Equal justice under the law isn’t just meant for people found innocent. It’s meant for people found guilty, too. There’s nothing proportional about Karmelo Anthony’s conviction or sentence for the killing of Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas, ISD track meet.

Not a single Black member served on the jury that convicted Anthony in under three hours. It sentenced him to 35 years in less than three hours, too, even though the judge allowed manslaugther to be considered an option instead of murder.

The question isn’t just whether he committed an unjustifiable act or self-defense when he stabbed Austin Metcalf after he and other white players cornered and assaulted him. It’s whether Black suspects of crimes are given the same level of due process as white ones.

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From the initial $1 million bond, to the jury selection, to his defense counsel and the courtroom’s alleged connections with the victim’s dad, due process was questioned at every stage of the case.

The verdict’s impact confirms many Black Americans’ views about an uequal justice system at a time when Black souls are being found dead or hanging across the country.

The 35-year prison sentence comes down at a time when a Black teen in South Carolina can be shot in the back while running away with no accountability for his killer.

The debate over race and justice continues at at time when the president of the United States is seeking to provide reparations to the white supremacists who were pardoned for an attempted insurrection. Is this America?

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Today I’m in Minneapolis for my granny’s 88th birthday. The matriarch on my dad’s side. Born in Bartlesville. Descended from Cherokee Freedmen.

A year ago I interviewed Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in my podcast. About sovereignty. About the Treaty of 1866. About Justice for Cherokees of African descent whose ancestors were enslaved by the Nation.

Today I was able to gift my granny a piece of the Nation as a reminder of her lineage and the recognition still owed to her and thousands of other descendants.

The Cherokee Nation has taken steps to push forward reconciliation. It’s enacted court rulings requiring the tribal nation to honor the Treaty of 1866. That Agreement between the U.S. and the Cherokee Nation promised full citizenship for Cherokees of African descendants whose ancestors were enslaved by the Cherokee Nation, carried their enslavers’ luggage on the Trail of Tears, and helped rebuild the Tribe in Indian Territory (Present-day Eastern Oklahoma).

The Tribe has acknowledged this history. Placed descendants in tribal government. Added it to cultural monuments and museums. Earmarked millions toward housing and community development in descendant communities.

But what does reparations look like for any government? Ultimately, it requires those most harmed being able to decide that for themselves and make their voices heard. That part of the story is just beginning to be written.

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There’s two ways to deal with quicksand. Escape it, forever leaving it behind. Or you can change the underlying geologic conditions. You can divert the underground layer of water up to the surface and turn the root soil into a solid structure.

105 years after white supremacists destroyed the community of Greenwood, Black Wall Street is rebuilding to a height not seen in decades.

From Black Tech Street’s partnerships with the world’s largest companies and the growth of Black-owned businesses, to the Terence Crutcher Foundation’s deployment of violence interrupters. From the soon-to-be North Pointe community hub and Vernon Witness Museum. From hosting this weekend’s nationally-recognized Black Wall Street Legacy Festival to the non-stop push for reparations.

Descendants and leaders of Greenwood aren’t waiting for government to act or atone. They’re shaping their futures themselves. But can any local community truly thrive if the state of Oklahoma is not willing to change the underlying conditions of its environment?

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“As we approach the 105th Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre on Monday, I’m proud to stand alongside so many Tulsans in this community to honor the lives lost, the resilience of Greenwood, and our responsibility to keep building a city that confronts its history while creating opportunity for every resident,” Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols said in a statement.

His office has released over 40,000 documents related to the massacre, supported the expansion of the Mass Graves Investigation and created a private fund, dubbed the “Road to Repair.” It’s aimed at restoring dignity, wealth and opportunity to the Greenwood community.

But just like a century ago, the refuge found in Greenwood is surrounded by a sea of hostility.

Saving A State Starts With Every Community

Oklahoma remains at or near the bottom ranking for income, health, happiness and quality of life. Conservative lawmakers, who hold a supermajority in state government, have gleefully rejected data-driven polices that would improve quality of life for over 4 million Oklahomans. Instead of solutions to kitchen-table issues, we’re fed a steady dose of political ideology.

