TONIGHT ON PROJECT COMMUNITY RACE IN OKLAHOMA. THAT IS A SYSTEM OF INJUSTICE AND THAT NEEDS TO BE DISMANTLED. WE ARE HAVING AN OPEN CONVERSATION EXAMINING THE STATE OF RACE IN OKLAHOMA. PEOPLE WOULD SAY WHAT EVERYONE’S GOT THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES. NO, WE’RE COMMITTED TO BRINGING THESE STORIES TO YOU COVERING ALL SIDES IN EVERY ANGLE. IT SEEMS LIKE RIGHT NOW THE POLICE CAN’T MAKE ANYBODY. HAPPY HEARING FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS ON HOW WE BRIDGE THE DIVIDE RKO CO-TEAM DIVING IN LOOKING AT THE UNIQUE ISSUES OKLAHOMA FACES AND LEARNING HOW TO MOVE THE DISCUSSION FORWAR EXAMINING THIS STATE OF RACE IN OKLAHOMA RALLIES MEMORIALS AND PROTESTS HAPPENING ACROSS OKLAHOMA AND THE COUNTRY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS TO INJUSTICE GOOD EVENING TO YOU. I’M JESSICA SCHAMBACH AND TONIGHT ON KO CEOS PROJECT COMMUNITY WERE TAKING AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT RACE IN OUR STATE HAVING AN OPEN CONVERSATION ON THE ISSUES FACING OKLAHOMA TONIGHT. WE’LL ALSO HEAR FROM LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS GIVING US INSIGHT INTO THE UNIQUE STRUGGLES EACH OF THEIR COMMUNITIES FACE AND WHAT WE AS OKLAHOMANS CAN DO TO HELP. IT’S NOT AN EASY DISCUSSION TO HAVE SO TONIGHT. WE’RE GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH SOME REALLY COMPLEX TOPIC. I WANT TO BRING IN CASE YOU IS. JASON HACKETT RIGHT NOW AND JASON YOU’RE JOINING US TONIGHT WITH A LOOK AT HOW THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION REALLY RAMPED UP IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. YEAH, JUST THE FRUSTRATION HAS BEEN BREWING FOR BLACK AMERICANS AND QUITE FRANKLY. ALL AMERICANS HAVE COLOR FOR A WHILE AND THIS YEAR PROVED TO BE THE TIPPING POINT ONE FATEFUL DAY IN MAY CHANGED EVERYTHING, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, MAY 25TH 2020S TOUGH TO WATCH. ON THE GROUND MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICER DER SHAVON ON HIS NECK FLOYD SUSPECTED A PASSING A COUNTERFEIT BILL MOM. I LOVE YOU. IT WENT ON FOR AN EXCRUCIATING EIGHT MINUTES AND 46 SECONDS FLOYD TELLING THE OFFICER. HE COULDN’T BREATHE UNTIL HE TOOK HIS FINAL BREATH FOR MOST AMERICANS FLOYD’S DEATH WAS A SHOCK TO THE CONSCIENCE VIVID GRAPHIC EXCRUCIATING. IT ALSO WASN’T THE FIRST TIME WE’VE SEEN A BLACK LIFE AND SO VIOLENTLY. SIX-YEAR-OLD, BRIANNA TAYLOR AND EMT FROM LOUISVILLE WAS SHOT AND KILLED WHEN POLICE EXECUTED A NO-KNOCK WARRANT AT HER APARTMENT WHILE SEARCHING FOR DRUGS, NO DRUGS WERE ACTUALLY FOUND THERE WAS ALSO 25 YEAR OLD AHMAD ARE BEARING SHOT WHILE JOGGING IN GEORGIA AFTER TWO MEN MISTOOK HIM FOR A SERIAL BURGLAR IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD IN AURORA, COLORADO. 23 YEAR OLD ELIJAH MCLAIN WAS CONFRONTED BY POLICE AS HE WALKED HOME FROM A CONVENIENCE STORE AFTER SOMEONE CALLED TO REPORT MACLEAN LOOKI SKETCHY THE CONFRONTATION LEADING TO MCCLANE. INJECTED WITH KETAMINE AND DYING IN THE HOSPITAL DAYS LATER. CASE AFTER CASE THAT FOR MANY BLACK AMERICANS AND AMERICANS OF COLOR IN GENERAL SHOWED IN SPITE OF THE PROGRESS. WE’VE MADE WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO FRUSTRATION AND ANGER MOUNTAIN AND THE DRUMBEAT FOR CHANGE GREW LOUDER WITH FLOYD’S YOUNG DAUGHTER SETTING THE TONE FOR THE MOVEMENT THAT WAS STARTI TO SWEEP. THE NATION SOON CHANGE WAS ON THE DOORSTEP RIGHT HERE IN OKLAHOMA. WE CAN AFTER FLOYD’S DEATH PEACEFUL PROTESTERS GATHERED ACROSS THE STATE TO CALL FOR JUSTICE, SAW SEVERAL LARGE PEACEFUL. INCLUDING THIS ONE AT THE STATEP VOICE TO REMIND EVERYONE FROM LEADERS TO IN LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR MY KIDS TO SEE THIS IT’S BECAUSE THIS WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY IN SOME FORMAT. AND IF IT DOESN’T IT’LL GO DOWN IN OUR FAMILY HISTORY SO THAT MY KIDS CAN SHARE WITH THEIR KIDS THAT WE CAN ALSO SAW SOME GATHERINGS THAT WEREN’T AS CALM AGITATORS LOOTED BUSINESSE AND DESTROYED PROPERTY AS POLICE FIRED. TEAR GAS TO DISPERSE THE CROWDS. OKAY CPD MADE A NUMBER OF ARRESTS ONE PIECE WITH DEMONSTRATOR. I SPOKE TO TRY TO PROVIDE SOME PERSPECTIVE FOR THE WEEKEND’S EVENTS. WHAT DID YOU FEEL OUTRAGED IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE BEING IGNORED? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR VOICE ISN’T GETTING ANYWHERE? WHY DO YOU THINK THEY START TO BREAK THINGS? BURN THINGS? BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT BEING HEARD IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS AHEAD SMALL STEPS TOWARDS PROGRESS BEGAN BOTH THE URBAN LEAGUE AND BLACK LIVES MATTER RELEASED A LIST OF DEMANDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CITY OFFICIALS MAYOR DAVID HOLT MET WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER TO DISCUSS THOSE DEMANDS WHICH INCLUDED THE RESIGNATION OF OKAY CPD CHIEF WADE CORLEY. THEY ARE HERE TO PROTECT AND SERVE, BUT THEY ARE PROTECTING AND SERVING THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND NOT THOSE OF LAHOMA THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE MEANWHILE DEFENDING GOURLEY AND CRITICAL OF THE AGITATORS CAUSING THE LOOTING AND PROPERTY DAMAGE WON’T SHE BE EARLY TO KNOW YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR AN ABSOLUTEL NO NEED TO RESIGN POORLY DID NOT RESIGN BUT MAJOR HOLT ANNOUNCE THE DEPARTMENT WOULD REVIEW ITS D ESCALATION POLICY. WE ARE ON A PATH THAT IS BUILDING A BETTER CITY IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS TENSIONS AND THE VERBAL BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN POLICE AND PROTESTERS CONTINUED. SO DID THE CALLS TO DEFUND THE POLICE TAKING AWAY A PART OF THEIR BUDGET TO INVEST IN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND OTHER NEEDS THE CITY OF NORMAN CUTTING EIGHT HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO INVEST IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND OTHER AREAS, BUT IN OKLAHOMA CITY AND OTHER CITIES IN THE METRO THOSE CALLS FOR DEFUNDING WEREN’T ANSWERED WHICH LEADS US TO WHERE WE ARE. NOW. THE PROTEST CROWDS HAVE GROWN SMALLER AND LESS FREQUENT BUT FOR MANY IN OUR STATE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY THE HURT STILL LINGERS, YOU ASK ANYONE AND THEY’LL TELL YOU WE CAN’T GO BACK TO WHERE WE WERE SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE, OKLAHOMA, HOW DO WE ANSWER THAT CALL FOR JUSTICE? HOW DO WE MEET THAT SEEMINGLY NEVER-ENDING PUSH FOR EQUALITY. HOW DO WE MOVE A CONVERSATION ONE MANY ADMIT IS GENERATIONS IN THE MAKING? WARWICK TONIGHT IN OUR PROJECT COMMUNITY WE WELCOME THE VOICES OF COMMUNITY LEADERS IN OKLAHOMA HERE TO HELP LEAD THAT PANEL WANT TO BRING JASON BACK WITH US AND HE’S JOINED BY ALEJANDRO BRIONES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JESS. SO THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. WE’LL BE CHECKING IN WITH EACH PERSON ON THE PANEL TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES FACING THEIR COMMUNITIES. AND RIGHT NOW WE DO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF OUR PANEL TONIGHT. SO WE WANT TO WELCOME TO THE SHOW DAVID HILL ACTIVIST AND ORGANIZER OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT SINCE 197 ALSO WITH US TONIGHT AS A REAL FONT THE PRESIDENT OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY IN OKLAHOMA CITY AND DR. VALERIE THOMPSON THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER, OKLAHOMA