March 2019

Oklahoma schools aren’t equipped to handle the mental health crisis in its schools. Teachers are not mental health professionals. They aren’t trained to provide trauma-informed care nor should they be expected to do so. 

There were so many multifaceted layers to unpack with that question. I couldn’t sum up what it was like growing up among faces that did not look like mine and within institutions that systematically did not welcome my presence.

Racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic language and Nazi propaganda used to vandalize the Oklahoma Democratic Party HQ in an apparent hate crime.

Lawyers for Empire Star Jussie Smollett hit back hard against the Chicago Police Department and District Attorney’s office on Tuesday morning after all sixteen charges against the actor for allegedly faking a hate crime were suddenly dropped.

Bonnie Kukla’s beliefs negatively impact her perceived legitimacy and therefore the perceived legitimacy of Tulsa and Tulsa County’s government.  Oklahoma is an at-will state. In the same way a woman who openly yells racist profanities at an innocent bystander may lose her job after going viral, when someone’s extracurricular activities negatively impact how the organization they belong to is perceived by the public, that organization is within its bounds to fire that employee. 

I want to continue having hope for Black students who are attending these failing public schools in Tulsa; however, how long does it take a school district to implement the promises of racial equality and equity in the form of academic progress and college and career readiness for its Black students?

Facing a continued shortage of substitute teachers, Tulsa Public Schools is inviting community members to attend a Substitute Teacher Hiring Fair on Monday, March 25 from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. at Wilson Teaching and Learning (2710 E. 11th St).