Our racial history is shadowed. Will Oklahoma repeat its past mistakes or learn from them?
A sign marks Black Wall Street at North Greenwood Avenue and East Archer Street in Tulsa. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
Our state has a shadowed history when it comes to racial issues that includes the forced removal of Native Americans on Trail of Tears, the slaughter of Black residents during Tulsa Race Massacre and a 2007 law touted to be the nation's harshest anti-immigrant state law.
I've long watched as Oklahoma's elected officials have failed to learn from and rectify that dark history. Instead, they've oft chosen to embark on campaigns that seem to further highlight those past inequities.
It had seemed that we were growing more comfortable with teaching public school students about these dark tales. My administrators were supportive of history teachers teaching about injustices in our criminal justice system, lawful racial segregation and the abuse of immigrants. In fact, I was allowed to discuss how the best of our pioneer spirit has been intertwined with immigration from a variety of countries. Immigrants brought with them the values of hard work, family and community.
But today, we are again seeing a cruel backlash against migrants and communities who are racially different.
That backlash has included prohibitions against discussing 'race' in schools. State Superintendent Ryan Walters has attempted to pass a requirement that 'students must provide proof of U.S. citizenship when enrolling in public school.' It would also force schools to report to the state the number of students 'who couldn't verify legal residency or citizenship.'
Moreover, under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, some Oklahoma law enforcement officers can 'arrest individuals without a warrant if they are suspected of violating immigration laws' if it is believed that they 'are likely to evade capture.' But even that raises the question as to who makes that judgment call.
Oklahoma City has been in the headlines after a mother and her daughters were traumatized by a raid conducted at the wrong home by federal officers. They were forced outside their apartment in their underclothes by agents who had misidentified them. The officers ripped up their home, seized phones and took much of the woman's life savings. And, they didn't give any information about getting her property back.
And Gov. Kevin Stitt recently generated ire when he vetoed a bill funding the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons on the national advocacy day that brings attention to the crisis. Hours before his veto, Indigenous advocates were rallying outside the state Capitol to bring attention to the fact that our state has the second highest number of missing Native Americans. Stitt argued in his veto message that 'justice must be blind to race.'
I'll also never forget when lawmakers passed the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007, which was designed to be the nation's harshest anti-immigrant state law. After that law took effect, federal agents would intimidate parents as they dropped their kids off at elementary schools. When one of my student's family was deported for legally driving down the Broadway Extension, they were forced to get down on their knees. They unsuccessfully begged the police officer to not turn them over to ICE.
The law accomplished nothing except for spreading a 'culture of fear,' and opposition to it grew. As Hispanic workers exited the state, business leaders, church congregations, and civil rights advocates joined the fight against anti-immigrant racism.
I'm encouraged that today's cycle of cruelty is also bringing forth another, and I believe larger, side of our nation and state, which is coming to the defense of immigrants. For instance, there has been bipartisan pushback, including by Stitt, against Walters' support for immigration raids in schools, and collecting information about immigrants that would be turned over to the federal government.
But we're at a crossroads. Do we embrace the dark side, which has traditionally been driven by fear and racism, or do we embrace a path of inclusionary hope that aims to not repeat the mistakes of our past?
Today's attacks on immigrants are an outgrowth of our dark side, but I have reason to believe that we'll choose the path of hope by learning from the sordid sides of our past.
I believe there will be a time again when our political leaders recognize the proven economic benefits brought by undocumented workers. I believe we'll again recognize the harm that is done to our reputation when Oklahoma doesn't stand up for its residents.
Because if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that doing the right thing always encourages economic investments, entrepreneurs, and brings new opportunities to our state.
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