Ooooookkkkllllaaaaahooooommmaaaa!
Where Black women are shaking shit up and changing the rules of the game
I love Oklahoma. Lots of exciting things have happened to me in Oklahoma. I grew up in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) so Tulsa was the closest big city to us. It’s where we went for back to school shopping or to the zoo in my 1980’s childhood. Tulsa is where The Bangles and Cyndi Lauper played when I was nine years old. I set my first national record in the 100 backstroke when I was ten years old in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Two East German swimmers who my mother organized travel for to a swim meet in NWA in 1982 defected in the Tulsa airport. When I was in my forties I had the honor collaborating for a few years with some brilliant Black and Indigenous abortion rights organizers. Together we founded an innovative conference in Norman, Oklahoma for southern organizers. In summary: I’ve had a lot of fun in Oklahoma.
Last week I got to drive from Austin to Tulsa to cheer on a friend and colleague that I adore. I love this drive. Once you get through Dallas (ugh, that part is kinda gross) the road opens up and it’s smooth sailing. Additionally, our household had just received an adapter for our Electric Vehicle (EV) enabling me to to charge at Tesla fast chargers. My road trip game feels forever changed.
On the way to Tulsa I caught up with friends and family (an 8 hour drive allows for long, leisurely phone sessions). I had delicious snacks from the neighborhood Japanese market in Austin with plenty of iced Ooolong and Nacho Cheese Doritos to keep my energy up. I caught the sunset as I passed from Texas into Oklahoma where the wheat sure smelled sweat while I searched the horizon for rain. Feel free to sing along :-)
The first night I was in Tulsa I had THE BEST DREAM. I dreamt that I was swimming, like for hours. This isn’t uncommon. I often have dreams where all I do is swim. In this dream after swimming, I got out of the pool and Katie Ledecky was standing at the end of my lane. She was beaming. She looked at me and said, “It feels so good to lap people, doesn’t it?”. Then she grabbed me into a big hug and we chatted, laughed, and hung out like old friends. I woke up laughing out loud. A great way to start a day, to be sure.
The next day really started with a joyful carpool to our first meeting of the day with my friend, Omare, who I’d come to cheer on and a new to me friend that I was just getting to know. In that short car ride I immediately remembered something I’d missed being out of direct service work for these last five years: these kinds of people know how to laugh. They have to. Especially those doing hard work in hard places. It felt so good so fast to be around them. Thanks for letting me tag along, Omare.
We spent the morning at the new, like still unpacking boxes new, Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative office. I’d come to town to celebrate Omare + her team’s announcement of their expansion to keep birthing people safe across the state. Her teammates are impressive in their own rights and their care for each other is palatable. I learned a ton that morning about the innovative work they do to integrate doulas into the workforce in Oklahoma. I can’t wait to help them scale this work.
We then packed into minivans and SUVs, heading across town to a lunch presentation by Dr Meredith Smith. She shared with us her vision that is transforming who, where, and with whom Black women are being care for during and after pregnancy. Another brilliant model of innovation in health care, advocacy, and work place development. Check out Queens Village, one of the community care creations by Dr. Smith. It’s a gorgeous model of care, centering those who receive the care in the design and implementation of the model of care itself. Imagine that!
Another powerhouse of a woman I got to know that day is Shalese Clay. She runs Queens Village in Kansas City, Missouri. She, too, is leading the charge for the safety of Black and Brown women in her community. She works in collaboration with Community Health Workers (CHWs) to ensure that culturally informed care is being provided. I’ve had countless conversations about CHWs outside of the US and am thrilled to see that this approach to address access in rural and low-income communities being integrated into the health care system here. Love it!
The day closed out with a stunning event at the OBEI offices. It was well attended and those in attendance shared their tender tales of affection for Omare and her team. It is clear that these folks are treasured. Yom Kippur was starting the next day so I opted out of what I am sure was a wild night of fun and frivolity after the launch party in Tulsa and headed back to Omare’s place.
I headed out early the next day and headed to Lake Eufaula. Before it became a lake, the area was home to several Native American tribes who lived there for hundreds of years. Tribes of this region included the Muscogee Creek Nation, Choctaw Nation, and Cherokee Nation. Most of the 600-mile shoreline of Lake Eufaula lies within the boundaries of the old Creek Nation, with part of the southern portion in the old Choctaw Nation. It’s a HUGE lake, seriously. There were seagulls!
I stopped at the lake to observe Tashlich. Along the way there from Tulsa I listened to my Tashlich playlist, it’s pretty good. I gathered some stones. I threw them into the lake as I declared my commitment to do better, to be better. I commit to seeing the people in my life as they are. I commit to putting my ego down more often and with more regularity. I commit to yelling less and laugh more. I commit to forgiving. I commit to letting go.
I got back on the road and started The Message, a new book by Ta-Nahesi Coates. This book was riveting. I had to rewind and listen to several passages as what he writes requires thorough chewing. My takeaways:
Black Nationalsm is like Zionism. I’d never thought of those two things being closely related to each other.
Race is truly the dumbest shit we could’ve done to ourselves.
I need to know more about who is on my local school board.
This quick road trip, a total of less than 48 hours, was more than I knew I needed. I remembered things about myself personally and professionally. As a result I am still, a week later, invigorated. I love being from this part of the world. I love the land, the people, and the politics. They keep me honest, humble, and working hard for equity for all. I love the open road, it changes me every time I take to it. It’s as if the process of driving, of talking with strangers and old friends alike, brings me home to myself somehow.
Can’t wait for the next one!
Onwards, y’all.