Leaders in Greenwood are just now receiving the national exposure for their years-long effort to change the underlying conditions of their community. This past weekend, thousands descended on Greenwood, not to burn it to the ground, but to light a fire of remembrance, resistance and repair as Fantasia soulfully stirred the crowd.

What could Oklahoma look like if more communities joined the effort to lead where the state fails to show up?

“The Black Wall Street Legacy Festival is a testament to Greenwood’s unshakeable power and resilience. Bringing an artist of Fantasia’s caliber to this historic ground allows us to celebrate our joy just as fiercely as we honor our history.” Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, the festival organizer and Greenwood Descendant, said in a statement.

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Weeks from now Oklahomans will vote on whether to raise the minimum wage for the first time in nearly 20 years. State Question 832 would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029. Then in 2030 wage increases would be tied to the cost of living. It’s not reparations for a community burned by racist jealousy, but it’s a universal response to the misery of poverty plaguing families across the state.

Evidence shows it will lead to better outcomes and less incarceration. Less public assistance. More productivity. Even a Republican has recently come out in support.

“This is about doing two things. We can help people have the respect to stand on their own two feet like they want and have a living wage. But it’s also extremely beneficial to businesses across the state as more buying power is out there,” Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn told News 9. “So, I just don’t see a downside. I really felt compelled these last two weeks that it was time to come out and say that as a Republican, I feel like this is great policy.”

On Sunday, May 31, the last day of Black Wall Street Legacy Fest, Dreamland Tusa Foundation founder and Tulsa rapper Steph Simon hosted his annual community kickball game. Raising money for his initiative to expose Tulsa public school students to the resources to make their own music is the goal. But the game serves a deeper purpose.

“It feels like a big family reunion at OneOK Field. It’s different,” Simon told In Depth With Deon. Every year his goal is to raise enough money to transform his hometown.

“That’s what I’m looking forward to, is like actually implementing systems that make real change.”

On June 16, Oklahomans across the state have an opportunity to make systemic change by raising the minimum wage. It may not change the underlying conditions preventing Oklahoma from prospering. But just like Greenwood is rebuilding Black Wall Street brick by brick, every single collective action counts.

To find your polling place, visit okvoterportal.okelections.gov

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My podcast In Depth With Deon has been ranked among the top 100 podcasts in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and among the top 70 long-form podcasts in the U.S. by FeedSpot. I’m shocked.

You ever have those days when you wake up feeling like you’re constantly running uphill, and you question whether your work is making any real impact? Building a podcast was never just about maintaining consistency. For me it’s always been about making impact.

That’s why this news means so much to mean. It’s validation. It’s recognition. It’s confirmation that what I’m doing matters to someone. I’m grateful for those of you who’ve been on this ride since the beginning and for those who choose to join me at any step of the journey.

Feedspot ranked In Depth With Deon #65 out of the top 100 Best Tulsa Podcasts and #49 out of the 70 Best Deep Dive Podcasts That Explore Every Topic Thoroughly.

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Public Comment Form

Last weekend, I organized and hosted a panel discussion on wrongful convictions and state violence with community leaders and state experts dedicated to the issue. Now, I’m releasing a public comment form for Tulsa residents to let their voices be heard.

Just in the last year, Tulsa County taxpayers have paid out over $40 million in wrongful conviction settlements. A state bill designed to provide relief to incarcerated survivors of domestic violence has failed to fulfill its goal. And teens in state juvenile facility have filed a federal lawsuit after facing abuse at the hands of staff.

For most people, these topics aren’t part of their daily life. It’s not something we think about or even consider relevant to our lives. Until it happens to someone we love.

Democracy requires an informed and engaged public. At a time when national leaders want to divorce us from democracy, will you take a moment to add your public comment: Should Tulsa Have A Conviction Integrity Unit?

