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INSIDE COVER Oklahoma’s black history has long been covered up and forgotten, but community leaders are fighting for greater transparency and education. By Gazette staff Cover by Phillip Danner
NEWS 4
COVER Oklahoma’s black history
9 CITY A Night with Ralph Ellison 10 CHICKEN-FRIED NEWS
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In “Happie Flower,” published Jan. 15, 2020, Oklahoma Gazette misrepresented the creator of Nature’s Key Edibles’ recipes. We apologize for this error.
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Black state
Oklahoma has a long, rich history of successful black communities, but much of its black history has been hidden and left out of textbooks. By Miguel Rios
Before statehood, Oklahoma was seen nationally as a promised land for black people. Edward McCabe, who founded the town of Langston and its university, hoped to make Oklahoma an all-black state, and though that never came to be, it drew many black people to migrate here in pursuit of freedom. Because of that, more all-black towns were formed than anywhere else in the nation. However, much of the history those towns and smaller communities cultivated was swept under the rug and kept out of history books. The Tulsa Race Massacre, for example, is rarely talked about in a meaningful way in the classroom. Mechelle Brown attended school in north Tulsa, where she said she had black educators and a black history class but never learned about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. “It wasn’t until 1995 when I came to the Greenwood Cultural Center that I learned about the history in its entirety,” she said. “Then I came back a few months later to participate in an onthe-job training program as an office assistant, and I’ve been here ever since.” Brown is now the center’s program
Mechelle Brown encourages parents to insist their children are taught about Oklahoma’s black history. | Photo Miguel Rios
coordinator and tour guide and educates people about Tulsa’s Greenwood District before and after the massacre. Though the event has received recent national attention — a reenactment in HBO’s Watchmen, upcoming movies and a new effort by city leaders to search for the remains of its slaughtered black residents — Brown said a lot of people still don’t know what truly took place. She recalled her own reaction to first learning about it. “I was so angry that this had happened here. And the fact that people weren’t talking about it, that no one 4
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knew about it, that it had been hidden, and that these people received no reparations. The insurance claims they filed in 1921 totaling more than $2.7 million, every single claim had been denied,” Brown said. “That the City of Tulsa tried everything, it seemed, to prevent the Greenwood District from being rebuilt, that there were so many whites that were willing to descend on this community and kill innocent men, women and children; I was so angry and bitter, and then I felt sadness and resentment.” Through her position at the cultural center, Brown said she sees people go through similar emotions. “You go through a series of emotions that I’ve witnessed people go through time and time again when they come visit,” Brown said. “These are often well-educated people, people with college degrees, well-traveled people that are embarrassed they didn’t know anything about this, and they’re also confused and shocked.”
Black Wall Street
Considered one of the most affluent black communities in the country in the early 1900s, Tulsa’s Greenwood District was a business district flourishing with black-owned shops, restaurants and theaters. The district was so successful, Booker T. Washington dubbed it “Black Wall Street.” But racial tensions still existed and many say Tulsa was essentially two cities: white Tulsa and black Tulsa. “There was a lot of tension. There were more than 3,000 registered Ku Klux Klan members. Many of the city officials and leaders, even some of our founders, were registered Ku Klux Klan members,” Brown said. “The railroad tracks were somewhat of a dividing line and continue to be a dividing line. … Many whites were angry and upset. They were jealous that African Americans were so wealthy and prosperous and somewhat independent.” In 1921, racial animosity reached its peak in Tulsa when Dick Rowland, a young black man, was accused of assaulting Sarah Page, a white woman. “We know as a community that had it not been that incident, that there would have been some other confrontation,” Brown said. “Something else would have sparked a confrontation between black Tulsans and white Tulsans.” Rowland was arrested, and a local newspaper stoked the fires with an article, which was later ripped out of archives, saying he had sexually assaulted Page. Soon an angry white mob went to the courthouse where Rowland was held to demand the sheriff turn him over.
Photo postcards of the Tulsa Massacre were kept and distributed as part of white supremacist culture, but they are now preserved to make sure history is not forgotten or erased. | Photos Oklahoma Historical Society / provided
Armed black men also went to the courthouse to offer to help guard Rowland. The sheriff declined, but the men came back one more time after there was word of a possibly lynching. This time, the white mob and the black men clashed and the massacre began.
Blacks and whites both decided to bury this history and sweep it under the carpet. Mechelle Brown “At that point, it’s no longer about Sarah Page and Dick Rowland. There’s an all-out battle in front of the jailhouse. Blacks retreat to the Greenwood District,” Brown said. “They were able to defend their community for some time, but because they were so outnumbered and outgunned … white rioters broke through and invaded the Greenwood District. They began to kill innocent men and women on sight.” The National Guard was called in to deal with what was being called a “negro uprising.” Internment sites were set up for black people, which left the district defenseless. In less than 24 hours, the district was reduced to rubble and hun-
dreds of innocent people were killed. “White rioters could come and take whatever valuables they wanted and then set everything on fire,” Brown said. “The number of lives that were lost was greater than any other massacre that had taken place. We know the entire population of the African American community was 10,000 to 12,000 men, women and children. About 6,000 were held in those internment camps, which left 4,000 to 6,000 unaccounted for.” However, many black residents escaped before being killed or placed in internment camps, so there is no way to know for certain how many people lost their lives. In the aftermath of the massacre, no white person was ever held responsible for what happened. Ultimately, it was said the black community brought it on themselves, which allowed for white Tulsans to carry on without talking about it as if nothing had happened. Even black Tulsans went on without talking about the darkest moment in the city’s history. “Blacks and whites both decided to bury this history and sweep it under the carpet,” Brown said. “When we spoke with our survivors and we asked them why they didn’t share this history with their children, what they said was that to talk about it meant that they had to relive it. And to relive it was simply too continued on page 6
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painful. They were forced with focusing on surviving because so many of those families returned to absolutely nothing. … They were traumatized and afraid. They were bitter and angry and hurt to think that your neighbors could be violent killers, that they could be so cold-blooded to shoot innocent people.” The city even passed an ordinance for stricter fire codes that made rebuilding impossible, but Buck Franklin, a black attorney who set up his law office in a tent, fought the ordinance and overturned it, which allowed black people to rebuild. “We saw Greenwood go through somewhat of a redevelopment but also a renaissance following the massacre,” Brown said. “However, when you come to the Greenwood District today, all we have is a remnant of what once was.”
of what existed throughout the state. “We want more than anything for our children and grandchildren to finally know that there’s more to black history than slavery and the civil rights movement,” Brown said. “We were savvy business owners. We were strong and courageous. We were smart and well-educated. We had a love for one another.” Gradually, those black Oklahomans would challenge racist legislation and break through segregation. Black heroes like Ada Lois Sipuel, who challenged segregation at University of Oklahoma College of Law and won, paved the way for integration. Another black hero was Clara Luper, who led Oklahoma City NAACP Youth Council and began the sit-in movement in 1958. Many consider her contributions to the civil rights movement to be somewhat muted in the national context because of the lack of education or widespread knowledge. “Nationally, we say that the first sit-ins occurred in North Carolina. They did not. The first sit-ins occurred in Oklahoma City,” said George Henderson, an OU educator and civil rights activist. “Think about this: The people in Oklahoma and Oklahoma City were not proud of those sit-ins. On the other hand, in North Carolina, the press was open enough, and they showed them. All that it would have taken would have been for The Oklahoman or some other newspaper to have just a photo of the sit-ins and let people see it and read about it.”
Sundown Norman George Henderson and his family were Norman’s first black residents when it was still a sundown town. | Photo Miguel Rios
The end of segregation allowed black people to spend their money in white businesses, and national urban renewal efforts caused property values to decline, leading to closing businesses and a dwindling district. Visit greenwoodculturalcenter.com to learn more.
Black history
While the Tulsa Race Massacre is commonly brought up when discussing black history that isn’t often taught in classrooms, Oklahoma’s lure as a promised land for black people fostered a rich history beyond that. The state’s black history, despite not being widely discussed, is deeply ingrained since the beginning of statehood. In fact, Oklahoma’s first bill was also its first Jim Crow law; Senate Bill One helped establish segregation on railway coaches. Later, Oklahoma would make national history by becoming the first state to segregate public telephone booths. Despite its Jim Crow laws, black Oklahomans remained in the more than 50 identifiable all-black towns and settlements that had been formed. The Greenwood District was the most successful of these places but only one example 6
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Henderson, his wife and seven children moved from Detroit to Norman in 1967, becoming the first ever black family to buy a home in the town. At the time, Norman was still a sundown town, a place where black people were not welcome after dark. Historians estimate there were more than 50 of these towns in the state, with the biggest being Edmond and Norman. “They are places where white people decide that blacks can come here to shop, you can come here to work for white people, you can do commercial things, but you could not stay here after the sun went down,” he said. “For blacks that overstayed their welcome, bad things did happen — some were beaten, others verbally abused and a few were hung. … But who’s making the decisions? Who owns the newspapers? Who’s purchasing textbooks? Those are the same kind of individuals who just made the Tulsa Race Riot go away in terms of news.” Henderson moved to Norman after accepting a job at OU, becoming the university’s third full-time black faculty member. He recalls being warned not to move there and having no intention of taking the job. But after talking with students, who said they would probably not have an opportunity to learn from someone with his experience with the civil rights movement, he was convinced. “We had no experience in living in
a predominantly white neighborhood before we came to Norman, but the people here had no experience of living with a black family either,” he said. “So it was a culture shock for both of us.” He describes being met with animosity, getting garbage thrown on his yard, getting his car egged and receiving “obscene phone calls.” He also remembers one particular neighbor, who he described as a “one-person welcome wagon” who helped make them feel somewhat accepted. While he said it was tough to live in Norman and would have been easy for him to take one of the many job offers he had in more accepting places, Henderson said living in Norman was an opportunity to live what they often encouraged others to do: integrate and claim space. He said change happened after that.
We need more individuals telling the stories and then people realizing these are narratives of reallife situations. George Henderson “Norman is a very interesting case. We came in ’67. In 1968, the city council decided they would establish a committee to recommend ways of making Norman a more open and inclusive city,” he said. “And in 1972, the city council then voted to establish the Human Rights Commission. … It was the first one in Oklahoma that not only had a commission but also had the authority to fine people if they did not abide. … The irony is the first chairperson of the Human Rights Commission is my wife Barbara Henderson. So now she’s chairing the committee that’s opening up housing and employment. How did this community change? In ways that nobody could anticipate, nor could we.” The Hendersons were Norman’s entire black community for a number of years. Their house became a kind of hub for black visitors coming to the university. People like Dick Gregory, Bill Russell, Angela Davis and Maya Angelou were their houseguests. “By having us here and us being an open house for people, not just black
In less than a day, Greenwood District’s flourishing black community was reduced to ash and rubble by a white mob. | Photo Oklahoma Historical Society / provided
people but people in general, it meant our house became the social hub in terms of race relations and community relations,” he said. “To assume that sundown towns are created by the entire community voting on them. They don’t. … On the other hand, the entire community voted to have a Human Rights Commission to make sure that you don’t have people excluding others. We need more individuals telling the stories and then people realizing these are narratives of real life situations.”
Forging ahead
Norman City Council recently passed a proclamation formally acknowledging, condemning and apologizing for the city’s former status as a sundown town. Despite its history, Norman was named by the Human Rights Campaign as the most inclusive city in the state. Additionally, in an attempt to give closure to descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre victims, archeologists plan to excavate part of Oaklawn Cemetery in Tulsa to see if it holds the remains of those killed in the massacre. Last year, officials found evidence in the soil there and at two other sites of possible mass gravesites. The excavation could lead to the other two sites being further investigated. But there has been pushback from a small population of people who don’t see any reason for Norman’s apology or for unearthing Tulsa’s dark history. Both Brown and Henderson said acknowledging Oklahoma’s black history, educating newer generations and continuing to work for inclusion and respect is crucial. Brown said the state is moving the right way in terms of educators deciding they need to teach black history in a robust way beyond just Black History Month but that more needs to be done. “Unfortunately we don’t write the textbooks, and there’s very little representation from our community in writing those textbooks and deciding what history is taught in the school system,” Brown said. “If parents find that their children are not learning about this history, they have to insist that they are educated. … Sometimes we have to take it upon ourselves to educate our children about the history that’s not included in textbooks.” O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | F E B R U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 0
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Michael Owens, Ralph Ellison Foundation executive director, speaks at the 2019 celebration gala. | Photo provided
Night of movement
An annual fundraiser honors Ralph Ellison’s legacy while highlighting the accomplishments of a foundation in his name. By Miguel Rios
Michael Owens created Ralph Ellison Foundation in 2014 after finding out there was no organization dedicated to Oklahoma Native Ellison’s legacy. Now, the foundation is preparing for its seventh annual gala celebration and fundraiser. A Night with Ralph Ellison is 6-9 p.m. Feb. 29 at Oklahoma Historical Society, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive. Wine will be served with a three-course dinner along with music, spoken word and dance performances. “It’s probably the most diverse gala in the city, and it’s a night we consider to be a night of movement — very similar to Ellison and Ellison’s writing,” Owens said. “Ellison wrote with such harmony and rhythm, so we felt that we wanted to create a fundraising event that incorporates the arts. So there’s jazz music, there’s dramatic dance, there’s poetry, reading from Ellison’s work and video that’s also interjected. Once the event starts, we keep it moving from one scene to another, engaging everyone that’s there.” The foundation also presents the Shadow and Act Award at the gala to “a pioneer whose work exemplifies the values of Ralph Ellison’s legacy in our own time.” Last year, mayor David Holt received the award, but this year’s award honors someone on the national stage: Don Katz, CEO and founder of Audible, who credits his work in the field of audiobooks to being a student of Ellison. “He will be our keynote speaker for the event, and we’re looking forward to his speech. He had a very intimate relationship with Ellison, and he talks about how Mr. Ellison influenced him tremendously and Audible exists in part today because of that,” Owens said. “It
speaks to Mr. Ellison’s relevancy, that he’s not just a historical figure. He has actually reached into the modern times not only through his words but through those he has inspired that are doing great works in his name.” The purpose of the gala is also to highlight the foundation’s work in the community and look to the future. Owens said they have been able to expand and build upon the foundation’s existing programs, like its In the Light Bulb Room events, a series of forums on race and social issues, among other projects. “We were also able to continue building upon the things that we had been doing,” Owens said. “For instance, the Flying Home Curriculum that we have based upon Ellison’s short stories. It was
a grant we got from Oklahoma Humanities Council to write that curriculum, so we’ve been able to broaden the reach of that, not only for high school students, but we’ve also been able to create a teacher training platform that teachers can come and be trained on how to use the curriculum, how to integrate it into the classroom and so forth.” The foundation also launched a mural project to help middle school students express their past, present and future while learning art skills. “They get a chance to talk about that, and then they mural that. They learn drawing skills,” Owens said. “They mural that on an 18x24 canvas, which goes on a larger mural display which will be at the gala. … This is the first year that it’s been up and running, so we’re really excited to unveil that and share that with everyone. We know that our young kids are dealing with so many difficult things and a lot of times, there’s no area of expression for them.”
