After the abolition of slavery, black Oklahomans continued struggling in the fight for equality. They faced Jim Crow laws, which suppressed their voting rights and segregated the state, until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 gradually began to dismantle those laws. Though Jim Crow laws were overruled, years of court challenges continued to tackle institutional […]
Miguel Rios
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Church of yesterday
The 32-acre property owned by First Christian Church is under contract to a buyer who will only complete the purchase on the condition that it be demolished. Ward 2 councilman Ed Shadid heard from a member of the church’s board that the interested buyer was concerned about the recent publicity surrounding a possible demolition. First […]
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Capitol CAIR
The Oklahoma chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has seen its annual Muslim Day at the Capitol event grow exponentially since 2015. What started as a somewhat basic introduction to the Capitol has grown into a full-blown day of action and advocacy. Lani Habrock, CAIR government affairs director, said the group began the event […]
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Voices heard
Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office recently announced its intent to form a citizens advisory board (CAB). The board will advise the sheriff’s office with regard to “community-police relations and best practices,” according to a press release. Members of Voices Organized in Civic Engagement (VOICE), a coalition of churches, nonprofits and schools, came up with the idea […]
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Black Oklahoma
The history of black Oklahomans is tied to the Trail of Tears, as slaves came with their Native American masters to what became known as Oklahoma. Slavery continued until the Civil War era, but the oppression of black people continues far beyond that. Today, black Oklahomans still deal with racism and oppression stemming from those […]
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Take Pride
For the first time in decades, OKC Pride Inc. will not host the annual Pride festivities. Instead, 39th Street District Association will take lead on the parade and festival that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Former OKC Pride president Lori Honeycutt was charged with embezzling about $5,000 from the organization last September, which left the group […]
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Park place
MAPS 3-funded Scissortail Park is nearing completion, with the upper park set to open with a four-day celebration in late September if construction goes smoothly. The lower park will not open until late next year or 2022. Maureen Heffernan, Scissortail Park Foundation director, gave an update on the park at the end of January. Scissortail […]
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Finding justice
Former University of Oklahoma law professor Anita Hill entered the national spotlight in 1991, testifying against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, whom she accused of sexual harassment. Though Thomas went on to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, Hill’s legacy transcends those Senate hearings and lives on in modern movements like #MeToo. Now […]
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Suite perks
Oklahoma City adopted a complimentary ticket policy in 2002 that allows the mayor and members of Oklahoma City Council two free tickets per event at Chesapeake Energy Arena, Civic Center Music Hall and other venues. The ticket policy states the official must use one ticket and a guest could use the other; tickets cannot be […]
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Youth protection
Sara Cunningham is the founder of Free Mom Hugs, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. She went viral last year after volunteering to be a stand-in mom at same-sex weddings where couples’ parents refuse to attend. But before she became an advocate, Cunningham thought being gay was an ultimate offense to God. “Our youngest […]