Public Comment Form

This public comment effort is organized through my organization InDepthDocs, an educational documentary project fiscally sponsored by the Third Space Foundation, a 501(c)(3). To learn more, visit indepthdocs.com (This event was made possible through a grant from the Groundwork Project)

Watch the full Tulsa Listening Session below:

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The video, taken from Lieutenant Justin Oxford’s body cam, shows him driving to the scene, questioning activists and ultimately deciding who to arrest. The move has led to criticism against the office of Mayor Monroe Nichols, who has pledged to drastically reduce homelessness by 2030.

TPD did not approve my request for the call for service or audio dispatch communications.

Tulsa Debates How to Help the Unhoused

The release of the footage, first obtained by 2 News’ reporter Erin Christy, comes as a debate wages in Tulsa over how to address homelessness. The City of Tulsa has stood by the arrests, citing the need to enforce public safety.

Mayor Nichols’ initiative Safe Move Tulsa brings together nonprofits and city departments to help remove homeless encampments and transition unhoused residents into stable housing. According to the city, at least 120 residents have been connected to stable housing, and six encampments have been decommissioned.

On Sunday, Mayor Nichols held a community meeting at City Hall to discuss the issue.

“I think the best thing [is] to try and meet them with a level of honesty and candor and that was the goal of today. I think we were able to do that in a way everyone appreciated,” said Mayor Nichols.

Members of Tulsa Food Not Bombs, however, say they feed residents without permits or proof of identity as a form of protest against the government. They also shared concerns about the way Tulsa Police officers are removing encampments.

“The city can have all the cute programs they wanna come up with, but TPD is still out here brutalizing unhoused people every day of the week,” the group told me last week.

The group has pledged to continue their weekly protest feedings despite the charges. It’s unclear whether Mayor Nichols’ office will drop the charges or continue its enforcement of activists feeding unhoused residents without a permit or proof of identity.

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For most of my journalism career I’ve had to prove to people I’m not just an activist. Through my work I’ve tried to do journalism differently, by amplifying the stories traditional media leave out.

Read my full acceptance speech below to understand why I’ve come to believe journalists should treat the death penalty as a violation of humanity.

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I was raised by a mom who exposed me to books before I was old enough to attend school. Those books taught me something valuable: they taught me to question society and always be curious.

Years later that curiosity led me to a quote.

“The way to right wrongs is to shine the light of truth upon it.”

That’s a quote from Ida B Wells, a famous Black journalist who covered lynchings in the South at a risk to her own life.

White supremacists tried to cast lynchings as a necessary evil to contain criminal Black Americans. Ida B Wells reporting used facts and context to show that false. She showed that lynchings were a tool of racial terrorism.

Would we call Ida B Wells biased today? Yet, when it comes to the modern day death penalty, reporters are expected to cover death row prisoners like cattle being taken to the slaughterhouse. Not to question the government narrative. Not to scrutinize the facts. Not to humanize, but to sign off on state sanctioned murder as if our job is to simply be recorders of events.

If we know the death penalty is racially biased and arbitrarily sentenced, if we know it allows innocent people to die based on procedural hurdles, if we know the data show it doesn’t deter crime, and if we know it violates human rights and mentally traumatizes communities , what should the role of journalism be?

I was taught that journalism is supposed to be a check on the government and humanizes members of society.

Like over 100 other countries around the world, I’ve come to see the death penalty as a violation of humanity. I see it as my job to humanize death row prisoners and to provide the facts around this inhumane practice and that’s what I will continue to do.

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What’s worse: someone who massacres 100 people at a single event or a serial killer who murders 100 people over a span of years? It’s a question taxpayers should seriously begin asking of their state governments because, for Oklahoma and Texas in particular, state governments top the list of killers.

On Thursday, May 14, the state of Oklahoma executed Raymond Johnson for the murders of a woman and her baby. It marked Oklahoma’s 131st execution. The same day Texas marked its 600th execution, according to the Death Penalty Info Center. But with a much smaller population size, Oklahoma holds the highest rate of executions per capita among U.S. states and most countries around the world.