It’s been a year of growth for us and all of our programming, so we’re excited for what lies ahead. Michael Owens In looking ahead, the foundation and its board are committed to go full-time within the next year. “We’re moving toward trying to get a full-time staff and a full-time director,” he said. “We were fortunate enough to receive a $25,000 operation grant from Kirkpatrick Family Fund, so we’re very excited about that. … We’ve galvanized enough interest that people understand the viability of the foundation and the work that’s being done in all of these different areas.”
The foundation also formed a partnership with Plains Management Group to provide programming and events for the upcoming Ellison Hotel, which is set to open in 2021 at The Triangle at Classen Curve. Owens said they’re excited for the potential of the partnership. “We were very instrumental in working with Plains Management Group, the developers, and that’s something we’ve been working on for about a year now,” Owens said. “It’s been a really great year. It’s been a year of growth for us and all of our programming, so we’re excited for what lies ahead.”
Ellison’s legacy
After seven years of work, Owens said people have become more familiar with Ellison but still have things to learn about his life and legacy. “I still would say there’s a majority of Oklahomans that have no idea who he is. Ellison was kind of relegated to the academic community, so academics know about him,” Owens said. “Our goal has been to popularize Ellison.” An internationally esteemed writer, scholar and Oklahoma City native, Ralph Ellison is best known for his novel Invisible Man. While students learn about Ellison’s artistic contributions, Owens said many people don’t know about his life of overcoming adversity. “People need to understand that Ellison was raised by a single mother. He lost his father when he was three years of age,” Owens said. “He had this sheer determination to achieve in his life to the point where he jumped trains to get to Tuskegee — a very dangerous and courageous thing to do. When he arrived there and he couldn’t go any further, he went to New York and he met Langston Hughes and Richard Wright and so forth.” Often, Owens said, people simply think Ellison was someone who just happened to turn out to be a great writer without learning about his struggles. “We’re talking about an individual that out of bleak circumstances rose to the top of the literary world. … He’s that single child that’s raised by a single parent in a household that didn’t have any money. They were in poverty, and he goes and wins the 1953 National Book Award. He goes on to write one of the greatest books of the 20th century. He goes on and gets the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Owens said. “That’s what makes him unique and different because any kid that’s struggling can identify with him and say, ‘I too can achieve.’ … If you want to identify and model after anyone that has overcome, you need to look at Ellison. Visit ralphellisonfoundation.org.
A Night with Ralph Ellison 6-9 p.m. Feb. 29 Oklahoma Historical Society 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive “A Night with Ellison” gala celebration features music, dance and spoken word performances. | Photo provided
ralphellisonfoundation.org $85-$10,000
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The Roomba battle of Yukon
The most commotion to occur in Yukon since native son Garth Brooks performed a benefit concert in town in 1990 happened in early February, and it all started with a Roomba — that’s right, the automated vacuum cleaner. A SWAT team was called to a Yukon neighborhood and tear gas was administered after a 12-hour standoff that included flying feces, death threats and many unhinged 911 calls. John Stafford was taken into custody on a charge of “planning an act of violence” after he unexpectedly began to ram his Roomba into the fence he shares with his neighbor John Baird. According to KFOR, Baird told Stafford, “If you break through this fence, I will have to shoot you.” It’s unclear how a Roomba, which
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weighs about 9 pounds, would even be able to break down a fence, but here we are. Baird and his family huddled in their house for 12 hours as Stafford began throwing dog feces from his driveway at their house and repeatedly calling 911 and trying to report “a douchebag.” Baird said he had no idea what set Stafford off and that they’d never had a problem with him before. A local SWAT team arrived, complete with a bomb-disarming robot because apparently the only way to stop a bad-guy robot is with a good-guy robot. Authorities had to use pepper spray to get Stafford out of his house. He was taken into custody and we can only assume had a psychiatric evaluation.
Not OK, boomer
Black students, faculty and staff at University of Oklahoma matter. We’re appalled they can’t get through one single semester without a racist incident, but here we are again. Of course it has to be during Black History Month that an overly sensitive, outof-touch white OU professor compares the phrase “OK, boomer” to using the N-word, once again drawing
negative national attention to our largest university. Peter Gade, director of graduate studies at Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications, teaches — get this — journalism, ethics and democracy. Maybe at one point he actually taught that, but it seems like he’s now showing students how to violate all three with one swift blow. During class last week, he said journalists should stick to more traditional roots rather than follow changes in tech-
nology and social media, which is kind of the antithesis of good journalism and why so many newspapers have gone out of business. He then called on a student who disagreed and said journalists should keep up with younger generations, which Gade said was the equivalent of saying “OK, boomer” to him. Then Gade started ranting about the term, which he brought up himself, and said that “calling someone a boomer is like calling someone a N-word.” Hard R. It’s not, and nobody should have to explain why it isn’t in 2020, especially to someone who almost certainly blamed millennials for killing homeownership, diamonds, cereal, Applebee’s and the napkin industry while calling them snowflakes. Anyway, university officials responded in the weakest way possible, which is par for the course, with some saying his speech was protected by the First Amendment and some saying they “weren’t sure” that language had a place in the classroom and it might have been used as an “educational tool.” You’d think that after the litany of racist actions at OU, at least one administrator would learn how to address the matter with boldness, but no. Not even during Black History Month do the leaders at OU feel it appropriate to unequivocally say something is racist and outright condemn it.
Current students, faculty and staff should not have to put up with racist actions that go unchecked with little to no consequences and create a hostile environment for them. The university can apologize all it wants, but people want to see clear actions and change. The country is watching.
The Gambler
On the third of February In his State of the State speech Our business-savvy governor Made a request quite inspired Let’s get money from state reserves To fund public education Instead of from casinos To prove their compacts expired He said, “One percent of the common education funding came from the state’s exclusivity fees on Class III games in tribal casinos. … After five offers from the state for all stakeholders to come together … three tribes instead sued the state on New Year’s Eve.”
So a Seattle-based law firm’s Representin’ Oklahoma In a drawn-out, bitter dispute with many indigenous tribes. And State Rep. Emily Virgin said, “You should have thought about that … when you picked an unwinnable fight.” You’ve got to know when to hold ’em Know when to fold ’em Know when to walk away And know when to run. Millions of dollars of state money Just left sittin’ on the table; Is that better than admittin’ That you done effed up?
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DECADE OF DECO
A confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson’s young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band. The moving story of Robertson’s personal journey, overcoming adversity and finding camaraderie alongside the four other men who would become his brothers in music and who together made their mark on music history. Once Were Brothers blends rare archival footage, photography iconic songs and interviews with many of Robertson’s friends and collaborators. 102 minutes
Opening Friday, February 21st
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TREAD
Pushed to his breaking point, a master welder in a small town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains quietly fortifies a bulldozer with 30 tons of concrete and steel and seeks to destroy those he believes have wronged him. On June 4th, 2004, Marvin Heemeyer destroyed numerous businesses and homes in the small mountain town of Granby, Colorado. His name was Marvin Heemeyer. TREAD explores the polarizing perspectives on this man, his motives, and what drove him to the breaking point. 89 minutes
Opening Friday, February 28th
Showtimes & Tickets at Rodeocinema.org 2221 Exchange Avenue, OKC 405-235- 3456 (FILM)
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O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | F E B R U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 0
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REVIEW
EAT & DRINK
BBQ showcase
One established, the other new, George’s Happy Hog Bar-B-Q and Cornish Smokehouse excel with different styles of barbecue. By Jacob Threadgill
George’s Happy Hog Bar-B-Q 712 Culbertson Drive 405-525-8111
Cornish Smokehouse 801 SW 119th St. cornishsmokehouse.com | 405-703-1300 WHAT WORKS: Sides at George’s live up to superlative menu descriptions, and jerk sauce at Cornish Smokehouse has heat that grows. WHAT NEEDS WORK: The spicy barbecue sauce at George’s is too acidic while the menu at Cornish can be hard to navigate. TIP: Check out the wing specials at both restaurants on Wednesdays.
There’s the anxiety associated with everyday life, and then there’s the anxiety when someone asks you about your favorite barbecue restaurant. People’s regional allegiance, preferred type of wood and favorite cut of meat all come into play and render the question a powder keg. I have a confession: I’m not a barbecue connoisseur. I was born in Memphis and lived in north Mississippi for a long time, where I ate at famous Bluff City institu-
tions like Rendezvous, Central BBQ and Commissary, but I can’t provide a definitive ranking, just like I can’t do the same for Oklahoma City. A lot of bowl favorites range from staples like Leo’s BBQ, 3631 N. Kelley Ave., which has been open since 1974, to new kid on the block Clark Crew BBQ, 3510 Northwest Expressway. I wanted to do something a little bit different in the review section this week. Instead of reviewing one barbecue restaurant and trying to rank it 12
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among the city’s options, I wanted to go to two — one established and one newer entry — to see how they stack up against each other. The established choice is George’s Happy Hog Bar-B-Q, 712 Culbertson Drive. The new option is Cornish Smokehouse, 801 SW 119th St.
George’s Happy Hog Bar-B-Q
In the shadow of the State Capitol, just off Lincoln Boulevard, George’s Happy Hog has dutifully served pecan-smoked meats at this location since 2004. The restaurant was founded by George Thompson and Dee Bowlin but has continued under the ownership of Debra Ivory since 2012. For me, barbecue is more of a special occasion meat treat than a weekly occurrence, so I’m still eating my way through my Oklahoma City favorites for the first time, which included my first trip to George’s in early February. On a cold, misty Wednesday, the restaurant still held a healthy lunch crowd around 12:30 p.m. The smell of pecan smoke emanated throughout the build-
above George’s Happy Hog offers smoked wings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. right Debra Ivory has owned George’s Happy Hog Bar-B-Q since 2012. | Photos Jacob Threadgill
ing, and it was as warm as Ivory’s smile as she greeted customers. An older couple in front of me in line also appeared to be making their first trip to the restaurant, but they exchanged
common acquaintances with Ivory as they made their order, and that really made the restaurant feel like eating at a home. Customers make their order for a plate or sandwich that includes ribs (on the bone or rib ends), brisket, chicken, bologna, sausage or hot links. Make the order at the counter and the group of workers behind the counter preparing the meat will ask if you want white or wheat bread to go with your meal. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, they serve smoked chicken wings, which is an all-too-rare treat at barbecue restaurants as far as I’m concerned. We can thank the Buffalo wing craze that started in the 1990s for raising wing prices to the point that they’re probably too expensive to be an everyday menu item. It’s a shame because the wings’ dark meat and fat content make it the perfect vehicle for soaking up the smoked pecan flavor. I couldn’t choose between ribs and wings, so I got both: a rib dinner with sides of “marvelous” mixed greens and “perfect” potato salad ($13.49) and five chicken wings ($8). At George’s Happy Hog, where the slogan is “Flavor to the bone,” the ribs lived up to that billing. They were perfectly cooked: tender, but not overcooked to the point the bone pulls off, leaving the meat. The chicken wings hit the spot, as well. There was great color on the skin, and the wings are served whole, so you have both the drumette and flat from which to munch. As good as the meat was, the “perfect” and “marvelous” qualifiers on the sides made them the star of the meal. The potato salad is unlike any I’ve seen before. The potatoes are almost completely smooth like mashed potatoes, but they’re perfectly cool (get your lukewarm potato salad out of here) and have nice acidity from some pickle juice. The greens were also a revelation. Cooked down over
A rib dinner at George’s Happy Hog Bar-B-Q with “marvelous” mixed greens and “perfect” potato salad | Photo Jacob Threadgill
hours and with flecks of smoked pork, they’re almost impossibly tender and have no harsh flavor. I didn’t really need much sauce because the meat was flavorful on its own, but I preferred the regular sauce at George’s compared to the spicy version.
