayor’s seat is now in full swing. It may be nonpartisan, but it is becoming increasingly contentious within the Democratic Party. Two Democrats vie for the seat, which will be decided in the general election on Nov. 5. On that date, more than 200,000 Tulsa voters are also expected to hit the polls to vote for the U. S. President.
Senior Official Cites Progress On Master Plan Implementation
Delays Raise Questions About Whether The Plan Can Reach Its Goals. A master plan to revitalize north Tulsa neighborhoods and stem the flow of thousands of Black households out of north Tulsa is behind schedule in reaching key interim goals that the creators of the plan established to make it work. And the team that is assigned to ensure that the plan happens faces significant challenges.
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.
Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith Will Face Off in Mayoral Race
Following a Tulsa County Election Board hand recount of votes entered cast during the Aug. 27 Tulsa primary election, Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith remained the two top candidates to advance to the general election on Nov. 5.
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.
Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith Advance in Mayoral Primary
Monroe Nichols edged ahead of 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.
Lawsuit Challenging Oklahoma’s Teen Parole Policies Inches Closer to Trial
Dwain Thomas has appeared on the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board’s violent offender docket five times since 2010. At every hearing, the 44-year-old prisoner had a positive recommendation from parole investigators and a superb behavior and employment history. But the parole board has consistently declined to advance Thomas to a more intensive stage-two review.
Oklahoma Crisis Pregnancy Centers See Big State Funding Boost
Oklahoma lawmakers significantly boosted funding for crisis pregnancy centers despite years of complaints a vendor running the program was too slow to reimburse the mostly religious-affiliated nonprofits that counsel against abortion.
Oklahoma Tenant Unions Give Voice to Renters’ Concerns
In Oklahoma, tenant unions are slowly taking root and growing in numbers and power. In a state ranked sixth worst for evictions, Oklahoma renters have few protections and little power individually.
From Brooklyn to Oakland: Passing the Baton from Chisholm to Harris
In the months preceding the convention, on January 25, 1972, one candidate announced their intention to vie for the Democratic Party nomination. That candidate, Shirley Anita Chisholm, of Afro-Guyanese and Afro-Barbadian descent, and the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress, had faced lagging support from Black institutions – The Congressional Black Caucus, which she cofounded – leading up to NBPC.
The Battle of Honey Springs, Oklahoma’s Overlooked ‘Gettysburg of the West
Long before it became a state, Oklahoma became a battleground where some of the earliest steps toward Black civil rights took shape and tribal nations’ already tenuous relationship with the federal government further strained amid gun smoke and cannon fire.
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.
In the latest bid to inform voters and encourage voter turnout in the Tulsa mayoral election on Nov. 5, the Tulsa World held a debate between the two candidates – St. Rep. Monroe Nichols (D-72) and County Commissioner Karen Keith – on Oct. 22.
Rules for others don’t apply to the Trumps. One of the best ways to know what it is about immigrants today that Donald J. Trump says would be bad for America is to compare those things to what has been good for his own immigrant family. So much that benefitted his own, he now wants to deny to others.
Trump’s Campaign Against Immigrants Echoes Earlier White Supremacist Tirades
Donald J. Trump’s latest rant against immigrants - that murder is “in their genes” -brings his campaign rhetoric closer than ever to the strategically crafted propaganda that powered the White supremacist insurrection in Wilmington, N.C., in 1898. Both Trump’s rant and the earlier rhetoric are marked by unapologetic racism.
Mayor's Race: A Facebook Between Two Brands of Democrats
The contest for the City of Tulsa Mayor’s seat is now in full swing. It may be nonpartisan, but it is becoming increasingly contentious within the Democratic Party. Two Democrats vie for the seat, which will be decided in the general election on Nov. 5. On that date, more than 200,000 Tulsa voters are also expected to hit the polls to vote for the U. S. President.
Senior Official Cites Progress On Master Plan Implementation
Delays Raise Questions About Whether The Plan Can Reach Its Goals
A master plan to revitalize north Tulsa neighborhoods and stem the flow of thousands of Black households out of north Tulsa is behind schedule in reaching key interim goals that the creators of the plan established to make it work. And the team that is assigned to ensure that the plan happens faces significant challenges.
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.
Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith Will Face Off in Mayoral Race
Following a Tulsa County Election Board hand recount of votes entered cast during the Aug. 27 Tulsa primary election, Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith remained the two top candidates to advance to the general election on Nov. 5.
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.
Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith Advance in Mayoral Primary
Monroe Nichols edged ahead of 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.
