Archive Issues

1.12.2024

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.

1.05.2024

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.

12.29.2023

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.

12.22.2023

2023, A Year In Review

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.

12.15.2023

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.

12.08.2023

Popup Shops + Gift Guide

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.

12.01.2023

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.

11.24.2023

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 modest safe haven provided throughout the country’s and state’s racially charged history.

11.17.2023

Tulsa Honors Two Survivors

A Ceremony of Life for Hughes Van Ellis. A Birthday Party for Lessie Benningfield Randle.Both are survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

11.10.2023

A Tribute To The GAP Band’s Ronnie Wilson: A Lifetime Devoted To Funk And R&B

That is how north Tulsa paid tribute to Wilson, one of the northside community’s music icons who made it big in the entertainment world.

11.03.2023

Many Black Neighborhoods Are Not A City Priority

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.

10.27.2023

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.

10.20.2023

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.

10.13.2023

Dr. Ebony Johnson’s Mission To Uplift Tulsa Schools

TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS interim superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson is a leader on an urgent mission to restore and revive Tulsa schools.

10.06.2023

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.

9.22.2023

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.

9.15.2023

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.

9.08.2023

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.

9.01.2023

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.

8.25.2023

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.

8.18.2023

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.

8.11.2023

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.

8.4.2023

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.

7.28.2023

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.

7.21.2023

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.

7.14.2023

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.

7.7.2023

Top 10 Black History Events In July

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.

6.30.2023

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.

6.23.2023

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.

6.16.2023

"All The Fixins"

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.

6.09.2023

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.

6.02.2023

The Evans-Fintube Saga

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.

5.26.2023

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.

5.19.2023

Public Funding, Private Schools

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.

5.12.2023

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.

5.05.2023

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.

4.28.2023

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.

4.21.2023

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.

4.14.2023

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.

4.07.2023

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.

3.31.2023

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.

3.24.2023

Black Wall Street & Greenwood's Epic Story

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.

3.17.2023

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.

3.10.2023

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.

3.03.2023

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.

2.24.2023

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.

2.17.2023

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.

2.10.2023

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.

2.03.2023

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.

1.27.2023

The Killing Of Tyre Nichols

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.

1.20.2023

TPS Board Moves To Fill North Tulsa Dist. 2 Seat

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.

1.13.2023

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.

1.06.2023

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.