What is the 'Oklahoma Standard'? What to know about the saying and its tie to OKC bombing
Thirty years ago, a tragedy left its mark on Oklahoma City and the state, but out of it came a spirit of resilience and unity known as the "Oklahoma Standard."
Born out of the response to the Oklahoma City bombing, it's something Oklahomans pride themselves on, and it gets them through hard times.
Here's what you need to know about the Oklahoma Standard and how it relates to the Oklahoma City bombing.
The Oklahoma City bombing: A timeline of events, the aftermath
Dubbed as such by the news media and first responders, then-Gov. Frank Keating said the Oklahoma Standard was represented by "aggressively generous" Oklahomans in the aftermath of the bombing, Keating told The Oklahoman in 2021.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum officially defines the Oklahoma Standard as "a statewide initiative preserving and promoting a culture of caring citizens by encouraging acts of service, honor and kindness."
More: For Bill Clinton, the Oklahoma City bombing isn't just history — it's personal
Today and in the 30 years since the bombing, the Oklahoma Standard has been seen in responses to everything from tornadoes, floods and other natural disasters, the global pandemic, economic downturns and more.
At the end of the day, the Oklahoma Standard is about "people helping people," Kari Watkins, executive director of the Memorial and Museum, told the Oklahoman in 2021.
But what exactly did Oklahomans do to inspire this spirit they aim to live by?
More than 7,000 Oklahomans lined up to give blood in the days following the bombing, according to Our Blood Institute. Oklahomans opened up their homes, provided meals and other donations for the first responders that dug through the rubble finding both survivors and those killed.
"New Yorkers told me, 'The first Trade Center bombing we had to pay $5 for a sack of ice,'" Keating told The Oklahoman. "In Oklahoma, the laundry was free, the meals were free. Anywhere in the city you went, you never got a bill."
Many would say this spirit of generosity has been part of the state since it was founded, according to the museum, and that it was only given a name when those from the outside noticed how different Oklahomans' response was.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Standard: What to know about the saying, its tie to OKC bombing
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