CITY SINCE 1999. WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU THIS EVENING. AND DR. THOMPSON WANT TO START WITH YOU. WHERE DOES THE CONVERSATION OF RACIAL JUSTICE RIGHT NOW IN OKLAHOMA WILL YOU KNOW I THINK RIGHT NOW IT’S WE’RE HAVING AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION AND I’M EXCITED ABOUT THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE’RE SEEING THE YOUTH GET INVOLVED THE YOU’VE REALLY UNDERSTAND. WHY ARE WE STILL HAVING RACIAL INJUSTICE HAS OF NOW THAT IT’S 56 YEARS AFTER THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. WHY ARE THERE STILL RACIAL TENSIONS? SO I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE’RE HAVING THIS COMMUNITY. LIKE I SAID TO THE YOU BUT SOME OF THE OLDER MORE MATURE PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF ARE EXCITED THAT WE’RE ELEVATING THE CONVERSATION ON THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RACIAL INJUSTICE HAS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN OUR STATE. DR. THOMPSON. I SPEAK A LOT ABOUT THIS AND IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY IS MORE ABOUT THE INCLUSION PIECE. ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE? ARE YOU AMERICAN DUDE? CAN YOU SHOW ME PROOF THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE? YEAR AND TO VOTE AND TO SAY ANYTHING AND TO EVEN ASK FOR ANYTHING ONCE WE DECLARE OURSELVES AMERICANS FOR WHATEVER REASON SHOWING THEM GREEN CARDS OR SHOWING THEM THAT YOU WERE BORN HERE THEN IT’S A MATTER OF WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SUFFERS. DO YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO BE INCLUDED IN SUCH AND SUCH CONVERSATION? DO YOU HAVE THE POSITION DID YOU STUDY? DO YOU HAVE A DEGREE? SO IT’S A VERY INTERESTING WAY OF SEEING THINGS IN THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION DISCUSSIONS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THE ISSUES ARE A LOT LOT GREATER BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE SUPREME COURT RECOGNIZED OUR TRIBAL BOUNDARIES AND OUR TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY AND THE NON-INDIAN PART OF OKLAHOMA WANTS TO CONTROL THIS AS THEY HAVE FOR THE PAST HUNDRED YEARS AND AND IT’S GOING TO BE A A CHALLENGE TO MAINTAIN THOSE. THE SUPREME COURT DECISION AND WE FACE CHALLENGES AND ALL THE CATEGORIES AND POVERTY AND INCARCERATION LIFE EXPECTANCY YOUTH DROPOUT RATES. ALL OF THOSE AREAS ARE ARE IN THE NEGATIVE ZONE AND WE WILL CHECK BACK IN WITH ALL OF OUR PANELISTS IN JUST A MINUTE RIGHT NOW. WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT LOCAL LAWMAKERS AND THEIR FIGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE JESS. THAT’S RIGHT GUYS FIGHTING RACISM IN AND OUTSIDE OF THE CAPITAL K. COS PATRINA ADGER. TO TO LOCAL STATE OFFICIALS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH RACE AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BRIDGE THE DIVIDE SECOND GENERATION LEGISLATOR AJ PITTMAN SAYS SHE WANTED TO FOLLOW IN THE SENATOR, ANASTASIA PITTMAN TO MAKE SURE YOUNG VOICES WOULD BE HEARD AND REPRESENTED AT THE CAPITOL BUT ADMITS SHE’S FACED RACIST ATTACKS EVEN FROM COLLEAGU THE HOUSE FLOOR. WAIT, AFRICAN-AMERICAN INFANTS ARE DYING THREE TIMES AT THE RATE OF CAUCASIAN AND INFANTS. I WILL CALL THE TOKEN ON THE HOUSE FLOOR BY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES. I WAS TOLD THAT I ONLY GAINED SUPPORT FROM THE BILL BECAUSE NO ONE WANTED TO ARGUE AGAINST A WOMAN OF COLOR ABOUT BIAS TRAINING. SHE’S NOT ALONE FIGHTING THAT UPHILL BATTLE AT THE CAPITOL TRYING TO LEAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM AND IMPLICIT BIAS. I’VE HAD REALLY TOUGH CONVERSATIONS ON WHY DO YO LEAVE THAT