Lawsuit Challenging Oklahoma’s Teen Parole Policies Inches Closer to Trial
Dwain Thomas has appeared on the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board’s
violent offender docket five times since 2010. At every hearing, the 44-year-old prisoner had a positive recommendation from parole investigators and a superb behavior and employment history. But the parole board has consistently declined to advance Thomas to a more intensive stage-two review.
Oklahoma Crisis Pregnancy Centers See Big State Funding Boost
Oklahoma lawmakers significantly boosted funding for crisis pregnancy centers despite years of complaints a vendor running the program was too slow to reimburse the mostly religious-affiliated nonprofits that counsel against abortion.
Oklahoma Tenant Unions Give Voice to Renters’ Concerns
In Oklahoma, tenant unions are slowly taking root and growing in numbers and power. In a state ranked sixth worst for evictions, Oklahoma renters have few protections and little power individually.
From Brooklyn to Oakland: Passing the Baton from Chisholm to Harris
In the months preceding the convention, on January 25, 1972, one candidate announced their intention to vie for the Democratic Party nomination. That candidate, Shirley Anita Chisholm, of Afro-Guyanese and Afro-Barbadian descent, and the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress, had faced lagging support from Black institutions – The Congressional Black Caucus, which she cofounded – leading up to NBPC.
The Battle of Honey Springs, Oklahoma’s Overlooked ‘Gettysburg of the West
Long before it became a state, Oklahoma became a battleground where some of the earliest steps toward Black civil rights took shape and tribal nations’ already tenuous relationship with the federal government further strained amid gun smoke and cannon fire.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rep. Ajay Pittman agrees to pay $35,000 to settle campaign violations
State Rep. Ajay Pittman admitted to spending nearly $18,000 for her personal use instead of campaign purposes as intended by donors, according to a settlement agreement finalized today by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
During a broad-ranging discussion, the candidates highlighted the following key topics: the challenges of the unhoused and the related problems of mental health; street improvement delays; bipartisanship and co-governance with Tulsa area Native American tribes; and issues with mass transit.
Jennettie Marshall: Guiding Tulsa Schools Through Troubled Waters
Elected to the Tulsa School Board in 2016, Marshall is the longest serving member of the board - a panel of seven elected officials charged with overseeing the running of all 77 Tulsa Public Schools.
When the Greenwood Women’s Business Center opened two years ago, it promised to provide women in Tulsa - particularly Black women and other women of color - a hand in launching and growing their businesses. Last week, at its second anniversary gathering, the InnovateHER Summit, the Center gave the two hundred attendees a couple of big things to celebrate.
The Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) District Two school board seat is considered a “revolving door” by residents in the area. Candidate KanDee Washington, campaigning for the seat, wants to create more stability in the district's representation.
Following the passing of Nex Benedict, serious questions linger
Owasso, Okla. - On the morning of Feb. 26, a group of gender equality advocates and supporters gathered on a busy intersection in this Tulsa suburb, in the shadow of Owasso High School, where two weeks earlier, three students bullied and beat Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old sophomore at the school who identified as non-binary.
The Fate Of Oklahoma Race-based Law May Be Decided Soon
The law, HB 1775, pushed through by conservative state lawmakers in 2021, has hampered teachers across the state from educating students about such issues as the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that affected African Americans who were attacked and many were killed by a white mob in Tulsa or forced removal of Native Americans from the South to Indian Territory in the early 1800s.
The backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is coming on strong. The naysayers, including conservative ideologues, call it "Divide, Exclude, and Indoctrinate." Colleges and universities are being denied use of it. Employers are laying off thousands who teach it. Public schools are losing funding to support it.
In the fall of 1921, students began returning to Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Booker T. Washington High School, one of the few Greenwood structures to survive the Tulsa Race Massacre. The arrival of students also meant, then as now, that high school football would soon follow. In honor of Black History Month, this is the story of the 1921 Tulsa Booker T. Washington High School Hornets football season, a season played in the shadow of ruins.
National Guard Deployment To Texas Border Paid For By Disaster
Oklahoma spent more than $544,000 for the state’s National Guard to help secure the U.S. border with Mexico, money that came from a disaster fund typically used for National Guard response to tornadoes and other extreme weather events.
The State of Oklahoma is doling out public funds to pay for private school tuition and other fees for school kids across the state including those from very affluent families. A $150 million special fund for parents whose children attend private schools has drawn over 30,000 applicants.
How Would MLK Advise Us To Face Today’s Challenges?
