Focus: Black Oklahoma

2:02 In part two of her look at the growing wave of attacks on free speech across college campuses, Nico Berlin takes us inside the story of the Maneater, the University of Missouri’s printed newspaper which switched to a digital only platform in May 2023 after nearly seven decades of publication. In her story, she reminds us that printed newspapers are significant because they make truth tangible.

11:18 Breast cancer touches families across every community, yet the burden of this disease is not shared equally. For Black women, a breast cancer diagnosis too often carries higher stakes, revealing how survival is shaped not only by biology, but by history, access, and justice. This disparity reflects deeper inequities. Danielle A. Melton brings us more.

20:40 As Oklahoma reduces nearly $40 million from its mental health budget, community-based programs across the state are feeling the impact. In the second part of her series on mental health, Alana Mbanza examines how therapists, artists, and community organizers are creating alternative spaces for healing, connection, and support.

34:57 Clara Luper, also known as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, was recently commemorated in the form of a statue honoring her legacy leading Oklahoma City’s sit-in movement. Luper and the work of her student activists will now be memorialized forever. FBO’s Sondra Slade was there.

45:36 This podcast episode closes with a poem by Tinasha LaRayeė. She read this poem at the unveiling of the Clara Luper statue in Oklahoma City.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward.

Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew. Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jess Grimes, Roma Carter, and Anna Wilson.

You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK.

You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.

You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://linktr.ee/focusblackok

1:33 Focus: Black Oklahoma’s Venson Fields turns our attention to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits crisis. Tens of thousands of families across the state are still feeling the ripple effects of the government shutdown—not in abstract political terms, but in their kitchens and on their dinner tables.

10:22 At the University of Central Oklahoma, student journalists at The Vista have found their independence and integrity under fire, facing administrative pressures. These moments raise urgent questions about who gets to tell the story, whose voices are heard, and what happens to democracy when student press freedom is stifled. Nico Berlin takes a closer look at the growing wave of attacks on free speech across college campuses—right here at home and across the nation.

17:30 In May of this year, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services revealed a 30 million dollar budget shortfall, which required an emergency appropriation by the state legislature. In September, the legislature announced hundreds of contracts would not be renewed to address the department’s budget going forward. FBO’s Alana Mbanza explores the human costs of these cuts.

27:37 According to the World Health Organization, “Everyone, if they live long enough, will experience at least one eye condition in their lifetime that will require appropriate care.” An estimated 2.2 billion people, or a quarter of the world’s population, live with visual impairment or blindness. In the town of Kinondo in Kenya, multiple organizations came together to provide vision care during World Blindness Month. Zaakirah Muhammad has details.

33:18 A year after the opening of Zink Lake in Tulsa, questions continue to surface about the safety and quality of water in the Arkansas River. FBO’s Roma Carter spoke with independent journalist Molly Bullock about her coverage of waterway contamination.

41:35 For generations, African American musicians have turned rhythm into revolution—using their art to challenge racism, economic oppression, and social injustice. From gospel to hip-hop, protest songs to soul anthems, Francia Allen continues her series on music & culture as she traces how music continues to impact both hearts and movements, amplifying the call for freedom, dignity, and a world grounded in love.

49:28 Finally, we pause to remember. This poem, written by Brooks Lansana, invites us into a space of reflection—of memory and reverence—for those whose names were never spoken, whose stories were buried beneath the ashes of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

51:15 Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew.

You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK.

You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.

You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://linktr.ee/focusblackok

1:03 As the world celebrated a new ceasefire agreement in Gaza, other conflicts continue to rage across the globe, including in Sudan. In January, then Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared the Sudanese military and allied militias were committing genocide. What does this have to do with Oklahoma? Here’s FBO’s Nick Alexandrov.

11:24 As federal budget cuts to healthcare and education take hold, more families in the United States will have to make difficult choices. In Oklahoma, the disparities are evident for students with special needs and people with multiple sclerosis. Zaakirah Muhammad has the story.

21:48 Since the passage of Oklahoma House Bill 1775 in 2021, educators and librarians have had to carefully navigate book offerings in classes and libraries. While legal challenges to the law persist, students of all ages risk missing out on learning opportunities that are only available in some banned books. Jess Grimes has more.