Johnson was found guilty of setting his victims on fire in a heinous disregard for humanity. Aside from anti-death penalty advocates, there was little outrage over his execution. He pleaded for mercy as a changed man. The victim’s family supported his death. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board approved of it.

But in a state where the lethal injection protocol was first established, the threat of capital punishment didn’t prevent this crime. Oklahomans have to ask a glaring question. Are we so blinded by naked retribution that we don’t care whether the system makes society safer?

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We’ve already supported an eye for an eye justice system. Our reward has become a leading rate of incarceration, a leading rate of community violence and some of the lowest rates of health, education and income. A growing number of Republicans and Democrats support a moratorium on executions. Most countries have banned it as a violation of humanity. Is it time to try something different?

The death penalty allows for the premeditated executions of unarmed human beings for violent crimes. But by allowing tax dollars to go toward state-sanctioned killings, are we funding the fall of democracy?

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Since 2020, Tulsa’s chapter of Food Not Bombs, an anti-war, anti-capitalist activist group, has been providing food, clothing and essential items for anyone in need without requiring identification or any form of documentation. For nearly six years, the most severe obstacles the mutual aid volunteers faced were harsh weather and a need for donations. That changed last week when four volunteers were arrested and six received citations for violating the city’s special permit requirement.

On Wednesday, May 6, law enforcement officers descended on their protest on a dead-end street near the intersection of 200 North Maybelle Ave. and Reconciliation Way.

“Food Not Bombs is a local chapter of a global anti-war demonstration that has been going on for nearly 50 years. So, we showed up last Wednesday with a plan to do exactly what we always do, which is to protest against the government’s use of our taxpayer money to fund war rather than to feed its people. We do that by showing that there’s another way, which is for neighbors to help neighbors,” the group told In Depth With Deon.

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Police Arrest Protesters After Unpermitted Feeding

According to Tulsa Police, however, the gathering was an illegal public safety hazard from a group that refuses to obtain the required authorization. While the group calls their actions a First Amendment protection exempt from the city’s special permit ordinance, Tulsa Police disagree.

“On 05/06/2026, Tulsa Police responded to an unpermitted gathering near 200 N. Maybell, where a group was distributing meals. While the participants characterized the activity as a protest, the presence of distribution equipment and the lack of traditional demonstration materials suggested otherwise,” TPD said in a statement shared with In Depth With Deon.

TPD claims an officer who attempted to discuss the alleged permit violation with volunteers became “surrounded.” They accused four protesters of refusing to comply. Per TPD:

• Savanna Rose: Detained for attempting to flee the scene during the investigation.

• John Momberg: Arrested for physically intervening during the detention of another individual.

• Robert Miller: Arrested for obstruction after repeatedly breaching the safety perimeter despite clear warnings.

• John Rich: Arrested for resisting after interfering with a detainee’s belongings and ignoring police commands.

Six additional citations were issued for permit violations.

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Tulsa Food Not Bombs Speaks Out After Arrests

TFNB says their volunteers were complying with demands while trying to explain their protest rights, with at least one volunteer being detained while holding mutual aid supplies, an image shows.

“It’s just become very clear to people that nobody resisted arrest, that we actually had communications with the city over the course of many months last year in which we communicated very clearly that we are a protest. We shared with them legal precedent that said ordinances that try to restrict speech through permit requirements are a violation of the First Amendment.”

The group said communication from the city ended in the spring of 2025, and they were never informed they would face arrest for continuing their weekly protest.

“The last time the city of Tulsa contacted Food Not Bombs was nine months ago, until last week when they sent people to arrest us,” the group said.

Tulsa’s Special Permit Ordinance

Tulsa City Ordinance Title 37, Section 1402 governs special permit requirements.

“It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the conduct of a special event on public and/or private property, unless exempted, without first obtaining a permit from the City issued by the special events coordinator as provided by this ordinance and paying the fee,” the ordinance states.

Fees for special event permits start at $242, not including additional fees.

“We encourage all community members to work alongside city officials and follow the same protocols that allow dozens of other local organizations to serve our vulnerable populations effectively and legally,” TPD stated.

