Focus: Black Oklahoma

"A Heavy Blow: The Pandemic's Impact on Domestic Violence" is the second episode in our three-part series "Black Plague: COVID In North Tulsa." This episode examines the pandemic's effect on domestic violence and mental health as well as the organizations helping to address the new challenges brought on by COVID while keeping up with the problems already affecting people.

The series was made in partnership with Solutions Journalism Network, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, and Tri-City Collective.

"Lost Childhood: The Visible and Invisible Weight of COVID on North Tulsa Youth" is the first in our three part series "Black Plague: COVID in North Tulsa." This episode focuses on how the pandemic has altered the lives of young people in north Tulsa. We look at food access, mental health, and free time, among other topics, and how young folks' experiences with these things have changed since COVID.

The series was made in partnership with Solutions Journalism Network, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, and Tri-City Collective.

On this episode of Focus: Black Oklahoma, we explore why citizens in Black and Indigenous communities harbor a deep distrust for vaccines, and the history that validates their concerns. We report on the Ku Klux Klan's attempts to recruit new members in several small towns right after the Presidential election and sit down to find out what it takes to fight for life on death row and the creative allies necessary to prove innocence. We also spotlight a leader behind an organization that addresses the lack of Black women in executive roles in corporate America and look at the horizon of Oklahoma’s first all-Black town and the ambitions of the Black women leading its development efforts. Finally, we follow a performer whose talent takes her from local venues to the national stage.

On this episode of Focus: Black Oklahoma, the alarming death rate Black women experience during childbirth, a rural teacher speaks out about potentially dangerous protocols in a northeastern school district and why it's unsafe, how Black nurses are going above and beyond to support their patients and their community during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unexpected lesson COVID-19 revealed at Muskogee's Cherokee Elementary school, the Biden administration's promises to the Black community and we speak with Marilyn Vann, the president of the Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association, who is running for a seat on the Cherokee Tribal Council.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is a news and public affairs program covering topics relevant to the Black and other historically marginalized communities statewide. The show seeks to inform the public through stories and interviews, engage the community through lively discussion, and spotlight local artists and creators. For more information visit us at focusblackoklahoma.com.

Hosts Arielle Davis and Kolby Webster introduce this episode of Focus: Black Oklahoma, our second broadcast. This originally aired on KWGS in March of 2020.

In our first story, we learn what Hunger Free Oklahoma is doing to keep children across the state fed amongst the many disruptions of the COVID 19 crisis. Executive Director Chris Bernard takes us through the connections from food insecurity to the school to prison pipeline, health outcomes, college and career readiness, and disease prevention. Find out more at mealsforkidsok.org & hungerfreeok.org.

With the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Anniversary on the horizon, and Mayor G. T. Bynum's commitment to uncover the mass graves that resulted from the massacre. Many Tulsans are experiencing polarized responses for how the city can move forward in a way that honors descendants and Black Tulsans who live with the aftermath of a destroyed community. Crystal Patrick speaks with Rev. Robert Turner (who was at historic Vernon AME Church at the time the story aired) about the complexities.

Allison Ikley-Freeman is running for re-election in Oklahoma State Senate District 37. District 37 includes parts of Jenks, Sand Springs, and Tulsa. Ikley-Freeman was first elected in 2017 during a special election. With deep roots in Tulsa, Ikley-Freeman's parents are McLain grads who still live in Sperry, Ikley-Freeman spent formative years in Turley. [As of the publication of this remastered podcast, Ikley-Freeman now goes by Taten Freeman]

Richard Baxter, also known as Negro Spiritual 121, is a formerly justice involved paralegal and activist. who has recently embarked on a unique campaign to help North Tulsa residents.

Continuing our international coverage of intimate partner violence, we explore simple solutions to combat the issue. Here is Kristi Eaton reporting from a Somalian region in Ethiopia. Could discussion over tea help prevent intimate partner violence in refugee settings? That's what two researchers, Dr. Vandana Sharma and Dr. Jennifer Scott, from Harvard University schools are trying to find out.

Musically, there are two worlds in Tulsa. The Tulsa sound, Leon Russell, J. J. Cale, and Paul Benjamin. Then there's the soul, composed of rhythm and blues, a southern touch of spirit, of call and response, and harmonious ballads. Talent, like the Gap Band, Full Flava Kings, and Fay and Bobby Moffett all of whom represent some of the artists not given the same invitation to the Tulsa Sound table. Written Quincy considers this in the second installment of his series on performing artists in Tulsa, discrimination, and what he calls the Brown Code.