Cornish Smokehouse
Chris and Nicole Cornish opened their brick-and-mortar location in October 2018 after years operating out of a food truck, and they’ve quickly created a cult following in the crowded barbecue field with unique offerings. On the weekends, they offer smoked and deep-fried chicken along with soulful sides like macaroni and cheese. They have another secret up their sleeve: jerk sauce made with ingredients shipped from family members in Jamaica. You can get the sauce on fried chicken wings, loaded fries, pork ribs, meatballs and pulled pork and even order it with French toast ($14.50), which is like taking ubiquitous chicken and waffles and turning it up a notch. The Cornishes are thriving at this location on the border of Oklahoma City and Moore even after burglars created a fire and took out their food truck in late 2019. I first wrote about Cornish Smokehouse early in January 2019 and was excited to return this year to see how it has progressed. A mixture of Delta blues music from B.B. and Albert King played as I made an order at the counter: a chopped brisket sandwich, loaded potato salad and drink ($10) and jerk fried chicken with greens and potato salad ($13). The chicken is fried to-order, so it takes 8-10 minutes for it to arrive at your table, but it’s well worth the (minimal) wait. Outside Carican Flavors, 2701 Martin Luther Ave., I don’t know of another restaurant serving real jerk sauce. All too often, “jerk” flavoring in the U.S. is a spice blend placed on chicken like blackened seasoning.
The jerk sauce on the chicken wings has a nice balance of allspice, nutmeg and brown sugar at first and then heat from scotch bonnets creep up for both an immediate and lingering burn that is just the right amount. It’s not so much heat that it takes away from the flavor of the meat, but it also turned
loaded potato salad that includes green onion, bacon and cheese that is like a cold twice-baked potato. My only potential criticism for the restaurant experience is that the menu is a little bit hard to read in the restaurant. It’s hard to tell which items are weekend-only. I ordered fried chicken, but it’s only served on Sunday. Other items like jerk meatballs are only available on Saturday.
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A chopped brisket sandwich at Cornish Smokehouse inset Chris and Nicole Cornish of Cornish Smokehouse. | Photos Jacob Threadgill and Gazette / file
my lips red. The saucy dish was a sixnapkin meal, and the fried chicken skin remained crispy under the sauce. The chopped brisket was a real winner that had a nice contrast of crispy end pieces and tender center bites. Cornish Smokehouse serves a Fried chicken wings covered in jerk sauce with potato salad and greens at Cornish Smokehouse | Photo Jacob Threadgill
different spectrums of barbecue. George’s doesn’t have any fried sides, while Cornish Smokehouse has fried okra, chicken and fries. It has also got challenge-worthy sandwiches like the Big Boi ($10.95) that melts Swiss cheese on a fried chicken breast and tops it with coleslaw, fries, ranch and jerk sauce. The sides at Cornish weren’t as good as George’s, but the jerk sauce makes Cornish a destination.
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F E AT U R E
EAT & DRINK
Daiquiri Vibes
Good Times & Great Vibes offers a twist on frozen daiquiris, as its wine-based drinks are topped with candy or available to-go. By Jacob Threadgill
A strong bond between longtime friends brings a jubilant taste of the South with colorful wine-based daiquiris to Oklahoma at Good Times & Great Vibes. Opening in January 2019, Good Times & Great Vibes, 232 S. Air Depot Blvd., Suite D, in Midwest City is the vision of friends LaBrika Chaffer and Ryan Rutledge. The business partners met a decade ago when Chaffer ran track at Oklahoma City University and Rutledge played basketball at its gym on campus. “We’re longtime friends, and she’s someone that I can trust and go into business with and knew she’d always have my back,” Rutledge said. “She’d already had a snow cone stand back in San Antonio and knew how to open a business and avenues to take to get there. We put our heads together and came up with a nice scheme and slogan.” The duo originally opened as A Good Time Daiquiri Lounge in January 2018 but changed the name so customers would not think they were serving a liquor-based drink. “It’s why we changed our name, so that we can franchise and do more than this location, and that’s in our plans,” Chaffer said. The traditional daiquiri is a combination of rum, lime juice and sugar shaken together that dates to Cuba in the early
innovator David Briggs Jr., who developed the frozen drink machine that made a consistent product, according to distillerytrail.com. “We wanted to bring something fun to Oklahoma,” Rutledge said. “This has been around for many years in many states, for example New Orleans, Dallas, Houston, Vegas, Miami, and it’s a more Southern thing.”
In the future, our next location will have food. Ryan Rutledge Good Times & Great Vibes uses a concept that is popularized at many Texas drive-thru daiquiri bars that uses a flavorless base wine that can be flavored to taste like rum or tequila to make frozen daiquiris and margaritas with a lower alcohol content. “People who don’t know in Oklahoma the types of daiquiri options in other states, you get a daiquiri or frozen drink, have a good time,” Chaffer said. “That’s why a lot of people like us, because you don’t taste any alcohol. You can listen to some music, sip on a delicious-tasting drink, chill with friends and play some game, watch sports. For the brief
hour from 7 to 9 p.m. The first Sunday of every month is an open mic that includes music, comedy and poetry. Good Times & Great Vibes started with three frozen drink machines, but that number has expanded to five, and Rutledge said they would like to have as many as 8-10 machines. Drink sizes range from 16 ounces ($6.95) to one gallon ($25.95). “We rotate flavors,” Rutledge said. “We might have strawberry piña colada, peach, blue raspberry, green apple and the next week might be margarita, mango.” Drinks can be taken to-go in a sealed container, but customers who hang out in the lounge have the option of adding colorful candy like Skittles, alcoholsoaked gummies and sweet and spicy Fruit Roll-Ups to the drinks. “[Rutledge will] give me an idea of ‘How can I make this work?’ and make it easy and fun,” Chaffer said of the candy additions. “It’s just a good time. I’ll have certain things in the back of my mind and won’t say out loud. Then he’ll come along and say, ‘I bought this and that,’ and I’ll say, ‘I was just thinking that.’” The lounge also offers bottled and cans of beer and a few snacks like chips. It also partners with restaurants like Tez Wingz, 3801 N. Oak Grove Drive, in Midwest City and Mama E’s Soul Food, 3838 Springlake Drive, and food trucks like Fat Sosa’s to bring food to the lounge on weekends.
Customers can get daiquiris in the lounge or take them to-go in a sealed container. | Photo Phillip Danner
20th century, according to liquor.com. The first frozen versions made appearances in the 1950s with the invention of the electric blender, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that the brightly colored frozen daiquiris arrived 45 minutes outside New Orleans in Hammond from 14
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moment you’re in this place, nothing else matters.” There are mega-sized versions of Jenga, Connect Four and Uno while other tables have card games and dominoes. Every Friday night, Good Times & Great Vibes hosts karaoke that includes a $5 happy
“In the future, our next location will have food,” Rutledge said. However, there are no immediate plans for expansion. He said reception has been more than they expected in their first year of business, but they want to see it continue to grow before
Customers can get wine-based daiquiris topped with candy at Good Times & Great Vibes. | Photo Phillip Danner
adding a new location. “Although we’ve been open for a year, we don’t take anything for granted,” Rutledge said. “We’re keeping 10 toes down and pushing, keep grinding and keep moving forward. Don’t get content with what we have, although we see it’s working. It can always grow and expand. We’ve been open a year and most businesses crumble within year one and three.” Chaffer said one of her favorite memories was partnering with Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden on its 21-andup date night that saw the line for daiquiris extend all the way to the entrance. “The most rewarding thing was when they’d take that first sip and we’d ask if it was worth the wait and they said yes,” she said. “People will drive 30-45 minutes just because they remember us from the zoo. New Orleans people have come in here and so far, knock on wood, we’re New Orleans-approved.” At the core of Good Times & Great Vibes is the bond between Rutledge and Chaffer. “There have been numerous times if I wanted to give up, she pulled me back or if she wanted to quit, I’d pull her back. You have to keep that confidence level up and give all grace to God,” Rutledge said. “It’s been an amazing ride, and let’s go for some more,” Chaffer said.
F E AT U R E
Soul provider
Oklasoul Cafe provides a rotating menu of options with plenty of sweet treats. By Jacob Threadgill
The soul at the heart of Oklasoul Cafe doesn’t mean soul food. It’s the passion its owner puts into creativity for its ever-changing menu. After seven years in the Navy working as a welder and doing metal fabrication, Zarious Hughes was looking for direction. A Chicago native, Hughes met his wife Raysheeda while stationed in San Diego. The couple moved to Oklahoma City to escape the high rent of Southern California and be closer to her family, but Hughes didn’t know how to fill the post-military career void. “I struggled for a long time when I got out of the Navy,” he said. “I was 26, and I was like, ‘I don’t know; I feel like I should be doing something.’ The time I was supposed to be figuring it out, I was in the Navy.” He rediscovered his love for cooking when he got married four years ago, and his wife encouraged him to attend culinary school. He graduated from Francis Tuttle Technology Center a year later and began working in kitchens and as a personal caterer. A chance meeting while catering a wedding laid the groundwork
Rotating menu
Oklasoul Cafe doesn’t have a set menu. Hughes prefers to rotate offerings by the day and the week. Tuesdays are designated for tacos, and three tacos and a drink sell for $6.50. Customers can choose chicken, beef or a veggie medley of roasted peppers and onions topped with guacamole, chipotle mayo, sour cream, lettuce and cheese. Hughes plans to mix favorites like fajita, bourbon and barbecue preparations of chicken along with lemon pepper salmon and new, weekly inspirations like mushroom lasagna on the rotating menu. “I didn’t want to do a steady menu with a wait staff and that’s it,” he said. “I know myself; I would get stagnant and bored. I need change. I need to be able to do different things.” Other entrees like beef enchiladas, fajita beef and others will make appearances at Oklasoul Cafe. Sides like roasted potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cilantrolime rice, green beans, candied bacon deviled eggs, cornbread and rolls join them on the menu. “It’s based on what holds well because
At Oklasoul Cafe, Tuesdays are for tacos topped with guacamole, lettuce, chipotle mayo and cheese. | Photo Phillip Danner
with offerings like peach cobbler, oatmeal cookies and more. “The peach cobbler is the biggest hit,” he said. “I use a pie crust on top when a lot of other people use biscuits. When I make it at home, I use double pie crust because my wife says, ‘I don’t need the filling; I just need the crust.’” He’s planning to add a Neapolitan shortbread cookie to the menu in the coming weeks with vanilla, chocolate and strawberries layered on top of each other. “It tastes just like the ice cream,” he said. Hughes is an open book to suggestions for menu additions based on customer feedback. He replied to one five-star Yelp review saying to look out for oxtails as an entrée option. He said he’s open to adding
flavor from his hometown Chicago to the menu, like its famous mild sauce, a mixture of hot sauce, ketchup and barbecue sauces, among other ingredients. Another Chicago favorite is the Gym Shoe Sandwich that combines gyro meat, Italian beef and sometimes pastrami on a sub sandwich roll. “There was a place around the corner from me called Happy Fish & Chicken that had a Gym Shoe Sandwich, and it combines everything into one,” he said. “The one thing I’ll never add is fried food because it’s hard to keep it crispy and there is enough fried foods around. A lot of people want me to. It’s not soul food; it’s cooking with soul.”
Adjustment period
Favorites like barbecue and bourbon chicken will make regular appearances on the rotating menu at Oklasoul Cafe. right Zarious Hughes found a culinary calling after seven years in the Navy. | Photos Phillip Danner /provided
for Oklasoul Cafe, which opened at 1524 SE 15th St. on Jan. 11. “I was catering a friend’s wedding and talking to her dad about a different opportunity, and God was just like, ‘Here it is; this is what is happening,’” Hughes said. “When your passion and what God wants you to do lines up, you can’t do anything about it.”
it’s cooked every day and then held throughout the day because some things will dry out too quickly,” Hughes said. While Hughes enjoys making savory entrees, it’s his love of baking that first got him interested in cooking. While in the Navy, he’d often put together something quick to satisfy a sweet tooth. He’s flexing his dessert muscles
In addition to graduating from Francis Tuttle, Hughes is also finishing a business degree from Mid-American Christian University — a program he started before the opportunity for Oklasoul arrived. “It’s perfect timing,” he said. “It was the right time so that I could understand the money cost of things and business side and not just the food side.” After four years in Oklahoma City, he’s adjusting to life in a smaller city after living in Chicago and San Diego and being stationed for a year in Japan with the Navy. “I hated it at first, absolutely hated [Oklahoma],” he said. “I’m not going to lie; I encountered my first up-front racism, and I hated it here. I’ve seen that not everyone is like that. Everyone thinks Chicago is Chiraq, and it’s not like that. Everyone thinks San Diego is hippies and everyone loves the beach, and that’s not it. I was appreciative of how easy it is to start over here.” He is hopeful that Oklasoul provides the opportunity for more restaurant and catering concepts in the future. “Let’s keep it going and add the soul all around OKC,” Hughes said. “I still can’t believe it, and it’s really happening. I’m grateful for everything. The business is picking up. Everything takes time, and people have to see that you’ve been open a while and not just fly-by-night.” Visit facebook.com/oklasoulcafe. O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | F E B R U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 0
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GAZEDIBLES
EAT & DRINK
Chili celebration
Sunday is National Chili Day. In celebration, these seven restaurants range from traditional offerings to nontraditional like vegetarian and verde. By Jacob Threadgill with provided and Gazette / file photos
Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili
Flint
While the soup of the day rotates at this veggie-friendly eatery, it keeps its veggie chili that features plenty of beans on its menu every day. Get the chili, which is topped with avocado, as a bowl or cup. Also look for it on the Southwestern Salad on a bed of organic greens or on top of nachos.
