“Stepping Into Fear” — Christian, Jewish congregations hear message of hope, love overcoming fear

ENID, Okla. — Members of at least six congregations of the Christian and Jewish faiths gathered at St. Stephen AME Church Monday evening for an ecumenical service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and his enduring legacy. The service, hosted by St. Stephen AME and St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, featured an address by Rabbi …

Razors, babies and racists, oh my! The week in an America ruled by fear

The absence Tuesday of Martin Luther King Jr., on what should have been his 90th birthday, was made sadder by how far we continue to fall short of his dream. An obvious example came Jan. 10, when Rep. Steve King of Iowa wondered aloud how white supremacy and white nationalism became offensive. Less obvious, but …

Celebrate true patriotism this weekend

  It’s Memorial Day weekend, which means it’s time to dust off those flags in the back of the closet, fire up the grill and indulge in our annual orgy of patriotic fervor. It is appropriate to honor our nation’s fallen service men and women, and to thank veterans, especially those permanently damaged by war in body, …

Truth and reconciliation … one small act of love at a time

I normally wouldn’t advise seeking wisdom on Facebook. It’s become a trash soup of hate mongering, clickbait and fake news trolls — all mixed in with the cat videos and actual news we all want to see. But, if you use a fine enough sieve, you can still find some gems of wisdom in the …

Pay equality — It’s not just for feminists

Amid all the hullabaloo at the Capitol this week, an important issue went largely unnoticed. The National Partnership for Women & Families released a new study to coincide with Equal Pay Day, which was Tuesday. Data in the report underscores why Equal Pay Day is scheduled when it is — women would have to work …

Misogyny and redneck crazies

There's few things in this world that scare the bejeezus out of me. Clowns. IRS audits (for no particular reason). Prostate exams (for obvious reasons). These all frighten me. But, there's nothing that scares me more than the persistent wink-and-a-nod attitude our society takes toward sexual harassment, gender discrimination and domestic violence. This scares me …

The most segregated hour

    ENID, Okla. — More than half a century after Martin Luther King, Jr. called 11 a.m. on Sunday the most segregated hour in America, eighty percent of the nation’s congregations still are made up of predominantly one race. That statistic is slowly shifting toward more diverse congregations — in 2012 all-white congregations made …

Poisoning the Body of Christ: The Nashville Statement

Much attention has been given this week to the Nashville Statement, a manifesto on sexuality published Tuesday by the evangelical Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW). I disagree with the CBMW statement. I affirm that all human beings, regardless of sexual orientation, are made in the image of God, all are loved by God, all …

Resegregation

More than 60 years on, many schools are less integrated than when the civil rights movement began, and the opportunity gap persists. ENID, Okla. — Six decades after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled school segregation unlawful, local and state minority leaders still are working to overcome the effects of segregation. This work continues amidst a mounting …

Living memories of segregation

This is the first installment of an ongoing series about school segregation and integration in Oklahoma 60 years after the Little Rock Nine. Interviews for this week’s articles began on Aug. 11, one day before the Aug. 12 white supremacist marches in Charlottesville, Va. ENID, Okla. — At the corner of South Fifth and East York, …