Tulsa Food Not Bombs sees things differently.

“They sat two sheriff’s cars underneath a bridge here, and blocked traffic the entire time we were here. Nobody that was part of our demonstration parked in the street. Nobody set up in the street. We set up on the easement, and it’s a dead end. So, if there’s anybody blocking traffic that day, it was the sheriff’s department and TPD.”

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Two Mayors, One City

Tulsa Food Not Bombs said they never received harassment under the former mayoral administration of G.T. Bynum, a Republican.

“Under the Bynum administration we never heard from them, and under the Nichols administration we’ve been arrested. So, that’s the difference,” TFNB said.

They say their only interaction with the Bynum administration occurred during an ice storm in 2021, when city workers dismantled tents the group had donated for unhoused people who didn’t feel safe going to a city shelter.

Shortly after being elected as the first Black mayor in the city’s history, Mayor Nichols unveiled a plan to bring homelessness to functional zero by 2030. Millions of dollars have been dedicated to affordable housing projects, new low-barrier shelters and an eviction mitigation team to make homelessness as brief and non-recurring as possible.

“We definitely celebrate the Nichols’ administration attempt at creating a low-barrier shelter. We think that’s definitely got to be part of the solution. We try to be as low-barrier as possible ourselves. There’s no means testing to get food over here,” the group said.

Food Not Bombs Won Legal Cases in Other Cities

Nationally, Food Not Bombs chapters in several cities have won legal cases affirming their constitutional right to assemble and feed people as a form of protest.

In 2024, a U.S. District Judge ordered the city of Houston to stop ticketing Food Not Bombs protesters after the Texas Civil Rights Project filed a lawsuit, Houston Public Media reported. Years earlier, a Florida Food Not Bombs chapter won a case against Fort Lauderdale after the city passed an ordinance in 2014 restricting the group’s actions.

Tulsa’s chapter believes its actions are supported by legal precedent. In a statement, the City of Tulsa disagreed.

“While at this time the City can’t speak directly to the arrests or on-scene communication at the event, prior to last night, the City previously engaged with this group at least 20 times dating back to last April and notified them of the permitting requirements for organized activity in public roadways,” the city stated.

In Depth With Deon visited the location of TFNB’s weekly protest feedings. They say their volunteers and tables stay on the sidewalk of Maybelle Ave, which turns into a dead end after crossing Reconciliation Way. Images captured at the scene show a mostly quiet area with little traffic.

Last year, TFNB tallied over 30,000 free meals served since 2020.

On the day of their arrest last Wednesday, the group said, “we served almost 400 meals, and that’s not including peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, snack bags, tents, sleeping bags, soap, Q-tips, clothes, hygiene products, water,” members of Tulsa Food Not Bombs said.

Still, the city says the refusal to apply for a special permit and the unregulated feedings provide unsafe conditions.

“The activity has continued to occur, and participants have continued blocking the street with tables and equipment - with a history of leaving trash and debris behind following the event,” the city of Tulsa stated.

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Unhoused residents express support for Tulsa Food Not Bombs

Several unhoused residents who spoke with In Depth With Deon said the group is helping them more directly than city programs.

SFT is an unhoused resident who regularly receives food and supplies from Tulsa Food Not Bombs.

“They do positive work all the time .They look out for us. They help us when we’re in need,” SFT, who was present during last week’s arrest, told In Depth With Deon. “Even that day I got a meal from them. I got three, and also dog food.”

Describing the arrests as unwarranted police aggression, SFT said he didn’t see any crimes committed.

“I feel the city shouldn’t even have started pressing charges. I see it as retaliatory,” he said.

For its part, the city said it is undertaking a coordinated approach to addressing homelessness and investing more resources than at any point in the city’s history.

“Through efforts like Safe Move Tulsa and the closure of downtown to street sleeping, the City has worked to improve safety, connect people to services, and reduce unsafe encampment conditions in the urban core,” the city stated.

Members of Tulsa Food Not Bombs criticized the program.

“The city can have all the cute programs they wanna come up with, but TPD is still out here brutalizing unhoused people every day of the week,” the group said.

Butch and Amanda are an unhoused couple who regularly receives support from Tulsa Food Not Bombs.

“They’re actually helping us. They’re doing more for us than the city ever thought about doing,” Butch told In Depth With Deon.

The couple said some unhoused residents have given up on trying to afford living in a capitalist society, but they’re still trying to find work.

“You can’t stop homelessness if the housing market keeps going up because nobody can pay their rent. Nobody can pay their bills,” Amanda said.

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Tulsa Food Not Bombs Continues Its Protest

Despite facing charges from last week’s protest, volunteers with TFNB say they’ll be back out on 200 North Maybelle ave near the bridge for their weekly feeding Wednesday, May 13 at 6 p.m. They’re calling on the city of Tulsa to drop the charges against volunteers.

“We have legal representation. So, our next step is to figure out these criminal charges. That’s why we’re calling on folks to let the city know that they should drop those charges,” TFNB said.

The group said they would rather serve their community than fight the city, but they’re ready to defend their protest.

“What comes next might look like a civil lawsuit. So, we think that city funds should be used in other ways,” the group said.

In Depth With Deon has filed an open records request with the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Police Department.

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TULSA, Okla.--Experts in law, politics, history, art and advocacy will join community members for a panel discussion and interactive listening session highlighting solutions to wrongful convictions and state violence at Silhouette Sneakers & Art and Greenwood Griot Saturday, May 23, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, located at 10 N. Greenwood.

Panelists include Oklahoma Innocence Project Legal Director Andrea Miller, Black Wall Street Historian Chief Egunwale Amusan, Domestic Violence Intervention Services CEO Tracey Lyall, Representative Ron Stewart (D-Tulsa), award-winning filmmaker Dr. Tamecca Rogers and Historic Vernon A.M.E. Associate Pastor Francetta Mays. Registration is free on Eventbrite.

The Tulsa Listening Session is a free event to learn about issues impacting their neighbors and their tax dollars. Registration is free at eventbrite. The session is organized by InDepthDocs, a documentary project and community platform created by journalist Deon Osborne.

“With over 45 exonerations documented by the National Registry of Exonerations, resulting in 486 years lost, Oklahoma should be concerned with the problem of wrongful convictions,” said Andrea Miller, Oklahoma Innocence Project Legal Director. “Those lost years don’t just impact the person who was wrongfully convicted, but the family and friends of that person who has been taken away by mistakes in the criminal legal system. The reality of wrongful convictions is that it could happen to anyone. That should be something that everyone is concerned about.”

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Pushing for Solutions

In recent years, the city of Tulsa has settled millions in wrongful conviction lawsuits, survivors of domestic violence have sought relief from long prison sentences and youthful offenders in juvenile custody have endured abuse at the hands of staff members.

State Rep. Ron Stewart (D-Tulsa) co-authored HB 1574, a bill that would require inspections and investigations of juvenile facilities suspected of abusing youth. It becomes law without the governor’s signature on May 14.

“My support for this measure is rooted in the belief that accountability strengthens systems. Facilities and providers that are doing the right thing should welcome oversight because it builds trust with families, communities, and the public,” said Rep. Stewart. “At the same time, children who are already navigating trauma, instability, or involvement with the juvenile justice system deserve the assurance that someone is looking out for their safety and well-being.”

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Teaching the Truth and Restorative Justice

The event will aim to educate residents about Conviction Integrity Units and generate a grassroots public comment form that will be sent to city and state lawmakers.

“I teach about city and state violence because silence has been the primary weapon of continuity,” said Black Wall Street historian Chief Egunwale Amusan. “The massacre was scrubbed from textbooks, omitted from public memory, and reframed as a ‘riot’. That is language that shifts blame onto the victims and obscures the role of government power. When the State authors the violence and authors the forgetting, the only corrective is someone willing to stand in the breach and teach the receipts.”

