Give Orange

Help Oklahoma State University and KOSU Public Radio's efforts to produce a space for diversity, equality and inclusion for ALL Oklahomans by supporting KOSU's new program and podcast Focus: Black Oklahoma.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is a one-hour news and public affairs program on various topics relevant to Oklahomans across the Black diaspora that began airing in January of 2021 on Oklahoma's flagship NPR station, KOSU. 

Each episode features a spotlight interview and stories on current topics and events affecting Black Oklahomans, including news, politics, education, health, arts, culture and more. Special segments include "Youth Voice," an on-air platform for school-aged young people; and "Creative Spotlight," where Oklahoma talent shares original songs and stories. 

Arielle Davis and Kolby Webster are co-hosts of Focus: Black Oklahoma and the creator and executive producer is Quraysh Ali Lansana, a Tulsa Artist Fellow. 

"When I returned to Oklahoma after being away for 30 years, I started to do research on programming on radio and television about Black issues," Lansana said. "I found close to nothing on mainstream media with the exception of a few talk shows."

Focus: Black Oklahoma is designed for all Oklahomans and he hopes people who listen learn something new or gain a better understanding of issues about which they only had peripheral knowledge. Lansana also teaches a class about Black Wall Street at OSU-Tulsa, which sites on the grounds of Tulsa's historic Greenwood District. 

With the addition of Focus: Black Oklahoma, KOSU aims to be more reflective of the diversity of Oklahoma. Black voices and stories are often missed, silenced or misrepresented in mainstream media due to systematic racism. Focus: Black Oklahoma will amplify those voices and give listeners more understanding and awareness of issues facing their fellow Oklahomans. 

Your support means that more Oklahoma voices and perspectives will be heard and represented on KOSU. If you support at the $120 level, we'll automatically send you a copy of the children's book, Opal's Greenwood Oasis. This carefully researched and historically accurate book allows children and adults to experience the joys and success of Tulsa's Greenwood district, one of the most prosperous Black communities of the early 20th Century, before the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921. As we approach the centennial of the tragic event, we all have the opportunity through this book to learn and celebrate all that was built in Greenwood.