30:57 What began as a town hall for Enid’s Hispanic community turned into a cross-cultural summit—bringing together neighbors from all backgrounds to tackle shared struggles and build unity. Here’s Venson Fields with details.

39:56 Nestled in the Brookside neighborhood of Tulsa is a garden that's not just for growing herbs and vegetables, but for cultivating indigenous knowledge, wellness, and community. A nonprofit called "Burning Cedar Sovereign Wellness" aims to provide resources to tribal citizens living in an urban environment to promote health and cultural connection with an emphasis on growing and cooking food. Nico Berlin has details.

47:17 Here’s FBO’s Sondra Slade with a friendly reminder that sometimes driving on Oklahoma roads requires the heart of a lion.

50:59 Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew.

You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK.

You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.

You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://linktr.ee/focusblackok

2:27 As the war in Gaza approaches its two year mark, criticism of Israel and support for the Palestinian population has ignited debates over free speech in the United States. Universities have become nexuses of protest against US support of Israel in the conflict, and the federal government’s response has been to block education funding for schools and targeting activists for deportation. State governments and universities have begun taking their own actions to curtail pro-Palestine sentiments on campus. Nico Berlin has the story.

9:34 Across Oklahoma, and the country, women are facing unaffordable childcare, rising maternal mortality rates, and a lack of support systems. National problems require national solutions, and Mom Congress, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is lobbying for federal legislation to address these gaps. Here’s Danielle A. Melton.

17:13 In May of this year, Oklahoma passed Senate Bill 806, otherwise known as the Food as Medicine Act. The bill aims to expand nutrition services and recognize the importance of food as a contributing factor to public health. A national organization based in Tulsa has been working to empower chefs to be nutrition leaders for their communities. Juddie Williams has details.

30:08 In our first segment about music and social movements, Francia Allen explored how gospel, blues, and songs of the Civil Rights movement helped elevate the voices of resistance for African Americans. In part two of the series, she focuses on the powerful ways Indigenous communities have raised their voices in resistance and pushed back against cultural discrimination, immigration issues, and treaty violations while staying connected to Native traditions. Here’s FBO’s Francia Allen.

40:35 The international conference Black Portraiture[s] will be hosted by New York University-Tulsa Friday October 3rd. The tenth in the series, the event will bring together scholars and artists to study the art and culture of the African Diaspora. Dr. Deborah Willis, University Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University has been a co-organizer since 2006. For more information and registration online visit blackportraitures.info

44:10 Turns out finding you’re allergic to coconut after eating half your birthday cake isn’t the best party favor. For 11-year-old Sondra Slade, what started as the perfect day of pancakes, bike rides, and backyard BBQ ended with a dramatic faceplant into the condiment table – and a family still convinced that “just wiping it off” fixes everything.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew.

Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jess Grimes, Roma Carter, and Anna Wilson.

You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK.

You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.

You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://linktr.ee/focusblackok

1:53 Sex scandals and whistleblowers routinely make national headlines, but for years one Oklahoma whistleblower’s report has been swept under the rug. Dr. Whitney Louis was fired in January 2023 from her job as a prison psychologist at the Dr. Eddie Warrior Correctional Center in Taft, after she reported numerous instances of rape and sexual assault of inmates by prison staff. Jeremy Kuzmarov has the story.

20:34 In Oklahoma, just on the border of Kansas, stands a ghost town haunted not by ghosts or evil spirits but by extreme pollution. The abandoned town of Picher is part of the Tar Creek Superfund Site, so declared in 1983 due to contamination from mining operations. Over 40 years later, little cleanup progress has been made but two non-governmental organizations are working to change that. FBO’s Roma Carter has more.

29:47 In recent months the City of Tulsa has introduced myriad solutions to address the issue of homelessness. These programs and policy changes — ranging from additional shelters, increased access to services, and the installation of boulders at the Denver Avenue bus station downtown — have many Tulsans raising questions about how these decisions are made and whether they will achieve their intended outcomes. Listen to Carlos Moreno for more.

37:57 The third annual Legacy Open Rodeo will take place Saturday August 23rd in Purcell. Focus: Black Oklahoma is a sponsor of the Legacy Open Rodeo, which is the only rodeo in the state led by a woman. Jamie Glisson tells about this Oklahoma original.

43:37 It’s been said that "laughter is the best medicine," but when Sondra Slade was trapped at an airport gate with a loquacious lady, she had to come up with a new cure of her own.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew.

Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jordan Sinkfield, Jess Grimes, & Roma Carter.

You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK.

You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.

You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://linktr.ee/focusblackok

1:41 For people convicted of a crime, punishments can extend beyond time behind bars. They can lose the right to vote, own a gun, or lose access to certain career fields- and with colleges and universities screening for criminal history on admission applications, they can lose access to higher education. However, a legal movement is working to change that. FBO’s Dr. Nick Alexandrov has more.

10:35 A curfew prohibiting anyone under the age of 18 to be in downtown Tulsa on weekends was established in late June. The new policy was implemented in response to downtown business owners telling city leaders they believe the presence of youth near their establishments is harmful. A recent string of violent incidents this year involving young people downtown was the catalyst for this curfew. We hear from some young people who say that there is much more to consider with this policy. Carlos Moreno has the story.

21:22 When the Trump administration cut nearly $400 million dollars in AmeriCorps grants – almost half the agency’s budget – it left programs across the country reeling. In Guthrie, the impact was immediate: volunteer capacity plummeted, youth and education programs stalled, and staff morale sank as the community’s safety net frayed. FBO’s Jordan Sinkfield has more.

28:42 A new chapter of international friendship is unfolding. In April 2024, Tulsa signed its ninth Sister City agreement with Mwanza, Tanzania—its first new partnership in nearly 20 years. For Tulsans and Tanzanians alike, this connection offers a chance to deepen cultural ties, build business relationships, and challenge the stereotypes that often cloud perceptions of the African continent. FBO’s Zaakirah Muhammad has more.

39:59 Turns out, finding out you’re allergic to coconut after eating half your birthday cake isn’t the best party favor. For 11-year-old Sondra Slade, what started as the perfect day of pancakes, bike rides, and backyard BBQ ended with a dramatic faceplant into the condiment table – and a family still convinced that “just wiping it off” fixes everything.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward.

Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew. Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jordan Sinkfield, Jess Grimes, & Roma Carter.

You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.

You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://linktr.ee/focusblackok

Despite a valiant effort by KOSU listeners and public media supporters nationwide, Congress has voted to rescind $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

This money had already been promised and budgeted for at KOSU and public media stations across the country. Losing it is devastating, and one NPR estimate shows that roughly 18% of the country’s public radio stations will close imminently, and nearly a third of listeners would lose access to NPR programming.

The rescission package is expected to be signed by President Trump soon, as he initially requested the move from Congress.

To be clear, this does not mean KOSU is going away. Thanks to you, KOSU is set up well for the future. However, this loss of foundational funding will likely result in a reduction of programming or local news without additional support.

1. Support KOSU directly by making a donation, or increasing your existing monthly or annual gift. This is the most effective thing you can do for KOSU. Support from people like you makes up the largest part of KOSU’s budget.
2. Sign up for email alerts from KOSU so you never miss an update. You can do that here.
3. Spread the word. Share this page with your family and friends, and tell them what KOSU's news, information and music service means to you and our community.

Still have questions about how you can help?

Please reach out to us at [email protected].

In the next few days, the U.S. Senate will consider a package that would devastate many public radio stations by clawing back two years of previously approved funding. At KOSU, it would significantly impact our ability to provide emergency alerts and Oklahoma news.

You can help by calling Senator Lankford and Senator Mullin to ask them to resist the rescission because of the impact it would have on Oklahoma. Here is a sample script.

Sen. James Lankford: 202-224-5754

Sen. Markwayne Mullin: 202-224-4721

Don't live in Oklahoma? Check this listing for your Senator's contact information.

Find out more on how you can make a difference at kosu.org/cuts.

00:49 This past month, Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols announced the creation of the Greenwood Trust, a $105 million private fund dedicated to repairing and restoring the Greenwood District—site of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. In an address rich with history and a call for shared courage, Nichols described the fund as the city’s next step in righting past wrongs and investing in a more just and equitable future. Let’s listen to this historic moment.

6:43 A young man locked up for a minor probation violation is dead—his body battered and his family left in the dark. The case of Marquiel Ross, a 24-year-old from Tulsa, raises serious questions about a broken prison system and the deadly consequences of a culture of neglect and mismanagement. Jeremy Kuzmarov has details.