RACIAL PROFILING DOES NOT EXIST DISCUSSIONS OFTEN LEADING PEOPLE LIKE STATE REPRESENTATIVE JASON LOW TO RECOUNT HIS OWN EXPERIENCES WHEN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD IN VIRGINIA HOW THAT MOMENT COULD HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE LOW DRIVING HOME ALONE AT 1:00 IN THE MORNING DURING SPRING BREAK WHEN HE WAS STOPPED BY POLICE IN WASN’T DOING ANYTHING WRONG CAR SEARCHED ME ON THE THE SIDE OF THE ROAD GLOWY EVENTUALLY. LET GO BUT SAYS THE IMAGES OF GUNS POINTED AT HIM FOREVER AND EMBEDDED IN HIS MIND KNOWING THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT THE CRIMINAL ATTORNEY PART OF A COALITION OF ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING YOUNG PROTESTERS ARRESTED DURING RECENT PROTESTS ARE NOT TERRORISTS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE PROPER REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATION THEY DESERVE BECAUSE THEY’VE BEEN CHARGED WITH CRIMES THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO EXACTLY WHAT DID LOW AND PITTMAN TO OF EVAN MEMBERS OF THE OKLAHOMA LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS ENGAGING IN SPIRITED COLLEAGUES ABOUT VIOLENCE AND BLACK COMMUNITIES AT THE HANDS OF POLICE AND THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY WE GO TO TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ISSUES. WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF EDUCATION BECAUSE OUR COLLEAGUES ARE NOT COMING WITH THE SAME EXPERIENCES THAT WE HAVE PITTMAN AND LOW TELLING ME THEIR COLLEAGUES ARE OPEN TO THOSE RAW AND UNFILTERED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE. BUT IT’S A WORK IN PROGRESS A FIGHT THEY ARE WILLING TO SUSTAIN PITTMAN SAYS THAT’S WHY SHE STOOD WITH PROTESTERS OF EVERY RACE NATIONALITY AND BACKGROUND IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS AFTER GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH FIGHTING TO BRING ATTENTION TO DECADES OF RACIAL INJUSTICE TOWARDS BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE AND BRIDGE THE DEEP DIVIDES IN OUR COMMUNITIES AFTER YOU SEE THOSE PROTESTS THAT CHARGES US AND MAKES US GO TO CREATE POLICY TO CHANGE THEM. BLACK LIVES HAVE TO MATTER IN ORDER FOR ALL LIVES DO MATTER IN ORDER FOR THAT TO OCCUR. SO WE HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS. WE HAVE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER PATRINA ADGER. KOCO5 NEWS. HOW DO WE ADDRESS WHAT’S GOING ON WHEN IT COMES TO OUR LAWMAKERS FACING DISCRIMINATION. YES. WELL, IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT OUR LAWMAKERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT THE TRUTH. IS THAT MANY AFRICAN AMERICANS TODAY ARE STILL BATTLING RACISM AND THOSE INJUSTICES AND IT SON REASONABLE TO BELIEVE THAT OUR SOCIAL STRUCTURES AND OUR CULTURAL ATTITUDES THAT WERE CONSTRUCTED OVER A PERIOD OF THREE HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE YEARS WOULD BE SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR WITHIN 56 YEARS. I THINK RIGHT NOW TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE IT MORE POSSIBLE TO SEE THE RACISM AND FIGHT AGAINST THE RACISM WHEN I SAY TECHNOLOGY I’M SAYING YOUR SMARTPHONE THINGS THAT WE SEE ON TV IT BRINGS IT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO CALL WRONGS AND MAKE THOSE. RIGHT STILL TO COME IN OUR PROJECT COMMUNITY RACE IN OKLAHOMA SPECIAL. WE LOOK AT ANOTHER COMMUNITY HUGHES ALSO EXPERIENCING STRUGGLES. THE OPPORTUNITIES AREN’T EQUAL PEOPLE THAT SAY, WELL EVERYONE’S GOT THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP NEXT WE TALK TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ON WHY MANY CRIMES IN THE LATIN X COMMUNITY GO UNREPORTED