Did you know that bison is leaner (both calorically and in terms of fat) than chicken and turkey? Chili doesn’t have to be super indulgent at this eatery in Colcord Hotel. A regular serving of bison chili is topped with jalapeño hush puppies, diced onions, cheddar and sour cream on the side. During the weekend, you can get an omelet topped with chili for $10.
309 S. Flood Ave., Norman theearthnorman.com | 405-364-3551
4723 N. May Ave. ronsburgersandchili.com 405-943-7667
The chili that launched a franchise from Tulsa that has expanded to 18 locations across three states keeps customers coming back in Oklahoma City. Get it topped on one of Ron’s famous sausage burgers that mixes breakfast sausage into the patty, as a Frito pie, on top of spaghetti or on a side of fresh-cut fries or tots.
Celebrate
The Earth Cafe & Deli
15 N. Robinson Ave. flintokc.com | 405-605-0657
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Power House
1228 SW Second St. powerhouseokc.com | 405-702-0699 How do you know a menu item is good? It’s the only full-time food option on the menu. Such is the case for Power House’s green chile pork verde, where a huge pot simmers away all day, every day. Get it by the cup with tortillas, lime, cheese and cilantro or on top of crispy tostadas. This Farmer’s Market District option is a great choice for cocktails, live music, other daily food specials and a weekend brunch during warmer months.
Tim’s Drive Inn
5037 N. MacArthur Blvd., Warr Acres 405-789-5410 This Warr Acres institution dishes out many of the favorites that have kept it in business since 1956. From the drivethru window, you can pick up a footlong for only $3.34, or stop by on Friday for a footlong and malt for just $4.88. It also offers chili on its burgers and as a chili Frito pie.
Chili Dog Express
329 NW Fourth St. chilidogexpress.com | 405-601-7516 This gourmet hot dog option has become a downtown staple since moving from Edmond more than five years ago. No matter how you want to eat its meatfilled chili, it has you covered. Get one of its famous chili cheese dogs, chili cheese nachos or a Frito pie with either chili and nacho cheese or get the Supreme with lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers and sour cream.
James E. McNellie’s Public House
1100 Classen Drive www.mcnellies.com | 405-601-7468 McNellie’s has an excellent selection of beer, and that comes in handy with its signature beer house chili. A blend of ground beef, chorizo and spices are simmered for hours in beer, and it’s easy to see why it has been a menu staple since the concept arrived in Midtown.
One large top-filled Tamale w/your choice of beef, chicken, or pork, topped with Queso or Red Sauce. Served with Refried Beans and Guacamole Salad
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O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | F E B R U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 0
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LEARN IN A NEW LIGHT
Ignite your creativity and hone your skills at our new Studio School.
STUDIO SCHOOL REGISTRATION OPENS FEB. 24
oklahomacontemporary.org/studioschool Classes | Workshops | Artist demonstrations NW 11th and Broadway, Oklahoma City
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CO M M U N I T Y
ARTS & CULTURE
Motorcycle diaries
As an African American motorcycle drag racer, TomBo Racing founder Tommy Bolton won titles and set a record. By Jeremy Martin
The first time he saw a motorcycle, Tommy Bolton knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. “When I was about 6 years old, I started seeing them going up and down the street, and it was like, ‘This is what I want to do,’” Bolton said. “By the time I moved to California, I was consumed with dirt bikes, mini bikes, motorcycles and all that stuff. … At the age of 11, I was full-blown into this stuff. … I hung around different shops until I got old enough to go in them. … I would go to the dirt-bike tracks and watch them. I think I went to the drag strip for the first time when I was 14 years old, and I was hooked.” Harley Davidson Forums named Bolton, who now owns TomBo Racing, 1033 SE Grand Blvd., one of “7 Important African-American Bikers You Should Know” in 2017. “Tommy Bolton may not race a Harley,
but he still demands respect,” wrote Bryan Wood, paying perhaps the highest compliment possible from a Harley Davidson forum. “As a top-level drag racer and builder … he racked up 25 major titles before he stopped to concentrate on tuning the bikes and building custom baggers.” When he was 11, Bolton found a mini bike in the backyard at his friend’s house in Los Angeles and skipped school band practice to work on it. At the age of 15, he met “Honda” Jim McGlynn, who began taking him to motorcycle drag races across the country where Bolton honed his tuning skills. At 17, Bolton got his first job at a motorcycle shop outside Beverly Hills. His father and uncle both rode motorcycles — and Bolton’s mother taught him to ride his first motorcycle, a Honda SL100 — but his father was not prepared to hear
TomBo Racing builds and races drag bikes and builds and repairs custom bikes and “bagger” touring bikes. | Photos Neisha T. Ford
continued on page 20
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ARTS & CULTURE
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Bolton’s career plan. “I told my dad, ‘I’m dropping out of school and going to work at a motorcycle shop,’ and he said, ‘What?’” Bolton said. “I had a little toolbox. I thought this was going to be it. I’m going to work on motorcycles, and my life will be set. I went up there for the first three weeks, and all I did was clean bathrooms. I was getting ready to quit, and they gave me a break and started having me set up motorcycles in the back. From that point on, I got my own stall and everything.” But when the shop discovered he was supposed to be in school, they sent him back. Fortunately, his high school had started offering motorcycle mechanic classes and he was eventually able to continue working at the shop on weekends. “I can honestly say, ‘This is the only job I’ve had,’” Bolton said. He began drag racing motorcycles at the age of 19. “By the mid-’80s, he began to receive notoriety as the first African American to go to the forefront of the sport,” wrote CycleDrag.com’s Jack Korpela in a 2017 profile. “In 1988, Bolton became the first to win top-10 plates in all of the major Dragbike USA categories. … In the early ’90s, Tombo ventured into the ultracompetitive world of [National Hot Rod Association] Pro Stock Motorcycle racing. He became the category’s first African American racer to receive a major sponsorship.” Because races are located across the 20
F E B R U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M
Tommy Bolton was the first African American motorcycle racer to go faster than 200 miles per hour in a quarter mile. | Photos Neisha T. Ford
country, Bolton moved to Oklahoma City in 1994 to be more centrally located. He opened TomBo Racing the following year. In addition to drag bikes, the shop also repairs and builds custom bikes and “bagger” touring motorcycles. “Whenever you say drag racing motorcycles in Oklahoma, I’m proud they say Tommy Bolton,” Bolton said. Bolton began building motorcycles for racer Glen Nickelberry. “I told Tommy if he could build it, I could ride it,” Nickelberry said in the July 1998 issue of Motorcycle Performance Magazine. “We just went from there.” Nickelberry was the first African American racer to finish a quarter mile in less than 6.60 seconds and the second to go more than 200 miles per hour in a quarter mile. Bolton, at the Texas Motorplex in 1990, was the first. “It was surreal, but it made everything — all of the riding a bicycle up and down main street, learning how to ride, all the crashes that I went through — it made it all come full circle,” Bolton said. “When you’re going that fast, everything slows down. You can look up in the stands and see people. You can see somebody with a drink in their hand, and you’re like, ‘Whoa.’ It was crazy.” Call 405-493-9033 or visit tomboracing.com.
T H E AT E R
John Kovaleskie, Ford Filson, Alexandra Shadid, Grant Brittan, Sara Byerly, Denise Hughes, Aiesha Watley and Cindy Barrios star in The Library at Carpenter Square Theatre Friday-March 14. | Photo Rhonda Clark / provided
Survivors’ guilt
Carpenter Square Theatre’s production of The Library finds cruelty and catharsis in the aftermath of a school shooting. By Jeremy Martin
The Library opens with a 16-year-old high school student being rolled into an emergency room. “Riddled with fragments,” says the nurse. “Multiples shotgun blasts to chest and abdomen,” the surgeon replies. The play, which runs Friday-March 14 at Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W. Main St., is not so much about a mass shooting as what happens afterward. “It really focuses in on the people who survive the shooting,” said director Terry Veal. “Whether they were there or whether they’ve lost someone during the shooting, and how it affects them. A lot of stories, it’s all about the shooter and why he did what he did. This is more the effect it has on the people who were involved, and how it changes their lives. Do we stay still, or are we able to move forward? … God knows, it’s not easy.” Caitlin (played by Sara Byerly), unlike 11 of her classmates, survives the school shooting, but rumors, irresponsible news reporting and hidden ulterior motives lead to accusations that she helped the shooter. Playwright Scott Z. Burns partially based The Library, which debuted in 2014, on the 1999 Columbine shooting, but Caitlin and her family might relate to the survivors of the Sandy Hook and Stoneman Douglas shootings, who have faced harsh social media attacks perpetuated by conspiracy theories and social media trolls. “Burns is brave in showing how disaster brings out the pettiness in people, in addition to more heroic traits,” wrote critic Ben Brantley in The New York Times. “And he’s right to question the facile abuse of words like ‘healing’ and ‘closure.’” In Caitlin’s case, following accusations about her relationship with the shooter and her actions during the shootBefore and after the shooting, Marshall (Ford Filson) makes life difficult for Caitlin (Sara Byerly). | Photo Rhonda Clark / provided
ing, even her classmates and community begin to doubt her version of events. “She’s ostracized by her friends at school,” said Carpenter Square artistic director Rhonda Clark. “They don’t want to have anything to do with her. They consider her a traitor, and the same with her parents in the community. They’re sort of losing friends over this while their marriage is in tatters already. The parents are already estranged, so this puts even more stress on their marriage. … It really examines what loss and stress does to people.” Because the shooter dies in the attack, the community channels its helplessness and sadness into outrage at Caitlin. “Everyone has a need for a solution — and someone to blame,” Clark said. “And if it’s not just the shooter, it sort of metastasizes into other things. … It just kind of grows. People just need to an outlet for their hurt and their anger, and it just kind of comes out and in different ways. If the shooter is gone, which is usually the case in these kinds of shoot-
ings, then people just have a need to put their grief and their anger somewhere.” Veal said he wanted to cast Byerly in the role after seeing her performance as Mayella Ewell in Oklahoma Children’s Theatre’s production of Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Broadway World’s Jessica Vanek praised Byerly’s “captivating” and “convincing” portrayal of Mayella “as both a victim and a villain.” Veal, who taught high school for 20 years, said The Library feels true to the experience of modern high school students.
Do we stay still, or are we able to move forward? … God knows, it’s not easy. Terry Veal
All perspective
“I think it’s pretty true to what a young person would have to go through or deal with if something like that happens,” Veal said. “This young girl, she’s dealing with a lot, of course. She’s dealing with the shooting and then she’s dealing with the accusation that she’s not telling the truth. That’s a lot to put on a young kid. She’s 16, the character, so you can imagine what that would be like.” Clark said the play is also critical of the media’s tendency to release stories before all the information is available. “It’s really a cautionary tale about rumor and jumping to conclusions and social media and also the media — what you say to the media and how that may be construed, both from the victim’s standpoint,” Clark said. “It’s very, very timely, sadly. We continue to have these senseless shootings, and this comes at it from a really different perspective. … It really just, hopefully, makes everyone think when they hear something to think twice before jumping to conclusions and think twice before they treat someone badly.” In The Library, Clark said, “nobody is blameless,” and “everyone’s a victim.” “What I really like about it is it just comes at this issue from just about every perspective that you could possibly have,” Clark said.
While some people have expressed concern that the play might be depressing, Clark said she finds it cathartic. “It really allows the characters on stage to experience these feelings and lets you just come inside, I think, in a very thoughtful way, what someone goes through when they have an experience like that,” Clark said. Clark also noted that the play, which does not include guns or a depiction of the shooting itself, is being produced as part of Carpenter Square’s outreach program for high school students. A Q&A session with the director and actors will follow performances for students, and schools will have the opportunity to host drama workshops taught by representatives from the theater, where “any questions or any thing that the students might want to talk about, hopefully, will come out.” The play asks the audience to consider multiple perspectives in an alltoo-common tragedy, but Veal said it never tells the audience what to think. “The key is to try to tell it honestly and let people go away with their own conclusions,” Veal said. “It shows different sides of the situation. I don’t want to preach to anybody, but I think it’s an important subject that needs to be discussed.” Another key to staging the “very cinematic script,” Veal said, is “trying to keep it moving.” Clark agreed, noting that Burns also wrote the screenplays for several films (including director Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant!, Side Effects and Contagion). “It’s very fast-moving — a tight, relatively short script,” Clark said. “There’s no wasted words or scenes whatsoever. It just kind of propels forward.” Veal said finding a way to move forward from tragedy is one of The Library’s main themes. “I think at the end, we’ve got to leave with a feeling of hope that things will get better and we can go on,” Veal said. “Of course we love and miss the ones that we’ve lost, and they will always be a part of us. But we still need to move on. As difficult as it is, we still need to move on. … I hope people will walk away and discuss and think.” Tickets are $5-$25. Call 405-2326500 or visit carpentersquare.com.
