Our community: Here are 44 of the incredible Oklahomans we've met over the last year
Looking back at the dozens of GTK articles we've published over the past year, we've initiated conversations with a wide variety of Oklahomans. The list includes corporate executives, legislative leaders, heads of state agencies and nonprofit organizations, along with a college president, a mayor, a tennis coach and a zookeeper. We've interviewed leaders in the Latino and Asian communities and icons of the Black civil rights movement. We've shared the views of people with widely different political persuasions, from the former owner of OKC's biggest gun store and the author of the state's restrictive abortion law, to the head of the state teacher's union and an activist for more youth social services. And we've tackled issues like poor school performance, legal aid for those who can't afford attorneys, deportation of unlawful immigrants, missing and murdered Native American women, among others.
We hope you've found these weekly conversations with fellow Oklahomans enlightening and fun to read.
And we're calling for your for help in making the second year of our series even more worthwhile.
Tell us who you think we should all "Get to Know." All we need is the suggestion, and we'll follow through.
Send your thoughts to me directly at Or use the email address for letters to the editor: . We're looking forward to hearing from you.
In case you missed them, here is a sampling of some of the thoughts shared by those we interviewed:
"It's been a long time since I've been in school, but even with my children, I don't believe the Tulsa massacre in 1921 or the massacre of some of our Native Americans in pre-statehood days has ever been told in the textbooks, at least until recently. I give speeches about historical events like that in Oklahoma, and people will say, 'I never heard about that.' We just didn't cover what I believe are ugly parts. For example, the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s was so powerful it controlled much of the government, and we didn't learn that growing up. It's important to study even the ugly parts of our history. If we don't talk about our mistakes with the next generation, how will they learn?"
(Read more here.)
"One out of five children live in poverty in Oklahoma. How are we addressing that? Because until we address the poverty situation, we'll never have change. I feel like I need a button that reads, 'Because of Poverty, Because of Poverty, Because of Poverty,' because when we talk about almost every issue we have, the overarching issue is poverty. Take education. Our teachers are struggling to teach our kids because the kids aren't getting what they need at home because of poverty, right? People aren't earning a living wage, and we're 80,000 units short of obtainable housing because of poverty."
(Read more here)
"Legal Aid doesn't have the capacity to do all that needs to be done. We do the best we can. We try to be where our clients already congregate. Health care facilities, for example. We're at 35 different hospitals and clinics across the state. We have about 230-240 lawyers, and that makes us the biggest law firm in the state, which isn't known by a lot of people. Why don't more people come? Transportation is still an issue. People are sometimes intimidated, thinking they have to go to a legal office. They may think they're going to get charged, even though we don't charge anybody anything."
(Read More)
"We have people from all walks of life, all career paths. Some of our students already have four-year degrees and are coming back to upskill or reskill. We have younger folks who kind of fit the traditional college pattern and others who are balancing jobs, families and school. We are a beautifully diverse campus in terms of gender, ethnicity, and I am very proud of that. I would also say that we're an emerging Hispanic institution, which means that nearly 25% of our students are Hispanic. We see the diversity on our campus as value added, and it's not something that we shy away from here."
(Read More)
"The culture here in Oklahoma is different than it is in other places I've lived. We have a tendency here to let sleeping dogs lie. Even African Americans here have been basically nonviolent people. The closest you came to a protest was probably when Mrs. (Clara) Luper did the sit-in at the drugstore. There are more doors to kick open, but that's a scary thing to some folks. To this day, there's a hesitancy to some in saying the name of this center, the Black Liberated Arts Center."