Almost six decades after Martin Luther King Jr.’s passing, his legacy and teachings remain with us. At times we feel that his presence – strong will, determined gaze and all – marching alongside us. Among MLK’s many talents, the most memorable is surely his gift of leadership.
AP African American Studies Course Set To Roll Out Nationwide
OKLAHOMA — The Advanced Placement African American Studies course, first tested in a pilot program at McLain High School of Science and Technology in north Tulsa, will be launched in high schools nationwide in the upcoming 2024-25 school year.
TPS Shakes Up Leadership In Some Troubled Schools: State Board Imposes New Demands
TULSA — Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson
has stepped up her bid to address widespread learning deficiencies and other pressing issues in the district by shaking up the leadership at some of the lowest- performing schools in the city. The shake-ups appear targeted at schools where student performance is lowest. The most challenged have heavy majority Black and brown student populations. Johnson has also discussed the possible closing of some schools.
Oklahomans have fared the year with their resolve intact, faith strengthened and a greater fire within. The new year will once again meet a people prepared.
Tulsa Public Schools Promotes Ebony Johnson To Supt.
The Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education voted to approve interim superintendent Ebony Johnson as permanent superintendent in a 4-2 vote on Dec. 11.
Through a new successful program to launch brick and mortar storefronts for local entrepreneurs, six small businesses popped up downtown this month as part of the 2023 Popup Downtown program, now in its second year.
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.
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 modest safe haven provided throughout the country’s and state’s racially charged history.
The City of Tulsa has unveiled a new ranking of neighborhood conditions in the city that fails to include several key Black neighborhoods among those areas pinpointed for top priority for city resources.
State Spending $4 Million To Set Up Private School Tax Credit Program
The state is spending almost $4 million with a contractor
to set up and administer a new private school tax credit program. That’s four times what the Oklahoma Tax Commission estimated in the spring when lawmakers were finalizing the policy.
Funding Disparities Plague Historically Black Colleges & Universities
The Biden administration has urged governors in 16 states to rectify the underfunding of historically Black land-grant universities, which has resulted in a deficit of $12.6 billion in funding over the past 30 years.
Hughes Van Ellis: Survivor, Community Advocate, Eternal Optimist
The most poignant story he told was of being an infant in the community of north Tulsa in late Spring of 1921, when a massacre, highlighted by the murder of over 300 people, wiped out the entire neighborhood.
9.29.2023
2001 Tulsa Race “Riot” (Massacre) Commission Report Update: From Rhetoric To Remedy
The Interim Study report, built on the 2001 Report recommendations, is now informed by recent data from historians and contributors, who passionately shared their findings throughout the three-hour session.
The Rebuilding of Black Wall Street: Scenes From The Revival of The Community
Tulsa, Okla. The first episode of Sunwise Media’s “Rebuilding Black Wall Street” on OWN TV, which aired Sept. 29, follows the journey of Montika Collins. The nurse and midwife is building the only Black-owned birth center in Tulsa. The A-frame building sits on a majestic eight acres of wooded land in north Tulsa, surrounded by oak trees, serenity, and luxury.
A Conversation With Tracy 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.
State Education Board To Allow Right-Wing Curriculum In Schools
OSBE has formed an “ongoing partnership” with PragerU - a self-professed right-wing ideological provider - to provide lesson plans, videos, and other educational material to public schools across the state.
American Bank of Oklahoma Settles North Tulsa Redlining Charges
American Bank of Oklahoma used the illegal practice known as redlining in majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Tulsa area, according to the Justice Department.
State Board Renews Accreditation For Tulsa Public Schools
The Oklahoma State Board of Education (OSBE) renewed Tulsa schools’ educational accreditation for the current academic year in a meeting on Aug. 24 in Oklahoma City. The decision followed an impassioned campaign launched by Tulsa Public Schools Board members and a groundswell of public support from Tulsa schools’ patrons for TPS to maintain its accreditation.
Special Edition: The Future Of Tulsa Public Schools
FEATURED STORIES: Tulsans Unite To Oppose Bid For Takeover Of The City’s School System; TAKEOVER! What It Means For Tulsa Public Schools; STATE BOARD: Poised To Take Over Tulsa Public Schools; Tulsa Philanthropies And Tribes Rally Support for Tulsa Public Schools; State Superintendent Walters Continues Attack on Tulsa Public Schools.
Legal Challenge Filed Against Publicly Funded Religious Charter School
They’ve asked an Oklahoma County judge for an injunction to stop the process of opening the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The group argues in its filing that the school is unlawful because it would discriminate against students by excluding, disciplining or expelling students based on their religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and other characteristics.
Ernie Fields: Jazz Icon, Trailblazer, Tulsa Loyalist
On Aug. 1 and 2, 1939, a big band from Tulsa assembled at the studio of Vocalion Records in New York City to record an album. The singer Melvin Moore did the vocals. Trumpeter Amos Woodruff performed a soulful solo. The top song on the album was “Going Back to T-Town,” by Oklahoma musician Jimmy Webb.
OK Attorney General Joins Lawsuit Over Tribal Gambling Agreements
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s new Republican attorney general accused Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday of failing to follow state law and said he’s stepping into a long running legal dispute over tribal gambling agreements Stitt signed in 2020.
Will Justice Prevail For 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors?
TULSA — With Tulsa County District Judge Caroline Wall’s dismissal of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre survivor’s case, the burning question is whether there is any remaining hope for justice for the victims of the most murderous, violent acts in the city’s history.
Oklahoma Governor’s Feud With Native American Tribes
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s ongoing feud with many of the Native American tribes in the state has grown so contentious that fellow Republicans in the Legislature and the state’s attorney general are considering pushing him out of tribal negotiations altogether.
NATION (WORD IN BLACK) — Most certainly, Black/Pan-African history is a 24/7/365 history that can’t be contained in February. Every day of every month of the year has something to say about Black power, Black brilliance, Black resistance and Black love. But yo, July is literally overflowing with important moments from our ongoing, trans-generational story.
Man In Mental Health Crisis Killed By Passing Truck After OKC Police Abandon Him
OKLAHOMA CITY (OKLAHOMA WATCH) — Shirley Antwine’s son had been arrested by Oklahoma City police at least 15 times when she called for their help again in the summer of 2021. Ernest Antwine was left stranded on the side of Sooner Road surrounded by an overgrown field and abandoned buildings.
Thousands of Residents In Oklahoma Remain Without Power
TULSA (AP) — Thousands of residents in Oklahoma and Louisiana remained without electricity Wednesday as work crews continued to repair power lines damaged by weekend storms. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, less than 92,000 customers remained without power.
TULSA - It’s only Tuesday night, and every seat at Fixins Soul Kitchen, 222 N. Detroit Ave., is taken. Across the spacious dining room of the new Fixins is the scene that Black Tulsans have been waiting for. Not since the heyday of Greenwood faded decades ago has one place in Tulsa become such a see and be seen locale for Black locals and visitors.
What Oklahoma Lawmakers Did and Didn’t Do For Teachers And Students
OKLAHOMA (OKLAHOMA WATCH) — After months of negotiations, lawmakers committed to putting $625 million in additional recurring appropriations into public education. Here’s a look at what the Legislature did and didn’t do for teachers and students during the 2023 session.
TULSA - Just over a year ago, City of Tulsa officials approved of the bold plan to bring a sprawling center of retail stores, offices, residences, and a hotel to the heart of the Greenwood District. The community’s overwhelming sentiment was that the plan should prioritize engaging Black construction firms. Beyond that, the project should allow Blacks to own a part of the new space.
Tulsans Remember Tina Turner, A Down-To-Earth Rock Star
TULSA — 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: killing it in a black miniskirt and white knee-high boots, prancing across from one corner of the stage to another, belting out 'A Fool in Love' and other signature songs, all the while sweating up a river.
OKLAHOMA — Republican lawmakers in the Oklahoma legislature have pushed through a comprehensive program that will give families an incentive to send their children to private schools over public schools. he new legislation will likely weaken Tulsa Public Schools and other public school systems across the state by diverting millions of dollars from them.
James Kavin Ross: North Tulsa Loses A Fierce Community Advocate
TULSA — Ross, a stalwart North Tulsa leader who documented the history, culture and life of Black Tulsa for a generation, died Monday, May 8. He was 60. Ross was a self-styled historian and gifted videographer who used his skills at engaging people and storytelling in interviews of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre survivors.
Another Relief Program's End Returns Some Oklahomans To Food Insecurity
OKLAHOMA (OKLAHOMA WATCH) - It’s been three years since Melissa Moore turned to food pantries to keep meals on the table. When her food stamp benefits increased to $500 a month during the pandemic, she could feed her family of three without tapping her disability check.
Oklahoma Lawmakers Try For Second Year To Expand Pregnancy Help
OKLAHOMA (OKLAHOMA WATCH) - Lawmakers continue to be frustrated with a vendor hired to help pregnant women for expanded services under the state’s Choosing Childbirth Act. The slow pace of getting money to nonprofit organizations that provide crisis pregnancy care means that almost $8 mil. is sitting unused in a state account.