The Library Friday-March 14 Carpenter Square Theatre 800 W. Main St. carpentersquare.com | 405-232-6500 $5-$25
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OKG Lifestyle
OKG’s Picks EAT Breakfast Tacos at Taqueria Los Comales WATCH Tuca & Bertie LISTEN Criminal podcasts READ Trust Exercise by Susan Choi LOVE Margaret Atwood’s Twitter account EXPERIENCE Listening to Shane Smith & the Saints’ song
“Oklahoma City” while driving at night
Cheyenne’s Picks EAT Izabal Breakfast at Cafe Kacao Latin
Cuisine
WATCH Barry (HBO) LISTEN Consolers of the Lonely by
The Raconteurs, John Prine by John Prine
READ The Immortal Life of Henrietta
Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (to learn something), Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron (for self-improvement) and Cities of Men by William Jensen (for a damn good story)
LOVE Revolver Blood and Honey American
Pale Wheat Ale
EXPERIENCE Any local home bout of Oklahoma
Victory Dolls Roller Derby League
Cheyenne Riggs is a full-time composition instructor at University of Oklahoma. When she’s not grading papers, she’s probably playing roller derby, volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, cooking or hanging with her shepherds, Cohen and Moxie.
BREAKFAST TACOS AT TAQUERIA LOS COMALES | PHOTO JACOB THREADGILL • TRUST EXERCISE BY SUSAN CHOI | IMAGE HENRY HOLT & CO. / MACMILLAN / PROVIDED MARGARET ATWOOD’S TWITTER ACCOUNT | PHOTO BIGSTOCK.COM • CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY BY THE RACONTEURS | IMAGE WARNER BROS. RECORDS / PROVIDED THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS BY REBECCA SKLOOT | IMAGE PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE / PROVIDED • CHEYENNE RIGGS | ZAK BYRNE PHOTOGRAPHY / PROVIDED 22
F E B R U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M
CALENDAR are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
BOOKS Friends of the Metropolitan Library book sale shop for books, DVDs, music, and more at this annual book sale and fundraiser for the public library system, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Feb. 22 and 23. Oklahoma State Fair Park, 3220 Great Plains Walk, 405-9486700, okstatefair.com. SAT-SUN Last Sunday Poetry Reading a poetry reading followed by an open mic, 2 p.m. last Sunday of every month. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SUN LGBTQ+ Book Club meetup to discuss The Color Purple by Alice Walker, 6-8 p.m. Feb. 19. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. WED Poetry Night read one of your own poems or a personal favorite by someone else at this open-mic, 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 20. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. THU
FILM The Color Purple (1985, USA, Steven Spielberg) Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey star in this Oscar-winning adaptation of Alice Walker’s classic novel, 1 p.m. Feb. 23. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405424-0461, cinemark.com. SUN Same God (2020, USA, Linda Midgett) a documentary chronicling political science professor and Shawnee native Larycia Hawkins’ movement to find common ground among religions, 3:30 p.m. Feb. 23. St. Paul’s Methodist Church, 301 N. Beard, 405-273-0982. SUN
HAPPENINGS Afro Beats a dance party with soca, hip-hop, Caribbean, dancehall and other genres of music provided by DJ Sinz, 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays. Glass Lounge, 5929 N. May Ave., 405-835-8077, glasshouseokc.com. FRI Board Game Brunch play board games while enjoying a variety of food and beverage options, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. last Sunday of the month. The R & J Lounge and Supper Club, 320 NW 10th St., 405-6025066, rjsupperclub.com. SUN Board Game Day enjoy local craft beer while playing old-school board and arcade games with friends, 5-8 p.m. Sundays. FlashBack RetroPub, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-633-3604, flashbackretropub.com. SUN Conversational Spanish Group Meetup an opportunity for all experience levels to practice speaking Spanish, 7 p.m. Tuesdays. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. TUE Drag Me to Bingo bingo night hosted by Teabaggin Betsy, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Partners, 2805 NW 36th St., 405-942-2199, partners4club.com. TUE Home Gardening 101. learn about basic gardening techniques at this horticultural program, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 22. Oklahoma County OSU Extension
Center, 2500 NE 63rd St., 405-713-1125, okiemgs. okstate.edu. SAT Jazz, The Beats, and A Dream Deferred a celebration of influential writers Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg, Langston Hughes, Diane Di Palma, and Ralph Ellison, 7 p.m. Feb. 20. The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo St., 405-315-6224, paseoplunge.org. THU Karaoke Night perform your favorite songs on a stage with a light display and professional sound system, 8 p.m. Dec. 25. Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 211 E Main St., Norman, 405-364-7555, bisonwitchesok.com. WED Krewe de Banjo Mardi Gras Party a New Orleans style celebration featuring live jazz by Steve Ham and the Jambalaya Jass Band, 6-9 p.m. Feb. 22. American Banjo Museum, 9 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-604-2793, americanbanjomuseum.com. SAT Moore Chess Club play in tournaments and learn about the popular board game at this weekly event where all ages and skill levels are welcome, 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Moore Library, 225 S. Howard Ave. SUN OKC Town Hall guest speaker David Grann, author or Killers of the Flower Moon will speak, followed by a luncheon, 11 a.m. Feb. 20. Church of the Servant, 14343 N. MacArthur Blvd., 703-481-0000. THU Queen Mariah’s Variety Show a monthly stage show featuring various drag performers, 10:30 p.m. Saturdays. Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-6022030, facebook.com/frankiesokc. SAT Renegade Poker compete in a 2-3 hour tournament with cash prizes, 3 p.m. Sundays. Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 211 E Main St., 405-364-7555, bisonwitchesok.com. SUN
Women of Color Art Showcase at Heart StudiosView artworks by Maya Perez, Clarissa Watkins, Marcia Ermey, Sunee Rice, Raasheda Burnett, Jodi Renee, Sylvia Archie and Heart Studio founder and owner Erica Nkechi and enjoy light snacks, drinks and live music at this event celebrating Black History Month. Proceeds from art sales go to the artists, and ticket sales go toward children’s art programs. The show is 6-10 p.m. Saturday at Heart Studios, 1605 E. Second St., in Edmond. Tickets are $12.50-$20. Call 405-664-4194 or visit heartstudiosllc.com. SATURDAY Photo Irie Adirflo Photography / provided
Trivia Night at Black Mesa Brewing test your knowledge at this weekly competition hosted by BanjoBug Trivia, 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Black Mesa Brewing Company, 1354 W Sheridan Ave., 405-7781865, blackmesabrewing.com. TUE
Beginning Martial Arts Classes students ages 7 and older can learn martial arts from instructor Darrell Sarjeant at this weekly class, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursdays. Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, 405896-0203, facebook.com/pg/nappyrootsbooks. THU
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live show creator Joel Hodgson joins his robot friends on The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour, 7:30-10 p.m. Feb. 20. Rose State College Hudiburg Chevrolet Center, 6000 S Prosper Blvd, 4055948300. THU
Trivia Night at Matty McMillen’s answer questions for a chance to win prizes at this weekly trivia night, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Matty McMillen’s Irish Pub, 2201 NW 150th St., 405-607-8822, mattymcmillens.com. TUE
Early Explorers toddlers and preschoolers can participate in fun scientific activities they can repeat later at home, 10-11 a.m. Thursdays. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. THU
Pablo Francisco the stand-up comic performs impressions, sound effects and jokes, Feb. 20-22, Feb. 20-22. Bricktown Comedy Club, 409 E. California Ave., 405-594-0505, bricktowncomedy.com. THU-SAT
FOOD
Mariana Llanos book signing the author will autograph copies of her children’s book Eunice and Katie, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 22. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT
February Pairing Dinner an evening of food and cocktails featuring spirits from Balcones Distilling and a five-course dinner, 7-10 p.m. Feb. 26. Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar, 1845 Northwest Expressway, 405-582-2253, http:www.whiskeycakeokc.com. WED Mediterranean Dinner Party cooking class see chef Ahmad Farnia prepare a multi-course meal at this observational cooking class, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 2425 and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25. International Pantry, 1618 W. Lindsey St., Norman, 405-360-0765, intipantry. com. MON-TUE OKC Farmers Market a year round farmers market featuring fresh produce, honey, baked goods, meat, hand made goods and more., Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. OKC Farmers Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., 4054860701, okcfarmersmarket.com. SAT
YOUTH Art Adventures children can enjoy story time and related activities, 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-325-3272, ou.edu/ fjjma. TUE
Reading Wednesdays a weekly storytime with hands-on activities, goody bags and reading-themed photo ops, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED Sankofa Chess Club children 7 and older are invited to learn chess in this club meeting weekly, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, 405-896-0203, facebook.com/pg/nappyrootsbooks. WED Story Time with Britt’s Bookworms enjoy snacks, crafts and story time, 10:30-11:30 a.m. first and third Thursday of every month. Thrive Mama Collective, 1745 NW 16th St., 405-356-6262. THU Storytime Science the museum invites children age 6 and younger to hear a story and participate in a related scientific activity, 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. TUE
PERFORMING ARTS The Civilized Tribe Dixieland Band the jazz ensemble will perform its annual Fat Tuesday concert, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25. UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. Fifth St., Edmond, 405-359-7989, ucojazzlab.com. TUE Divine Comedy a weekly local showcase hosted by CJ Lance and Josh Lathe and featuring a variety of comedians from OKC and beyond, 9 p.m. Wednesdays. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. WED Having Our Say sisters Sadie and Bessie, both more than 100 years old, share their life story while cooking dinner onstage in this play based on the real-life Delany sisters, Feb. 19-March 8, Feb. 19-March 8. Lyric at the Plaza, 1725 NW 16th St., 405-524-9312, LyricTheatreOKC.com. WED-SUN The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde’s classic farce gets a steam-punk makeover in this production directed by Jamie Brewster, Feb. 21-23. 3rd Act Theatre Company, 12040 N. May Ave., 405-361-9444, 3rdacttheatreco.com. FRI-SUN
Freedom Oklahoma College Summit Now in its eighth year, this summit offers LGBTQ+ students and allies from across the region a chance to meet, network, exchange information and hear from health, legal, civil rights and advocacy experts. The summit begins 8:30 a.m. Friday at Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave. Admission is free, but pre-registrants will receive a free tote bag and lunch. Call 405-446-8836 or visit freedomoklahoma.org. FRIDAY Photo bigstock.com
Rhyme in Reasons share your talent or just watch other artists perform at this weekly open mic, 7:30-10 p.m. Thursdays. Reasons Lounge, 1140 N. MacArthur Boulevard, 405-774-9991. THU Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare’s starcrossed lovers find love despite the hatred between their families in this all-time classic, through March 1. Shakespeare on Paseo, 2920 Paseo St., 405-2353700, oklahomashakespeare.org. FRI-SUN Songs of Freedom Calvin Arsenia and Deonna Marie present a concert of lassical, jazz, and pop songs to commemorate Black History Month, 7-9 p.m. Feb. 23. Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W. Main St., 405-232-6500, carpentersquare.com. SUN Stand Up Science podcaster and comic Shane Mauss will interview scientists, followed by a Q&A, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. WED
ACTIVE Monday Night Group Ride meet up for a weekly 25-30 minute bicycle ride at about 18 miles per hour through east Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Mondays. The Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Road, 405-603-7655. MON Run the Alley a three-mile social run for athletes of all abilities ending with beers at The Yard, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. OK Runner, 708 N Broadway Ave., 405-702-9291, myokrunner.com. THU Stars and Stripes Spin Jam a weekly meetup for jugglers, hula hoopers and unicyclers, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Stars & Stripes Park, 3701 S. Lake Hefner Drive, 405-297-2756, okc.gov/parks. WED Twisted Coyote Brew Crew a weekly 3-mile group run for all ability levels with a beer tasting to follow; bring your own safety lights, 6 p.m. Mondays. Twisted Spike Brewing Co., 1 NW 10th St., 405-3013467, twistedspike.com. MON Yoga Tuesdays an all-levels class; bring your own water and yoga mat, 5:45 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE Yoga with Art workout in an art-filled environment followed by a mimosa, 10:30 a.m. Saturdays. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. SAT
VISUAL ARTS
Love Letters playwright A.R. Gurney chronicles the potential unrequited romantic subtext in 50 years of correspondence between two lifelong friends, through Feb. 29. The Pollard Theatre, 120 W. Harrison Ave., Guthrie, 405-282-2800, thepollard.org. FRI-SAT
40 Over 40: Women Artists of Oklahoma an exhibition highlighting works created by Oklahoman artists over the age over 40, through March 13. MAINSITE Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 405-360-1162, mainsitecontemporaryart.com. FRI
Mariachi Los Camperos the internationally known Los Camperos will perform traditional music from Mexico, 8 p.m. Feb 21 and 22. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI-SAT
Colors of Clay an exhibition of clay pots, bowls, pitchers and jars created by Native American artists, Through May 10, 2021. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI-SUN
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C A L E N DA R
CALENDAR continued from page 23 D.J. Lafon exhibition view paintings by the Oklahoma artist who died in 2011, through Feb. 29, Through Feb. 29. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. FRI-SAT
Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing an exhibition of photographs documenting the experiences of Dust Bowl migrants and Japanese American prisoners in World War II internment camps, through May 10. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI-SUN Huda Hashim exhibition view works created by
the British-born Sudanese-American designer, contemporary artist and 3D architect, through Feb. 29. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. THU-SAT In the Direction of the Sun an exhibition of works by Kyndall Rainey and Danny Joe Rose III on display in the Crystal Bridge Visitor Center, through March 23. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT-MON Inside the Artist’s Heart an exhibition featuring photographs by Blu Lirette and jewelry by Jennifer Woods, through March 3. The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo St., 405-315-6224, paseoplunge.org. FRI-TUE Japanese Stab Binding learn this bookmaking
technique at a workshop taught by Wendy Fox, 1-4 p.m. Feb. 22. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. SAT
tography by Oklahoma artist Lauren Midgley, through Feb 29, Through Feb. 29. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org. FRI-SAT
Little Landscapes: Tea Bag Art learn to create small works of art from tea bags at this workshop taught by mixed-media artist Carol Ann Webster, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 22. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. SAT
Tiny Little Fables: The Enchanted a multimedia art exhibition featuring works by Nonney Oddlokken, Nicole Moan and Aztrid Moan, Through May 18. The Art Hall, 519 NW 23rd St., 405-231-5700, arthallokc.com. FRI-MON
O. Gail Poole’s Sideshow an exhibition of surreal and unusual paintings by the eclectic Oklahoma artist, through May 10, Through May 10. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-325-3272, ou.edu/ fjjma. FRI-SUN Painting workshop artist Brad Price will teach his color-expressionist painting method at this daylong art class, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 22. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org. SAT Rawhide braiding workshop intermediate and advanced braiders can expand their skills at this threeday workshop presented by Traditional Cowboy Arts Association, Feb. 26-28, Feb. 26-28. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED-FRI Re-New an exhibition of Tulsa artist Whitney Forsyth’s mandala-inspired ceramic work, through Feb. 29, Through Feb. 29. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. THU-SAT Renegades: Bruce Goff and the American School of Architecture an exhibition celebrating non-traditional architecture inspired by Native American designs, everyday objects and natural landscapes, through April 5, Through April 5. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma. FRI-SUN
SixTwelve Mardi Gras Ball An annual fundraiser for nonprofit community education center SixTwelve, this party features live music by Spaceface, Brothers Griiin and Latin Mojo and food by Picasso Cafe. Masks, beads and dancing are strongly encouraged. Laissez les bons temps rouler 8-11 p.m. Saturday at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. Tickets are $100-$5,000, and guests must be at least 18 years old to attend. Call 405708-6937 or visit towertheatreokc.com.SATURDAY Photo Aaron Gilliland / provided
Renewing the American Spirit: The Art of the Great Depression an exhibition of paintings, prints, photographs and more created in the 1930s, Through April 26. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-SUN The Space Between an exhibition of works by Artspace artist-in-residence Ric Miller, through Feb. 29. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. MON-SAT
A Thin Place view fantasy-inspired conceptual pho-
Until We Organize: The Struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment an exhibition of photographs chronicling Oklahoma’s battle over the ERA, through Nov. 30, 2020, Through Nov. 30. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. MON-SUN Warhol and the West an exhibition exploring Andy Warhol’s artwork featuring icons and imagery from the American West, including his Cowboys and Indians print series, through May 10. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI-SUN
Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.