(Read More)
Historian Bob Burke on Oklahoma history, and what's happening now
Oklahoman opened doors for Dallas Mavericks CEO, Black women in STEM
OKC nonprofit Palomar works to curb domestic violence, sexual abuse
OKC Zoo's chief of animal programs officer talks animal care
Coach Dick Villaflor retires as one of best Oklahoma HS tennis coaches
Sandino Thompson seeks to rebuild community for OKC's minorities
Oklahoma tribal leader, educator wants to improve understanding
Douglass tennis star in Oklahoma elevates sport for Trojans, community
OKC's Latino community alarmed by state's new immigration law
Former H&H Shooting Sports owner talks gun rights in the United States
Meals on Wheels OKC helps feed 22,000 seniors each week
OKC civil rights activist Joyce Jackson works to energize next generation
OU College of Medicine Dean Ian Dunn on teaching reproductive care
OKCPS nutrition program director feeds 32,000 students
So far, spiritual adviser Jeff Hood has seen seven executions
Feroz Bashari, refugee in Oklahoma, was once voice for Afghan government
OKC painter Kiona Wooton Millirons pours pain of sister's death into art
What are Oklahomans thinking? Pollster Pat McFerron keeps tabs
New OKC public works director looks ahead to new projects, Olympics
OSU professor Joey Senat talks Oklahoma open records, open meeting law
Tulsa Oklahoma writer Rhys Martin an advocate for preserving Route 66
Oklahoma Policy Institute seeks nonpartisan help for those in need
Sisu Youth Services' leader explains causes of youth homelessness
How unlikely mayor of Hochatown became an activist for the community
Geothermal energy could be a new winner for state's oil & gas industry
Former Boys & Girls Club CEO's book promotes the after-school program
Oklahoma senator says changes in state abortion law necessary
Finding a job is big business for Express Employment's Bill Stoller
Oklahoma City Community College president talks goals, next 50 years
Latinos in OKC unsure whether to be hopeful or fearful after election
Free assistance from Legal Aid helps many Oklahomans in trouble
Teachers union leader says Ryan Walters has created 'culture of fear'
How OKC's Asian District can grow according to these business owners
Utopia Plastix in Oklahoma's goal to replace conventional plastics
New Oklahoma House Speaker Hilbert on tax cuts, mental health, abortion
New Oklahoma Senate leader Lonnie Paxton wants income tax cuts
Jimmy's Egg OKC restaurant owner shares his story on immigration
Meet Cyndi Thomas, an OKC high school guidance counselor
Meet the Oklahoma woman fighting against the nation's 'silent epidemic'
Meet co-founder of Potts Family Foundation helping Oklahoma education
Meet the OU scientist looking for breakthroughs in tornado research
Meet the woman heading an effort to improve access to reproductive care in Oklahoma
She was one of many helping the wounded at the OKC bombing. Now she helps preserve the victims' memory
Meet a legislator passionate about education. Could he someday replace Ryan Walters?
In 2025, we have allowed you to learn more about some of our staff members, as well. Here are some teams we've featured.
Faith, food and fun: Meet The Oklahoman's Features team reporting on it all
Answering the big questions that are important to you
Oklahoma's moments, on film and on paper: Meet The Oklahoman's visuals team
Full-court press: Meet The Oklahoman sports team reporting on the OKC Thunder during the 2025 NBA Playoffs
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 44 Oklahomans we've met who are changing the state for the better
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Following conversations about private development at the beach, a group of citizens organized the Virginia Key Beach Park Civil Rights Task Force. Shortly after, the city commission established the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust to oversee the development of the property. The park was closed for 26 years before it reopened in 2008, following restoration efforts. Range said in that time, the park had overgrown with exotic flora and fauna. 'During the years when the park was closed, many invasive species of plants overgrew in the park, things that were not native or natural to the land,' he said. One of the first things the trust did was remove the plants. They then added necessary amenities such as restrooms, power and water. Other fixtures of the park such as the minitrain and the carousel were also restored. The park's trust has had its fair share of controversies. In 2022, Miami commissioners voted to oust the board members, which included Patrick Range, and replaced them with city commission members. Councilwoman Christine King became the trust's board chair and the board appointed two Black attorneys to the board. Range criticized the decision to remove the trust's board members as politically-motivated. In a statement, King said the beach is 'a powerful reminder of the generations whose advocacy turned adversity into legacy' and is a 'testament to our community's strength, pride, and rightful place in the story of Miami.' She did not respond to a request for comment on the status of the museum, but has said in the past she is not in favor of large-scale development. Edwards came into her role in 2023, just as the dust was settling from the shake up, she said, adding much of her work has focused on providing the board with details and updates about the park and letting them know ways they can support it. 'When I got here, everybody was willing to participate and provide us our support, but they really wanted to know what we needed,' she said. Edwards said the trust has expanded its public outreach efforts, including having school field trips and working with senior citizens at Carrie Meek/Charles Hadley Senior Center to collect their oral stories related to the park. She also acknowledged the trust is working with a vendor to get the train back operating and that the carousel is undergoing repairs. For Edwards, the preservation of the park is just as personal to her as it is to Range. 'My stepdad's from Allapattah, and I talk about it in every interview that I do, that was the only beach that he could visit,' she said. 'Mind you, they were all the way inland and driving all the way down here. There's stories some people tell us, before even the causeway was here, that they had to come by boat and ferry. Their grandparents or their parents took them.' Edwards said the park's preservation and 80th celebration helps honor those such as Lawson Thomas who fought for Black people to even have a beach in Miami-Dade County. She noted that activists risked their lives so that Black people could enjoy recreation, and even then she pointed out that Black people were given the worst part of the beach. 'We made it the best part of the beach for us, the people,' she said. Despite his criticisms, Range said celebrating the park this weekend is a chance to 'bang the drum for Virginia Key Beach Park' and make people aware of it and its importance given the current political climate. 'This is an opportunity to counteract that, to let the local politicians know that our history is important to us and we're not just going to let it go away,' he said. 'We're going to celebrate it and we expect you to celebrate it with us and promote it.' If you go: WHAT: Historic Virginia Key Beach Park 80th Anniversary WHEN: Friday, Aug. 1 - Sunday, Aug. 3 WHERE: Virginia Key Beach Park COST: Free INFO:
