a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
september 23, 2013 issue 3 ~ volume 99
Reddest state
in the union
Oklahoma’s original state flag, adopted in 1911 and meant to symbolize Oklahoma’s status as the 46th state, was replaced in 1925 due to its purportedly communist overtones. The Red Scare of the 1910s saw a decline in the socialist and communist institutions and symbols that had previously taken hold in Oklahoma.
Though Oklahoma is today known as a bastion of conservative Republicanism, it has in the past leaned much farther left. In this issue, we explore Oklahoma’s rich socialist and communist past. Victoria McGouran Staff Writer
A
ccording to recent research by Gallup, Oklahoma is the 6th Most Conservative State in
the nation with 47.3 percent of the population estimated to be conservative. While this research undoubtedly leaves liberals shaking their heads in disgust, it likely does not come as a shock to most Oklahomans. Oklahomans have given their electoral votes to the Republican Party in every post-WWII Presidential election—with the exception of re-electing Johnson after Kennedy was assassinated—and in 2008 Oklahoma was the only state which failed to deliver a single county to Barack Obama.
On the surface at least, it certainly appears that conservative values run deep in Oklahoma’s past. Some jokingly say they run so deep that it has turned the soil red. However, when one takes a look into Oklahoma’s past it becomes clear that the soil is red for a very different reason. There was a time in Oklahoma’s history when the red of Lenin and Marx, the red of socialism and then communism, swept across the plains with a power that overcame slow-moving traditionalists. As hard as it may be to believe,
True Blue Neighbor Volunteer Center The True Blue Neighbor Volunteer Center connects TU’s staff, faculty, and students to the community around us. Mentor, tutor, assist a teacher, monitor a playground or cafeteria, work in a Food Bank. We partner with over 75 agencies in and around the Tulsa area, so wherever your interests are we can find a place for you volunteer your time. Make a Difference Day This is a national event to spotlight community service in your area. TU will be joining other Kendall-Whittier community partners to clean up Kendall-Whittier Main Street on Oct 26th from 1 P.M. – 4 P.M.
at one time, Oklahoma had the most influential Socialist Party in America and was a thriving environment of radical thought. Signs of socialism can be found throughout Oklahoma’s history, even as early as 1911—only four years after achieving statehood— when Oklahomans adopted their first official flag. Citizens could then look above the State Capitol in Guthrie to see a bright red flag emblazoned with a single white star. The flag recalls images of Russian and Chinese flags from the
Communist Revolution, and much like those flags, the Oklahoma flag was flown for the disenfranchised, the poor and the native peoples forced to live in Oklahoma because of the U.S. government’s policy of explicit indigenous expropriation. Ultimately socialism found its voice through the farmers of Oklahoma (primarily those affiliated with the Farmers Union and the Farmers Alliance) and the movement grew rapidly due to the
See Red page 5
Community Service Work Study Would you like to work in a rewarding atmosphere? Do you qualify for Federal Work Study? You can use your work study at a non-profit agency or school, get paid $9 an hour and change a life! Reading Partners Reading can change a child’s life! Become a True Blue Neighbors Reading Partner at Kendall-Whittier Elementary, commit to 1 hour a week and a 45 minute training session and you can be the catalyst to launch a child’s education to a higher level.
For additional information on volunteer opportunities, contact Kathy Shelton in the True Blue Neighbor Volunteer Center at kathy-shelton@utulsa.edu or call 918-631-3535.