Tulsa Educators Who Overcame The Pandemic’s Challenges
TULSA — It all started when former McKinley Elementary School Principal Lynnette Dixon first got word that the global coronavirus pandemic would require her school – and all others across metropolitan Tulsa – to shut down after spring break. That was back in March 2020, when the seriousness of the COVID-19 virus was first surfacing.
An Historic Discovery Made In 1921 Graves Investigation
TULSA (EAGLE NEWSWIRE) - Today, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, forensic scientists and genealogists from Intermountain Forensics, the laboratory assisting the City with DNA analysis for the 1921 Graves Investigation, announced a historic update as it relates to the DNA and genealogical investigation from the 2021 and 2022 excavations and exhumations at Oaklawn Cemetery.
Students Of The COVID-19 Era: How the Pandemic Followed Them To Langston University, Oklahoma’s Only HBCU
TULSA – The COVID-19 pandemic may be waning across much of the globe. However, for many students of Langston University – the only Oklahoma HBCU – the effects still impact their lives.
As Voting Turnout Dips, Young Oklahomans Risks Losing Political Influence
OKLAHOMA (OKLAHOMA WATCH) — It all started when former McKinley Elementary School Principal Lynnette Dixon first got word that the global coronavirus pandemic would require her school – and all others across metropolitan Tulsa – to shut down after spring break. That was back in March 2020, when the seriousness of the COVID-19 virus was first surfacing.
TULSA - 'Built from the Fire' demonstrates how wealth is stripped away from black families whether at the hands of lawless white citizens, law enforcement personnel, or elected officials. It is also the story of black hope and the belief in the possibility of a brighter tomorrow.
It’s No Surprise: Black Tulsans Continue To Struggle At An Alarming Rate
TULSA - For the fifth straight year, Black Tulsans fared poorer than white Tulsans, according to every measure of well-being. The data supporting this alarming gap was revealed in the Tulsa Equality Indicators for 2022.
Proposals Would Restrict School Library Content And Limit Student Privacy
OKLAHOMA (OKLAHOMA WATCH) — The Education Department is considering new rules restricting school library content and requiring school staff to inform parents of major changes to a student’s identity at school.
Estimated 300K Oklahomans To Lose Medicaid Coverage
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Nearly one-quarter of Oklahomans receiving health care through Medicaid, about 300,000 people, will no longer be eligible by the end of this year, mostly because they or a parent earn too much to qualify, state health officials said Tuesday.
Oklahoma GOP-led House Passes Landmark School Choice Bill
TULSA - The OK Rep. House leadership this week pushed through a sweeping financial incentive package totaling $800m that would redirect taxpayers’ dollars to help public school families send their children to private schools.
Cherokee Nation Announces Plans For $18M Treatment Center
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — As a child welfare specialist for the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma more than a decade ago, Juli Skinner saw firsthand the impact of the opioid crisis on Cherokee families.
House Moves Education Plan: $500m Of New Funding, New Parental Choice Tax Credit
OKLAHOMA CITY (NONDOC) — House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) announced an education proposal, pairing school-choice reform with $500m of public school funding.
Latest Developments In The 1921 Graves Investigation
TULSA - Recent revelations have raised new questions concerning the integrity of the City of Tulsa’s 1921 Graves Investigation — the search for murdered victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
NATION — James Baldwin, American writer of profound insight, and sadly, a seer who appears to have precisely seen the current state of Black Americans and our relationship with law enforcement, warned us, almost 40 years ago.
TULSA – Ten candidates are vying to represent Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education District 2 seat, which represents a portion of North Tulsa along the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Expressway-Interstate 244 corridor. The position has become after Judith Barba Perez resigned because her husband has accepted a new job outside of Oklahoma.
Perez Resigns: TPS School Board Seeks Applicants for North Tulsa Seat
TULSA - The Tulsa Public School Board is gearing up to select a North Tulsa representative to replace Board member Judith Barba Perez. The Representative of District 2, since 2021, Perez abruptly resigned last Monday, effective after the next meeting of the TPS Board, scheduled for January 23.
Black Students Are Still Experiencing Pandemic Trauma
NATION (WORD IN BLACK) — People aren’t rubber bands. Even as kids attend school in- person full-time again and life slowly returns to normal, they aren’t going to snap back to who they were and how they felt before the COVID-19 pandemic. It had a deep and lasting impact on everyone, especially Black families and Black children.