For OKG live music
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F E B R U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M
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Absolute monarchy
OKC hip-hop artist Queen Caution’s Pisces Bash celebrates her birthday with a local music showcase. By Jeremy Martin
The first half of Queen Caution’s name comes from her mother. “When I was younger, I had a lot of self-esteem issues because I went to a dominantly white school, and I’m black and white,” Caution said. “So it was really hard for me to fit in. They were really segregated. When I would try to hang out with the white kids, they would make fun of me, make fun of my hair, call me messed-up names, racial slurs, and I was like, ‘OK. I’ll hang out with the black kids.’ I’d hang out with black kids, and they’d do the same thing. … I told my mom about it, and she called me a queen.” The second half came a few years later, from the kids at school. “We would put money on the table, and we would rap battle,” Caution said. “And I would always win. Nobody ever beat me at school. They started messing around and saying, ‘Oh, be cautious,’ … and I was like, ‘Wait. Queen Caution.’” Caution celebrates her 20th birthday at Pisces Bash 8 p.m. Feb. 28 at View, 919 N. Virginia Ave. The show’s lineup features performances by local artists Deezy, Thomas Who?, Clixae, Kendell Jackson, WeRdoze and the Queen herself with music by DJ J Rocc. Though Caution won’t be old enough to drink at the show, she has been rapping for more than a decade. “I think I started performing when I was about 7 years old,” Caution said. “I was in choir. I was in talent shows. I would write my own music as a kid, and I would also go and do ‘The StarSpangled Banner’ at football games. I started off singing. … I always loved hiphop, but I would rap other people’s songs. I didn’t write my own lyrics until
I was 9 years old, but when I turned 9 years old, it was nothing but hip-hop from there.” In her earliest songs, Caution talked about “bicycles, Barbies and Michael Jackson,” who she always preferred to Justin Bieber, but when she started high school, she began building a reputation as a fierce battle rapper.
If you’re rapping, if you’re composing a song and nobody feels anything, then you’re not really making music. Queen Caution “I believe every artist has somewhat of a dark past no one knows about,” Caution said. “I’m not a sociologist, so I wouldn’t know why they’re connected, but I do feel like being bullied a lot and being made fun of as a kid taught me later on down the road to stick up for myself, to keep my guard up. Essentially, you get tired of it. You get tired of being messed with, and that’s when you start to toughen up and you start finding ways to protect yourself. And for me, that was battle rap.” Performing at open mics and Hubbly Bubbly’s Art of Rap competition, Caution finally found a community where she felt like she belonged. “When I first started, I felt like everybody was really supporting me and really into what I was doing, helping me progress and grow with my career,” Caution
said. “That means a lot coming from where I come from. … When I got introduced to the scene, I didn’t feel alone. … I felt I was surrounded by people that love the same thing I do and want to do the same thing I want to do, and so I felt kind of home.” Even within the world of hip-hop, Caution’s love of music made before she was born and her artistic approach can make her feel out of step with current trends. “I’ve always been kind of different,” Caution said. “A lot of people, they roll around in the car, and they’ll listen to the latest new songs by Kanye or Future or whoever’s popping nowadays, but I just always connected more with the ’90s-, ’80s-style old-school hip-hop — Tupac, Brotha Lynch, Da Brat. That’s just what I connected with, and my dad would always play it in the car. … That’s what spoke to me the most. I felt it. I always try to stress heart to people. Music is a feeling. If you’re rapping, if you’re composing a song and nobody feels anything, then you’re not really making music. … Whether it’s about jumping around and having a good time, whether it’s about being sad or depressed — it’s all a feeling. I feel like a lot of these new school songs, they’re not coming from the heart. I don’t feel them. I feel like a lot of people, they just get in the studio and they just say anything random over a beat.” With Pisces Bash, Caution said she hopes to bring more attention to local artists making heartfelt music and raise funds to record music on her own terms. “I started realizing that nobody can see or hear my vision or what’s going on in my head,” Caution said, “so then I decided I got to do it on my own.”
First Draft
Thomas Who? released his second album, Splash, earlier this year, but for his follow-up project — a collaboration with producer Nolo Ellis called The Anti-Socialites — Who “wanted to do something special.” The first release, an EP called First Draft is the product of Who, normally a self-described “meticulous MC” who strives for perfection, offering listeners a chance to hear the earlier stages of his creative process. “I go straight into the studio,” Who said. “I don’t have the cadences perfect. I haven’t done that work. I just go in and lay it out, and we treat it as if we are walking towards this epic body of work. … I finished writing the last two songs and went straight to the studio. I told my engineer, ‘Look. This isn’t about edits. This isn’t about perfect sound. This isn’t about any of that. I’m going Thomas Who? releases First Draft later this year. His second album, Splash, is available now. | Photo provided
Queen Caution hopes to showcase local talent and raise money for recording new music with her Pisces Bash birthday celebration. | Photo provided
in the booth, I’m going to try my hardest and I’m going to leave it at that.” Second Draft features a new set of songs that are “a little bit more polished.” The project will culminate in Final Draft featuring Who returning to perfectionist mode. “I just feel like listeners will appreciate going on that journey with us,” Who said. “Because of the body of the work that I put out already, I don’t think anybody has any doubts about my capabilities. This really gives me an opportunity to just freely be an artist. … It’s taught me to be able to give the fans a less perfect version of myself. Because we’re imperfect people and I put so much pressure on my art and how it’s displayed, I don’t know if I give people the opportunity to say, ‘OK, he’s an artist that can also paint abstract art. He’s not just a portrait artist.’” A lifelong hip-hop fan, Who wrote poetry as a child. A friend “talking noise” persuaded him to rap in the lunchroom. “So I just kicked a freestyle for the very first time,” Who said. “I’m 12 years old, and I made my peers go nuts. It was the first time that I felt that rush of somebody appreciating what I’m capable of doing. That was a feeling that I haven’t been able to shake all of these years later.” Who said Caution’s art is also a work in progress with significant potential. “I feel like there’s a lot more that she’s capable of,” Who said. “I’m impressed with her resolve. I’m impressed with her willingness to listen, and I’m impressed with her bravery to say what she says and have the attitude of, ‘I said what I said.’ That’s a special kind of talent.” Admission is $10.