The panel will take place from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. inside Silhouette Sneakers & Art. It will be live-streamed on Facebook, YouTube and Substack. To register, click here.

Panelists:

• Oklahoma Innocence Project Legal Director Andrea Miller

• Black Wall Street Historian Chief Egunwale Amusan

• Domestic Violence Intervention Services CEO Tracey Lyall

• Representative Ron Stewart (D-Tulsa),

• Award-winning filmmaker Dr. Tamecca Rogers

• Historic Vernon A.M.E. Associate Pastor Francetta Mays

Following the panel, participants will have the opportunity to walk next door to Greenwood Griot to break into groups for a listening session, where they’ll share perspectives and brainstorm solutions from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“The state fails survivors of violence when systems designed to protect them instead punish them for surviving. Too often, survivors are met with barriers instead of support — from not being believed, to lacking access to trauma-informed legal defense, to receiving harsher outcomes when they defend themselves against abuse,” said Dr. Tamecca Rogers. “In Oklahoma, where domestic violence and female incarceration rates remain among the highest in the nation, we must ask ourselves whether justice is truly serving survivors or simply retraumatizing them through the system itself.”

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About InDepthDocs:

An educational documentary project that uses digital storytelling, interactive tools and in-person community sessions to connect neighbors, deepen perspectives, and amplify unheard voices to drive transformative change. InDepthDocs is fiscally sponsored by the Third Space Foundation. To learn more, visit indepthdocs.com

Why do we have more smoke for each other than the corrupt officials in the U.S. government? Why are we celebrating another trip past the moon when poor communities in the richest country on Earth don't have clean drinking water? How do we restructure the relationship between labor and capital?

I break it down with nationally-recognized journalist and writer Aaron Ross Coleman. Subscribe to indepthwithdeon.substack.com to support independent media.

Watch the full interview:

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Update: On Wednesday, May 6, Edmond Police arrested 18-year-old suspect Jaylan Davis, and 18-year-old high school senior has Avianna Smith-Gray has died after being in critical condition.

An organization dedicated to freeing communities from violence is calling for the state of Oklahoma to invest in intervention programs after a mass shooting at Lake Arcadia in Edmond Sunday night that injured nearly two dozen young people.

At least 23 people were injured and at least thirteen were treated at surrounding hospitals after a fight at an unsanctioned party resulted in gun violence in the Oklahoma City suburb. Governor Kevin Stitt weighed in Monday demanding accountability for those responsible as social media users face racist comments online.

“I have been in contact with the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, and what happened at Arcadia Lake is unacceptable. This kind of violence has no place in Oklahoma, and we will not tolerate it in our communities. We will find those responsible and hold them fully accountable,” Stitt posted on Facebook Monday.

During a press conference Tuesday, LiveFree Oklahoma urged state lawmakers to act proactively to increase funding for community violence intervention programs.

“This should be a wake-up call,” said Jabee Williams of LiveFree Oklahoma. “We can’t keep responding after the fact. We need real investment in the people and the work that’s already happening in our communities. Violence is preventable, but only if we treat it like it is.”

On Wednesday, KOCO news reported 18-year-old Avianna Smith-Gray has died after being in critical condition. A GoFundMe for her family has been set up here. The Edmond Police Department arrested an unnamed 18-yeaer-old suspect on Wednesday. “There is no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat to the public,” the department stated after the shooting.

Videos on social media show a diverse crowd of dozens of young people dancing and having fun before a fight between two women breaks out. Moments later, gunshots erupt, causing mass casualties.

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Funding for peace programs cancelled under Trump

The violence has rocked the suburban community nationally recognized for its peaceful neighborhoods. It marks the 134th mass shooting in the United States in 2026, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Despite having some of the highest rates of gun violence, Oklahoma does not require a license to carry a gun.

“Incidents like the one at Lake Arcadia, intended to be a fun day, which turned violent so quickly are distressing,” Rep. Aletia Timmons, a Democrat who represents Oklahoma City, stated ahead of Tuesday’s press conference. “Wishing healing and strength to the victims and their families. It is my hope and determination that the community can come together and prevent any further violent incidents of this kind.”

