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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
NYS to offer free college education to some New Yorkers starting in the fall
NEW YORK (PIX11) – The state is offering free community college education to some adult New Yorkers starting this fall, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul. SUNY Reconnect helps residents get a two-year degree in more than 170 fields including health care, cybersecurity, manufacturing and more. Students can apply to the program through the Fashion Institute of Technology, SUNY Nassau, Suffolk County Community College, SUNY Rockland, SUNY Westchester and other upstate community colleges associated with SUNY. More Local News New York state residents between 25 to 55 years old without a college degree and who plan on studying full-time or part-time in an eligible program can get a free education, according to SUNY's website. Students are not required to work for the state after they complete their program. Anyone currently taking community college classes at a SUNY school can apply to the program, as well as new students. For more information on the programs eligible for free tuition, click here. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Mountain Lion Kittens Were Finally Photographed in Oklahoma. Skeptics Claim the Cats Have Been Breeding There All Along
Wildlife officials with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have confirmed two photographs of mountain lion kittens in the state. The trail-cam photos shared by the agency Tuesday were captured in October and December 2024 in two different counties. Officials say the photos are the first concrete evidence they've seen of mountain lions potentially breeding in Oklahoma. That two-word disclaimer, 'they've seen,' is notable, because mountain lion sightings have risen sharply in Oklahoma over the last few years. This has led many Oklahomans, including state legislators, to believe the cats are making a comeback. The governor even signed a new law in May that lays the groundwork for a future cougar hunting season should ODWC decide to establish one in the future. ODWC, however, has long maintained that the state does not have a breeding population of mountain lions, and that any big cats spotted in Oklahoma are likely transient animals that wandered in from Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nebraska. State wildlife biologists have said in years past that they simply haven't found enough physical evidence (in the form of scrapes, tracks, scent-marks, and the like) to support the existence of a 'viable local population' of cougars within state lines. Tuesday's photo release obviously changes that calculus, something social media users have been eager to point out. The comment section in ODWC's June 10 Facebook post includes many assertions that the agency has been 'gaslighting' its residents and 'pushing a lie' about the state's cougar populations. There are also dozens of claims by commenters about the other cougar kittens they've seen with their own eyes, to which the agency has generally and politely responded: Prove it. Read Next: Utah Mountain Lion Makes 1,000-Mile Journey to Colorado, Where It's Killed by Another Cougar 'What's the lie?' ODWC wrote in response to one commenter. 'This is the first time photographic evidence of kittens has been provided to us and reviewed by a biologist. Any previous sightings of kittens was not provided to us with documentation.' The agency says the photos of the cougar kittens were captured on trail cameras in two very different parts of the state and sent in by private landowners. The first photograph, taken in Osage County in October, shows an adult lion with two half-grown kittens following behind it. The second was taken at night in Cimarron County in December, and it shows an adult lion with three smaller kittens. Cimarron County is the westernmost county in the Oklahoma panhandle, and it abuts the border of New Mexico, which is home to a healthy population of well over 3,000 mountain lions. Osage County lies nearly 400 miles to the east and just south of Kansas, and it's where the majority of mountain lion sightings confirmed by ODWC in recent years have taken place. Looking broadly at this history, the agency says it's been able to verify 85 cougar sightings since 2002, with a noticeable increase in 2023, when there were around 20 sightings confirmed within the state. Officials noted in Tuesday's announcement that this increase in cougar sightings has coincided with the growing use of trail cameras in Oklahoma. They said the recent photographs of kittens could lead wildlife biologists to deploy more of those cameras and conduct additional research into local cougar populations. But they also stopped short of calling those photographs irrefutable proof of an established, breeding population of Oklahoma mountain lions. 'While exciting and interesting, these sightings are just one small piece of the puzzle needed to better understand this species,' ODWC furbearer biologist Jerrod Brown said in that announcement. 'It's our first piece of evidence that mountain lions may be breeding in Oklahoma, a key indicator the population is becoming established.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
When is the strawberry moon 2025? Here's how to see it shine over Oklahoma
Oklahoma skywatchers, get ready, the strawberry moon is rising soon, and you won't need any fancy gear or a remote location to catch it. This sweetly named full moon will be visible across all of Oklahoma, so whether you're in OKC, Tulsa, or out in the Panhandle, you'll get a great view. Despite its fruity name, the moon won't be pink so don't get your hopes high. Expect it to glow big and bright low on the horizon just after sunset, offering a stunning photo op and a reason to look up. Here is everything to know about the June full moon. The June 2025 full moon will be on Wednesday, June 11. No, there will not be a full moon on June 13, 2025. The full moon will occur on Wednesday, June 11. Spiritually and symbolically, the strawberry moon is associated with growth, abundance and the rewards of hard work, literally enjoying the fruits of your labor. The June full moon also tends to fall close to the summer solstice, making it one of the lowest-hanging and most colorful moons of the year. No, the strawberry moon isn't actually pink. The moon usually appears golden or pale amber when it rises, although it can appear slightly warmer in color when low on the horizon due to the Earth's atmosphere. The strawberry moon will rise in Oklahoma around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, and peak at 12:43 a.m. on Wednesday, June 11. Look toward the southeast for the best view. Here are the new moon dates for 2025, according to Time and Date: June 25. July 24. Aug. 23. Sept. 21. Oct. 21. Nov. 20. Dec. 19. Looking for the best things to do in Oklahoma? Sign up for our newsletter. A blood moon is a total lunar eclipse. There are two blood moons in 2025. The first happened on the night of March 13-14, visible across much of the Americas. A second blood moon will take place the night of Sept. 7-8. It will be visible from parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and western North America. Nope, 2025 will not have 13 full moons, just the usual dozen. Some years do have 13 full moons and that extra moon is called a blue moon. It happens about every 2½ years. The last time it occurred was in 2024. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: When can you see the strawberry moon? See peak times in Oklahoma