Just Mercy, directed by Destin Daniel Creighton, is a film and number one bestselling true story of a man, Walter McMillan, portrayed by Jamie Foxx, who was wrongly convicted and incarcerated in 1980s Alabama. Through this story we find out about the Equal Justice Initiative, founded by the book's author Bryan Stevenson, played by Michael B Jordan. Other stand out performances include Herbert Richardson, portrayed in the film by Rob Morgan, and Oklahoma's own Tim Blake Nelson's performance of Ralph Myers. Focus Black Oklahoma film reviewer, Devin Williams, has our review.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership by Public Radio Tulsa, the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, and Tri-City Collective and is broadcast from the studios of Public Radio Tulsa on the campus of the University of Tulsa. Our theme music is by Moffat Music. Our contributing music artist on this broadcast is Malachi Burgess (Mali Music, Mali Motives).

Additional music is contributed by Two Piece. The executive producers of Focus: Black Oklahoma are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Scott Gregory. The Associate Producers are Bracken Klar and Ali Shaw.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, and Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the Commemoration Fund.

Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma’s executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Scott Gregory, Smriti Iyengar, and Jesse Ulrich.

Hosts Arielle Davis and Kolby Webster introduce Focus: Black Oklahoma in this, our first broadcast originally aired on KWGS in February of 2020.

Webster kicks of the show examining how gentrification, eminent domain, big strategic land buys and more are affecting Tulsa's downtown and adjacent neighborhoods with Becky Gligo, the housing policy director for the city of Tulsa mayor's office, touch on the basics of connecting neighbors, organizing, the characteristics of strong neighborhoods, and addressing their concerns.

Public discourse about immigration often suggests that DACA recipients are only people who entered the U.S. unlawfully from Central America. While nearly 700,000 reported DACA recipients are from Central American countries, nearly 100,000 are not. Approximately 5,000 are from countries in Africa. While the conversation can be contentious, not every immigrant has the same backstory or point of origin, as we hear in this next piece from Anissa West.

Listen to the moving, true story of a formerly incarcerated woman and how she is working to change the prison system for other women. The state of Oklahoma leads the nation in the number of incarcerated women. Crystal Patrick brings us this piece.

Mass incarceration is a national crisis. Oklahoma incarcerates more men and women than any other state. Tulsa introduced legislation to reduce the rates at which black Tulsans are arrested and incarcerated. Mika Nicole brings us a story on what Oklahoma is and is not doing on the municipal level to address this issue.

When discussing incarceration, things can sometimes become overwhelming and abstract-- because we're talking about numbers, statistics, and raw data. We now move away from the abstraction to introduce you to two Black men who were incarcerated for over 20 years for crimes they did not commit. Negro Spiritual 121 has the story.

Next, the first in a series of stories from contributor Kristi Eaton on the power of podcasting to transform torn communities. She speaks with Somali refugees and the Harvard professors behind a newly created podcast.

Kojo Asamoah Caesar has entered his name into the District 1 Congressional race. If elected, he would become the first Black person to hold that office. Kojo discussed his plans to strengthen communities by retaining untapped talent with Focus Black Oklahoma's Bracken Klar.

Over the last few years Black women across the nation are starting more businesses than any other group. In Tulsa, they are opening businesses in the historic Black Wall Street District. Kiana Smith sits down with Charity Marcus to explore this story.

Finally, we offer a story on Black artists, musicians and promoters encountering discrimination at venues across Tulsa. This discrimination is referred to as "The Brown Code." This piece is the first in a series from our contributor Written Quincy.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership by Public Radio Tulsa, the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, and Tri-City Collective and is broadcast from the studios of Public Radio Tulsa on the campus of the University of Tulsa. Our theme music is by Moffat Music. Additional music is contributed by Two Piece.

The executive producers of Focus: Black Oklahoma are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Scott Gregory. The Associate Producers are Bracken Klar and Ali Shaw.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, and Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the Commemoration Fund.

Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma’s executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Scott Gregory, Smriti Iyengar, and Jesse Ulrich.