Queen Caution’s Pisces Bash 8 p.m. Feb. 28 View 919 N. Virginia Ave. $35-$45
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Rats revisited
Dweezil Zappa presents a live “faithful DNA-level” reproduction of Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats. By Jeremy Martin
It would be hard to prove, but Dweezil Zappa said there’s a “distinct possibility” he first heard Hot Rats in utero. But the liner notes of his father Frank Zappa’s album — released October 10, 1969 — dedicate it to Dweezil, born September 5, 1969. Dweezil Zappa and his band play Hot Rats in its entirety plus “a whole bunch of other stuff” 8 p.m. Feb. 28 at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. “It’s been a fan-favorite album for a lot of reasons,” Dweezil Zappa said. “My dad’s guitar playing became really prominent on the record, and there were just other textures and combinations of instrumentation that were different but appealing. It just has always stood the test of time.” Fusing rock and jazz, Hot Rats includes “Peaches en Regalia,” one of Frank Zappa’s most popular compositions, and “Willy the Pimp,” featuring Captain Beefheart delivering the album’s only vocal per for ma nce. Violinists Don “Sugarcane” Harris and Jean-Luc Ponty, bassist Shuggie Otis and multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood also play on the album along with Frank Zappa. Although Lumpy Gravy, released in 1967, is often considered his first solo album, Frank Zappa only composed and conducted the music. Hot Rats, released following the disbandment of The Mothers of Invention, is the first solo album featuring Frank Zappa playing guitar. Using innovative 16-track recording techniques and advanced tape-speed manipulation experiments, Frank Zappa morphed multiple live takes into an otherworldly studio creation. Announcing the Hot Rats Live tour on his website, Dweezil Zappa wrote that he wanted to present a “faithful DNA level audio reproduction.” “It’s one thing to learn the notes and the rhythms and all that stuff,” Dweezil Zappa said. “If you’re trying to make it evocative of the actual sound of the record, there are so many other deepdive layers that you have to go through to do that. We don’t try to make it sound modern … so we do a lot of research to find out what instruments were used, what equipment was used to record the instruments. … Every single element is inspected, and we try to make it sound as close to the record as we can. When I listen to the recordings of the shows 26
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night after night, we’ll even tweak those a little further.” He compared the process of reverseengineering the album to attempting to recreate a favorite dish from a restaurant. “Ultimately, the reason that I spend so much time on the details of these things is that it really was a big part of the records themselves,” Dweezil Zappa said. “My dad’s records have a very audiophile kind of production standard to them, and we always try to really take care to make sure that we can present the stuff in the best way possible. We don’t just kind of power our way through the stuff and think, ‘Who cares about this one?’ We always really pay attention to the details.” Frank Zappa never tried to reproduce his albums note-for-note onstage. “My dad did not do what I’m doing in a live situation,” Dweezil Zappa said. “It was not his intention to recreate the song on the album. He only worked with what was within his band at the time, so if he had different instrumentation than what was on the record, he would rearrange the material for the stage for that band. … Because he didn’t try to replicate the records, fans never got a chance to hear it in that way. … It adds a little different, special quality that is an option that wasn’t an option before.” In January, Oklahoma City Philharmonic performed Frank Zappa’s
“The Dogbreath Variations.” Dweezil Zappa said what he and his band are doing is not dissimilar. “A lot of times people think if you’re going to perform somebody else’s music, you’re supposed to change it and make it your own and do something different with it,” Dweezil Zappa said. “I always bring up the point that an orchestra is
everybody does their homework and then we all kind of get together and put the pieces together in a group effort. It wasn’t really that way with my dad. He would hand out parts, and then he would be expecting everybody to just do exactly what was written on the page. He used to have somebody trained in the band to run rehearsals, and usually that person became the most hated band member because they were having to be the one to tell people to do something over and over. Then my dad would come in and expect that stuff was going to be all set, ready to go. We don’t really promote the hated band member situation in this scenario.” His exacting standards and complex, demanding music meant Frank Zappa often had trouble keeping musicians in his band and his reputation could make it more difficult to find new ones. “He experienced a phenomenon where a lot of people just wanted to have it on their resume that they auditioned for him because then it would make it appear that they were better than they were,” Dweezil Zappa Dweezil Zappa and his band play Frank Zappa’s Hot said. “There are tons of Rats in its entirety plus “a whole bunch of other stuff” people that would try to au8 p.m. Feb. 28 at Tower Theatre. | Photo Jeff Dean / dition, and they were provided nowhere near good enough to be in the band. They’d essentially a cover band. They’re playing waste a lot of time. … I saw it happen on somebody else’s music, but their job is one occasion where he was auditioning not to change it. Their job is to play it a drummer, and this guy sat down behind the way it was written, and that’s how the drum kit and my dad put some music I perform my dad’s music. … It’s no difin front of him that he was supposed to ferent than them playing Beethoven or sight-read and play because all the drumMozart or whatever.” mers had to be able to read music. Anyway, this guy, he proceeded to do some weird, hippie-style dancing, and Every single element he was tickling the underside of the is inspected, and we cymbals. He was just doing this stupid try to make it sound movement, and my dad was saying, ‘OK, anytime now.’ The guy just kept doing as close to the record that, and then my dad said, ‘You can’t as we can. read music, can you?’ And the guy didn’t really even respond. He just kept tickling Dweezil Zappa the cymbals. And my dad said, ‘OK. Get out of here.’ Sometimes people do shit As band leader, Dweezil Zappa said like that, and you wonder, ‘Do they really he has a different management style think that that’s going to impress somefrom his father. body?’” “He was the writer, and he had the Tickets are $29-$75. Call 405-708ultimate vision of what he wanted to do, 6937 or visit towertheatreokc.com. so it was 100 percent whatever he wanted to do,” Dweezil Zappa said. “I know what I want to do; I will be the final arbiter of the decision-making, but I’m a little more Dweezil Zappa: Hot Rats democratic when it comes to how we get Live + Other Hot Stuff there. Sometimes if people have sugges1969 tions about certain things, if I like the 8 p.m. Feb. 28 suggestion, I’ll certainly include it, but Tower Theatre it’s easier when everybody has a very 425 NW 23rd St. defined role in the band. … That’s how towertheatreokc.com | 405-708-6937 we’re able to learn a lot of really difficult $29-$75 music in a short period of time, because
LIVE MUSIC
LOST DOG STREET BAND | February 20 DWEEZIL ZAPPA | February 28 ROME & DUDDY | February 29 PUP | March 2 KAMASI WASHINGTON | March 7 Todd Snider Recorded in Johnny Cash’s private home studio, Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3 features a country music ghost story (“The Ghost of Johnny Cash”) a Woody Guthrie-style sociological study (“Talking Reality Television Blues”) and a tray full of what Rolling Stone’s Will Hermes called “scalpels” for “cultural cancers and musical histories.” The refrain in “A Timeless Response to Current Events” is just “Ain’t that some bullshit?” The stripped-down sound and bar-fight-inducingly honest lyrics offer a pretty decent idea of what to expect live. Singer-songwriter Tim Easton shares the bill. The show is 8 p.m. Friday at The Auditorium at The Douglass, 600 N. High Ave. Tickets are $28. Visit toddsnider.net. FRIDAY Photo provided These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
Kat Lock/Sophia Massad/The Fills, The Deli. POP/ ROCK
Killer Hearts/Köbra Käi/Costanzas, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK Lacy Saunders, Othello’s Italian Restaurant. SINGER/
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19
Tom Lienke, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER TurboWizard/Crobone, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK
Spite/Varials/Orthodox, 89th Street-OKC. HARDCORE
SUNDAY, FEB. 23
THURSDAY, FEB. 20
Chely Wright, The Depot. COUNTRY
Blacktop Mojo, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK
Edgar Cruz and the Brave Amigos, Othello’s Italian Restaurant. ROCK
SINGER/SONGWRITER
That 1 Guy, 89th Street-OKC. EXPERIMENTAL
Hot House Band, Othello’s Italian Restaurant. JAZZ
MONDAY, FEB. 24
Lost Dog Street Band, Tower Theatre. COUNTRY
FRIDAY, FEB. 21 Bad Omens/Oh, Sleeper/Thousand Below, 89th Street-OKC. METAL Brujo/Dr. Pants/Jarvix, Opolis. ROCK Candlebox, Riverwind Casino. ROCK
Jason Hunt and Preston Ware, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK
TUESDAY, FEB. 25
Kyle Reid, Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails. SINGER/
Tongue Party/Alumnus/Black Magnet, The Drunken Fry. PUNK Tyson Meade/Helen KelterSkelter/Genuine Hick, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. ROCK
SONGWRITER
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26 Amarillo Junction, JJ’s Alley Bricktown Pub. ACOUSTIC
Indigo Girls/Lucy Wainwright Roche, The Jones Assembly. FOLK Skillet, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK STEVE, Ponyboy. ROCK
The Velvet Js/Stone Tide, HiLo Club. ROCK
SATURDAY, FEB. 22 Beach Language/The Creepy Jingles/ Carly Gwin and the Sin, 51st Street Speakeasy. POP/ROCK Cara Black, Eatery & Cocktail Office @ The Union. SINGER-SONGWRITER
Diva/Skeleton Trees/The Highway Walkers, Red Brick Bar. ROCK Field Division/D. Smith/Chelsey Cope, Vanessa House Beer Co.. SINGER/SONGWRITER
AMANDA SHIRES | March 21 KILLER QUEEN | March 25 BLUE OCTOBER | March 29 TICKETS & INFO AT TOWERTHEATREOKC.COM @TOWERTHEATREOKC 405-70-TOWER | 425 NW 23rd Street | Oklahoma City
HIP-HOP
Don’t Make Ghosts/The Normandys/On Holiday, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK
Pitch HER Perfect, The Paramount Room. SOUL
MT. JOY | March 15
Clark Rooseveltte/Dorian/Joey Sativa, Saints.
Blunts & Blondes/Subdocta/Bawldy, Farmers Public Market. ELECTRONIC
Louis James/Taylor Young Band/Hotel Nights, 51st Street Speakeasy. POP
KELLER WILLIAMS | March 14
The Aints, The Deli. AMERICANA
Collidoscope/LYFTD, The Deli. FUNK
James Steinle, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER
SHINYRIBS | March 13
SONGWRITER
Amon & The Creatures/Death by Knowledge/DIVA, The Deli. ROCK
Hannah Edmondson, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar.
RAUL MALO | March 12
Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.
GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!
2.19 An evevning with DRIVIN N CRYIN 2.20 VINTAGE PISTOL 2.26 STEVE with Noah Engh 2.29 SAINTSENECA with Mad Honey 3.2 JACK BROADBENT 3.5 ROOTS OF THOUGHT with Twigs & Swimfan 3.8 IGOR AND THE RED ELVISES with Klamz 3.10 THE HAPPY FITS 3.11 DEAD HORSES with Ken Pomeroy 3.12 JOHN ROBERT KIRK 3.13 DOUG BURR with Kyle Reid 3.15 FREE MODE Mt. Joy After Party 3.19 MONTU with Olympus Mons 3.22 C.W. STONEKING WWW.PONYBOYOKC.COM @ponyboyokc #StayGoldOKC O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | F E B R U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 0
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THE HIGH CULTURE
Policy party
The second patient event held at the Capitol this legislative session occurs on Fat Tuesday. By Matt Dinger
This year’s Fat Tuesday is going to be a little different, with a free patient drive and celebration scheduled outside the Capitol. Former state Sen. Connie Johnson, D-Oklahoma City, is spearheading the event, which will also continue through the week and is operating under the #OMG2020 hashtag. Johnson represented District 48 from 2005 to 2014 and lost in the 2018 gubernatorial primary. She was also an outspoken proponent of cannabis for decades before State Question 788 passed. The Mardi Gras event is Feb. 25 on the south plaza of the Capitol from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include a free patient drive, vendor booths, presenters and entertainment. Medical cannabis advocates and supporters will also spend time visiting their legislators’ offices throughout the day.
tion their legislators directly about their positions on bills,” Johnson said. The presenters on the stage on the south side of the Capitol will speak on various topics from both inside and outside the cannabis industry, such as economics and criminal justice reform.
Pushing for reform with good and true information within both groups and to end the gullibility that comes with misinformation.” With the legislative session in full swing and dozens of bills that will affect the medical cannabis industry in play, this is already the second event
Johnson, who is also a medical cannabis patient, has been trying to bring cannabis as health care to the Sooner State for years but jumped into the deep end of the pool with her ballot initiative petition drive in 2007 to get cannabis legalized in the state. Back then, she wanted to allow people to possess 1
I think it was essential because no one was talking about it. Connie Johnson “We want to create a Mardi Gras atmosphere on the plaza for people to come out and celebrate, so that’s how we came up with that date. Now, we’ve also talked about doing rallies every month just to get people comfortable with coming to the Capitol and talking to their legislators,” Johnson said. The event was timed strategically as bills come out of Senate and House committees and move into the second phase during the session. “By this time, constituents will have some idea of whether their legislator supports or opposes progressive medical cannabis policy in Oklahoma,” Johnson said. “Our goal for #OMG2020 is to help medical cannabis advocates learn how to hold policy makers accountable about the issues that matter most to them and how to voice their concerns when it comes to voting. Numerous legislative and other sourced policy proposals — ranging from creating a separate free standing medical cannabis agency to regulating and taxing recreational marijuana — are up for consideration by Oklahoma voters in 2020. The level of non- or mis-education and awareness among policy makers about medicinal cannabis is exceeded perhaps only by the level of non- or miseducation and awareness among constituents about politics and the political process. #OMG2020 represents a moment in time to level the playing field
linking voters with their elected representatives since the session began earlier this month. “We’ll be around the Capitol that day, with people visiting their legislators, finding out where they stand on the remaining legislation that’s still alive. The rally that they had is kind of the front end of the process and the stage where bills come out of committee and we’ll have a better idea of what made it through and people will be able to ques-
Connie Johnson | Photo provided
ounce of cannabis recreationally or 3 ounces for medicinal use with a $7 tax per ounce on recreational cannabis. She has long quoted Genesis 1:29 as her faith-based activism for legal reform. It states, “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”
“My journey, starting in 2007, just kind of came into it. The history of it, going back to the Bible, to medicinal uses in the past, to the 1937 Marijuana Tax Reform Act. Fast forward to more drugs and mass incarceration and the private prison industrial complex in Oklahoma and then we get to me and my goal, which was related to grandparents raising grandchildren due to over-incarceration of their mothers and fathers for simple possession of drugs and predominantly marijuana or cannabis,” she said. “And words matter. So we’re trying to get cannabis in the mix and quit saying ‘marijuana’ as well. But cannabis and all of the wonderful aspects of this plant that God created is just beginning to be revealed and we’re just now becoming able to get more research into it, but there’s thousands of years of history of the use of this in a medicinal way.” While her petition failed in 2007, she continued to push for cannabis reform during her legislative tenure, each effort slowly gaining more steam, eventually paving the way for State Question 788. “I think it was essential because no one was talking about it. I got six calls when I first introduced the bill, and most of them were, ‘What have you been smoking?’ And then two years later, I introduced it again and I got maybe 50 calls and again the majority, ‘What have you been smoking?’ And then in 2011, the worldwide web hit and once I introduced the bill, within an hour, there were like 600 statements on the internet about the bill,” Johnson said. “So I really believe, from 2007 to 2011, what we had was the unwillingness of the media to pay attention to and cover that issue.” That was when people also started showing up at the Capitol. Since then, medical cannabis took a more personal turn in her life, making her mother’s final days more peaceful. “The greatest interaction, the greatest touch of cannabis in my life, came when my mother was dying in 2018. After the governor’s race, I went home to be with my mom who had fallen and broken her hip and would never walk, sit or stand again. I went from candidate to caregiver,” Johnson said. “But at the same time, I had friends in the industry who supplied me with CBD oil with high THC, which technically was illegal, but I gave my mom that oil two to three times a day. She wasn’t on opioids. That was her greatest fear, having to be on opioids and be loopy in the brain. She said, ‘I don’t want to be loopy.’ We gave her that medicine every day. She slipped away peacefully — no pain, no drugs.”