21:31 In the conclusion of our broadcast of Tribal Justice: The struggle for Black Rights on Native Land (full story can be found on Audible.com), we hear about Michael Hill, a Cherokee Freedmen who was arrested by the Okmulgee Police in the fall of 2020. He fought to have his case transferred to tribal court because he's an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. After all, this was right after the McGirt decision which returned criminal jurisdiction to tribal nations in Oklahoma when they involve Native people-like Michael. But Michael's case was complicated-because of his status as a Black man with no blood quantum, his case did not qualify to be transferred. In this series, we've been exploring how centuries old laws have impacted people like Michael, and his brother Mikail, who was murdered in 2016. His case was transferred out of state court even though, like Michael, he is an enrolled Cherokee Freedmen. Listen as Allison Herrera and Adreanna Rodriguez conclude the story.

29:59 In the first months of President Trump’s second term, the phrase "constitutional crisis” has routinely made headlines, but for United States military veterans it’s not just another media buzzword. Across the country a new movement has formed to give veterans a public forum to address concerns about the erosion of the federal government’s system of checks and balances and civil rights established by the U.S. Constitution. One town hall meeting was recently held in Enid. Venson Fields has the story.

40:28 Tulsa City-County Library’s, or TCCL's, annual summer reading initiative "One Book, One Tulsa" is in full swing. With the goal of promoting literacy and community conversations, the novel This Great Hemisphere by author Mateo Askaripour has been selected for the program. G. Vickers speaks with the author and brings us details on the program.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio and Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by The Commemoration Fund and Press Forward.

Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma’s executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, and Naomi Agnew. Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jordan Sinkfield, Jessica Grimes, and Roma Carter.

You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com and on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOk and on Facebook at facebook.com/FocusBlackOk.

You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or where ever you get your podcasts.

https://linktr.ee/focusblackok

For decades, homeschooling in the U.S. was largely associated with white, religious, or affluent families. But as Danielle A. Melton reports, a growing number of Black families are turning to homeschooling, seeking a more rigorous, culturally relevant education for their children.

In our penultimate installment of Tribal Justice: The struggle for Black Rights on Native Land (full story can be found on Audible.com), we hear about Michael Hill, a Cherokee Freedmen who was arrested by the Okmulgee Police in the fall of 2020. He fought to have his case transferred to tribal court because he's an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. After all, this was right after the McGirt decision, which returned criminal jurisdiction to tribal nations in Oklahoma when they involve Native people-like Michael. But, Michael's case was complicated-because of his status as a Black man with no blood quantum, his case did not qualify to be transferred. In this series, we've been exploring how centuries old laws have impacted people like Michael, and his brother Mikail, who was murdered in 2016. His case was transferred out of state court-even though like Michael, he is an enrolled Cherokee Freedmen. Listen as Allison Herrera and Adreanna Rodriguez give us the story.

While return-to-office mandates make headlines in the United States, Kenya is developing the infrastructure and policy to become a global remote work destination. The capital, Nairobi, has earned a distinct nickname thanks in part to investment in telecommunications, education, and technology tailored to meet local needs. Here’s Zaakirah Muhammad with more.

Generosity often battles for space amid profit margins but here in Oklahoma, one small nonprofit in has managed to turn second-hand treasures into first-class impact. Park Avenue Thrift, a thrift store in Enid, didn’t just settle for selling used clothing and furniture—it became a lifeline for other nonprofits, a backbone for community arts, and a catalyst for change. Recently, Park Avenue Thrift took home a major award from the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP). Venson Fields spoke with the prize winners.

This year’s Ride to Remember and Ride for Equity cycling events kick off Saturday May 31st in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District. Osborne Celestain, founder of The Community Light Foundation which hosts Ride to Remember, and Linda Jackson of the Major Taylor Oklahoma Cycling Club will be cycling from Black Wall Street in Tulsa to Wall Street in New York City for the 1645 mile Ride for Equity. FBO’s Bracken Klar pulled up with Celestain and Jackson.

Throughout United States history, music has been the heartbeat of political movements, marches, and protests. For Black Americans especially, music has been a source of comfort and strength in the face of systemic injustice. For the second part of FBO’s Culture and Music series, Tulsa musicians David B. Smith and Charlie Redd share music's power to heal, inspire, and fuel social change with Francia Allen.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar & Naomi Agnew. Our production intern is Alexander Evans.

You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK.

You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.

You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.