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THE HIGH CULTURE
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Tangled web
Paul Tay has both stalled the petition drive for State Question 807 and gotten the green light for his own State Question 808 and promises more legal actions from within the confines of the Tulsa County jail. By Matt Dinger
The petition drive for State Question 807 remains in limbo while the Oklahoma secretary of state has given the go-ahead for the gathering of signatures for State Question 808, but the author of that measure is both the challenger of SQ807 and also remains jailed in Tulsa County. Paul Tay is the central figure in both state questions at the moment, but a conviction on outraging public decency during a January jury trial has him jailed for nine months, or through the duration of the SQ808 petition drive, which began on Feb. 12. Proponents have 90 days to gather the nearly 178,000 required signatures to get it on the ballot in November. Signed petitions are due to the secretary of state’s office no later than 5 p.m. on May 11. The same number of signatures is needed to bring SQ807 to the ballot box this fall, but that effort has been stalled by a challenge Tay brought forth last month. He claims that the proposed ballot title is in violation of the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution since cannabis is federally illegal. The Oklahoma Supreme Court accepted Tay’s handwritten challenge and have set the matter for hearing in front of a Supreme Court referee the morning of Feb. 26. Tay will appear via teleconference from the Tulsa County jail. Ryan Kiesel and Michelle Tilley, the signed proponents of the ballot initiative, are required to file their response to the challenge on Feb. 18 ahead of the hearing. The brief had not been filed with the court as of Feb. 14. A Supreme Court referee hears the arguments from both sides and then prepares a short report for the justices to decide the matter.
Meanwhile, Tay has also been sending handwritten letters to Oklahoma Gazette from the Tulsa County jail. Many of them are titled “DLM Diaries on da Down Low” and document Tay’s experiences from inside the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in Tulsa County. One letter is Tay arguing that he is a political prisoner whose right to free speech was violated and announcing the formation of the Tulsa First Cannabis Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monsters. Another outlines his reasoning behind why he filed the constitutional challenge and what he plans to do with the church if his “cannabis nuclear option” finds success with the Oklahoma Supreme Court. “In spite of being a prisoner of war on free speech, incarcerated inside David L. Moss Criminal Injustice Center, or perhaps because of it, I managed to file the constitutional challenge in the Oklahoma Supreme Court against State Question 807,” Tay wrote in a letter postmarked Jan. 27. “Filed by ACLU Oklahoma’s super lawyer Ryan Kiesel and super duper ballot initiative petition operator, Michelle Tilley, with the high dollar legal help of Crowe Dunlevy, SQ807 would create a massive state agency, Oklahoma Marijuana Authority, to use cannabis partakers as ATMs for all of the state’s motley plethora of ills. As a last minute Hail Mary pass from inside David L. Moss, I hand wrote the constitutional challenge and mailed it to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. And they took it from there to mail a copy to both the Attorney General and the Secretary of State. What I did was push the button on the Cannabis Nuclear Option. Under
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Article One, Section One of the Oklahoma Constitution and the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, I dared the Oklahoma Supreme Court to declare SQ unconstitutional, because of the Controlled Substances Act, the federal law criminalizing cannabis is still the supreme law of the land. No state constitutional article may override the supreme authorities of the Controlled Substances Act or IRS Rule 280E. IRS prohibits Federal Reserve banks from doing business with cannabis entities. Of course, to any astute attorneys paying attention an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling declaring SQ807 unconstitutional threatens to lay waste the current medical program enacted by SQ788. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority may be required to sunset immediately under the supremacy of the Controlled Substances Act. Cannabis industry across 30 states with ‘legalized’ cannabis may go back to being black market, with ‘legal’ cannabis and its attendant rush by state legislators to over-regulate, without allowing the plant to legally cross state lines and international borders, the black market is certainly under-rated. Before California’s ‘legal’ cannabis, Humboldt County growers were rightly worried about losing their black market livelihoods to over-regulations. Be that as it may, I pushed the button on the Cannabis Nuclear Option anyway, because I know there is a very obvious, gaping loophole for patients to get the medicine they need. In California, there are actually four cannabis markets. There is the ‘legal,’ overregulated market, the gray, sorta ‘legal’ market, the pure black market and then, there are cannabis churches. Simply slap a cross on the buds, the bongs and the brownies. Whamo. Boom. Completely legal cannabis under the authority of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), the Establishment Clause and the Equal Protection Clause. Suddenly, the Tulsa Cannabis Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monsters is no longer Cavanaugh’s satire for millions of illegally healed patients.” In another series of letters postmarked Feb. 10, Tay sent Gazette his notice to appeal his Tulsa County conviction, his assessment of the Tulsa County jail condi-
Paul Tay has been sending handwritten letters to Oklahoma Gazette from the Tulsa County jail. | Photo Phillip Danner
tions and a “press release” detailing his plans to petition in federal court for inmates to be able to use cannabis as a medical sacrament while incarcerated.
In spite of being a prisoner of war on free speech, incarcerated inside David L. Moss Criminal Injustice Center, or perhaps because of it, I managed to file the constitutional challenge in the Oklahoma Supreme Court against State Question 807. Paul Tay “Thirteen current and formerly incarcerated inmates in Tulsa County jail will be listed as Plaintiffs against Defendants Vic Regalado, county commissioners Karen Keith, Ron Peters, Stan [Sallee] and all members of the Tulsa County Jail Authority, to allow cannabis as religious sacrament,” Tay wrote. “Currently, Jews are allowed special meals. Muslims allowed special meals. Inmates meet for Friday afternoon services at 4:20 p.m. as members of the Tulsa First Cannabis Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monsters. Because of the jail policy prosecuting cannabis as contraband … the lawsuit focuses on the inmates’ request for cannabis as religious sacrament to accommodate a sincerely and universally held religious belief that cannabis is necessary to exercise religious experiences to recognize the presence of The Almighty Noodly One, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, contained within a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, or ramen.” Tay had not filed his lawsuit with any of the U.S. District Courts of Oklahoma as of Feb. 17.
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Cannabis effects vary wildly from patient to patient based on a multitude of factors, including THC tolerance, brain chemistry and personal taste. This review is based on the subjective experience of one patient. Strain name: Jungle Cake Grown by: No Time Acquired from: The High Road Date acquired: Feb. 10 THC/CBD percentages: 24.6 percent/.08 percent (per F.A.S.T. Laboratories)
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he had not grown cannabis previously. Could have fooled me. Jungle Cake is an aromatic and tasty smoke with a euphoric high that is enjoyable whether taking just one hit or really piling them on. A cross of White Fire #43 and Wedding Cake, while it does have an indica “stoniness,” it is not overpowering or detracting. I needed some stress relief at the end of a long day, and this definitely supplied that. The other strain I sampled, Peanut Butter Breath, had very similar effects and could serve for both the middle and end of day, though I wouldn’t recommend either in the morning unless you’re in no hurry. No Time goes on my shortlist of growers to try again next harvest.
1101 N Meridian 405.415.9480 www.CultivateOKC.com Jungle Cake | Photo Phillip Danner 32
F E B R U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: I declare you champion, unvanquishable hero, and title-holder of triumphant glory. Do you accept? FreeWillAstrology.com ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Do you feel ready to change your mind about an idea or belief or theory that has been losing its usefulness? Would you consider changing your relationship with a once-powerful influence that is becoming less crucial to your life-long goals? Is it possible you have outgrown one of your heroes or teachers? Do you wonder if maybe it’s time for you to put less faith in a certain sacred cow or overvalued idol? According to my analysis of your astrological omens, you’ll benefit from meditating on these questions during the coming weeks.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
When she was alive more than 2,500 years ago, the Greek poet Sappho was so famous for her lyrical creations that people referred to her as “The Poetess” and the “Tenth Muse.” (In Greek mythology, there were nine muses, all goddesses.) She was a prolific writer who produced over 10,000 lines of verse, and even today she remains one of the world’s most celebrated poets. I propose that we make her your inspirational role model for the coming months. In my view, you’re poised to generate a wealth of enduring beauty in your own chosen sphere. Proposed experiment: Regard your daily life as an art project.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Cancerian novelist William Makepeace Thackeray (1819–1875) is famous for Vanity Fair, a satirical panorama of 19th-century British society. The phrase “Vanity Fair” had been previously used, though with different meanings, in the Bible’s book of Ecclesiastes, as well as in works by John Bunyan and St. Augustine. Thackeray was lying in bed near sleep one night when the idea flew into his head to use it for his own story. He was so thrilled, he leaped up and ran around his room chanting “Vanity Fair! Vanity Fair!” I’m foreseeing at least one epiphany like this for you in the coming weeks, Cancerian. What area of your life needs a burst of delicious inspiration?
expect you folks will experience extra amounts of domestic bliss in the coming months. You may feel more at home in the world than ever before.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Who loves you best, Leo? Which of your allies and loved ones come closest to seeing you and appreciating you for who you really are? Of all the people in your life, which have done most to help you become the soulful star you want to be? Are there gem-like characters on the peripheries of your world that you would like to draw nearer? Are there energy drains that you’ve allowed to play too prominent a role? I hope you’ll meditate on questions like these in the coming weeks. You’re in a phase when you can access a wealth of useful insights and revelations about how to skillfully manage your relationships. It’s also a good time to reward and nurture those allies who have given you so much.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Have you ever dropped out of the daily grind for a few hours or even a few days so as to compose a master plan for your life? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to give yourself that necessary luxury. According to my analysis, you’re entering a phase when you’ll generate good fortune for yourself if you think deep thoughts about how to create your future. What would you like the story of your life to be on March 1, 2025? How about March 1, 2030? And March 1, 2035? I encourage you to consult your soul’s code and formulate an inspired, invigorating blueprint for the coming years. Write it down!
Doom and gloom dominate the forecasts made by many prophets. They experience perverse glee in predicting, for example, that all the rain forests and rivers will be owned by greedy corporations by 2050, or that extraterrestrial invaders who resemble crocodiles will take control of the U.S. government “for the good of the American people,” or that climate change will eventually render chocolate and bananas obsolete. That’s not how I operate. I deplore the idea that it’s only the nasty prognostications that are interesting. In that spirit, I make the following forecasts: The number of homeless Virgos will decrease dramatically in the near future, as will the number of dreamhome-less Virgos. In fact, I
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
I don’t require everyone I learn from to be an impeccable saint. If I vowed to draw inspiration only from those people who flawlessly embody every one of my ethical principles, there’d be no one to be inspired by. Even one of my greatest heroes, Martin Luther King Jr., cheated on his wife and plagiarized parts of his doctoral dissertation. Where do you stand on this issue, Libra? I bet you will soon be tested. How much imperfection is acceptable to you?
Scorpio comedian John Cleese co-founded the troupe Monty Python more than fifty years ago, and he has been generating imaginative humor ever since. I suggest we call on his counsel as you enter the most creative phase of your astrological cycle. “This is the extraordinary thing about creativity,” he says. “If you just keep your mind resting against the subject in a friendly but persistent way, sooner or later you will get a reward from your unconscious.” Here’s another one of Cleese’s insights that will serve you well: “The most creative people have learned to tolerate the slight discomfort of indecision for much longer, and so, just because they put in more pondering time, their solutions are more creative.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Sagittarian philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) developed a vigorous and expansive vision. That’s why he became a leading intellectual influence in the era known as the Enlightenment. But because of his inventive, sometimes controversial ideas, he was shunned by his fellow Jews and had his books listed on the Catholic Church’s Index of Forbidden Books. Understandably, he sometimes felt isolated. To compensate, he spent lots of time alone taking wide-ranging journeys in his imagination. Even if you have all the friends and social stimulation you need, I hope you will follow his lead in the coming weeks—by taking wide-ranging journeys in your imagination. It’s time to roam and ramble in inner realms.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
“Absolute reason expired at eleven o’clock last night,” one character tells another in Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt. I’m happy to report that a different development is on the verge of occurring for you, Capricorn. In recent days, there may have been less than an ideal amount of reason and logic circulating in your world. But that situation will soon change. The imminent outbreak of good sense, rigorous sanity, and practical wisdom will be quite tonic. Take advantage of this upcoming grace period. Initiate bold actions that are well-grounded in objective rather than subjective truth.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Renowned Aquarian composer Franz Schubert (1797– 1828) created more than 700 compositions, some of which are still played by modern musicians. Many of his works were written on and for the piano—and yet he was so poor that he never owned a piano. If there has been a similar situation in your life, Aquarius—a lack of some crucial tool or support due to financial issues—I see the coming weeks as being an excellent time to set in motion the plans that will enable you to overcome and cure that problem.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
In 1908, British playwright W. Somerset Maugham reached the height of success. Four of his plays were being performed concurrently in four different London theaters. If you were ever in your life going to achieve anything near this level of overflowing popularity or attention, I suspect it would be this year. And if that’s a development you would enjoy and thrive on, I think the coming weeks will be an excellent time to set your intention and take audacious measures.
Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.
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PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE 1 CROSSWORD PUZZLE THE EMOJI MOVIE | 0223 19 By Brian Kulman Puzzles edited by Will Shortz ACROSS
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Herbology is an inviting family of hometown cannabis dispensaries where passionate Herbologists connect customers to the most trusted and effective cannabis products for their lifestyle. We offer a curated selection of high-quality products, personalized service, and a warm, welcoming vibe that invites people to stay longer and return. In addition to selling trusted products, we host a wide range of wellness and educational events to help our customers live a safe, healthy lifestyle. We’re always looking for new talent to join our team and to move our growing industry forward.
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“They can laugh, but they can’t deny us. They can curse and kill us, but they can’t destroy us. This land is ours because we come out of it, we bled in it, our tears watered it, we fertilized it with our dead. So the more of us they destroy, the more it becomes filled with the spirit of our redemption.” - Ralph Ellison -