Over the past several years violent crimes have trended down nationally, according to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, but last year the Trump Administration made massive cuts to community violence intervention programs. In April 2025, the Department of Justice canceled nearly $820 million in grants for CVI programs. The cuts impacted hundreds of organizations across 37 states, according to an analysis from the Council on Criminal Justice.

Evidence from other major cities shows investing in community violence intervention programs directly impacts crime rates.

In Birmingham, a city where 66% of residents are Black, homicides fell 46% in 2025 after adding CVI programs to its coordinated approach to violent crime. In Chicago, a city with a large Black population historically known for its gun violence, homicides fell 33% last year. And in Baltimore, a city with one of the highest rates of gun violence in the country, homicides fell to a 50-year low last year.

Mayors from each of these cities attributed the sharp drop in violent crime at least partially to community violence intervention programs.

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Racist comments spread

Following the shooting in Edmond, racist comments against Black people flooded social media feeds.

One user named Dakota Troglin commented, “Thing about it is it’s black on black shootings most of the time too.”

Another user named Ashley Marie Bennett-Moore commented under a KOCO news posted a photo that reads, “I wake up I chimp out.”

Another user named Chris Rush commented, “That’s what happens when the chimps are allowed off N.E. 23rd street.

The city of Edmond is a former sundown town that promoted itself as an all-white town and refused to sell property to Black people until the 1970s, according to the Edmond History Museum. It boasted a Ku Klux Klan chapter in 1922, a year after the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Some comments on social media following the Lake Arcadia shooting depicted Black people as “usual suspects” prone to violence. Yet majority-Black communities across the country that have invested in community violence intervention programs paint a different picture.

As LiveFree Oklahoma and its partners continue to work on the ground directly with individuals and families impacted by violence, they’re urging state leaders to lead with facts over feelings by expanding funding for a proactive approach to gun violence.

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In this video segment, I break down what the numbers show, how Oklahoma compares nationally, and why families and advocates say real transparency means knowing what’s happening before it turns fatal. Watch the full video above and read the full report below.

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The Oklahoma Department of Corrections released a new online dashboard that tracks deaths in custody, but relatives of prisoners who’ve died or been injured in ODOC prisons want more transparency into their loved ones’ conditions before it’s too late.

The new tracker records the cause of death, location and facility for deceased prisoners over the last few years. In 2024, the earliest year recorded on the tracker, ODOC listed 140 deaths across state prisons. Last year, the agency listed 144 deaths. As of April 30, the agency recorded 60 deaths so far in 2026.

In an interview with In Depth With Deon, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Chief of Public Relations Kay Thompson described the new tracker as an act of transparency meant to combat rumors and misinformation.

“There is so much misinformation that’s been out there on the number of deaths, the causes of deaths. Also, you know, there’s the narrative that if somebody dies outside of the facility, we don’t mark it down, that we are, you know, hiding the number of deaths. And so the best way to fight those kinds of misinformation is with all the data and the facts that we can present,” Thompson said.

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Oklahoma: higher prison death rate than California

In 2024, Oklahoma had a higher state prison death rate than in California state prisons, according to the Analysis of 2024 California Correctional Health Care Services Mortality Reviews. California had roughly 91,358 prisoners in 2024, compared to 23,109 in Oklahoma that year.

Oklahoma holds one of the top 10 highest prison incarceration rates in the nation, one of the highest incarceration rates for Black men, and among the highest incarceration rates for women.

Thompson attributed the prison death rate in Oklahoma to an aging population.

“We have an aging population, and it’s something that’s due to long sentences and other things. We do have the increase in deaths, but it’s also because we have an older population of people that are dying from natural causes,” Thompson said.

Over half of deaths in 2024 were listed as natural causes, and that number rose in 2025, according to the tracker. Thompson said newly appointed ODOC Director Justin Farris wants to find ways to better serve the aging population.

“I know that California has done some reviews and some criminal justice reform, as have we to lower our prison population. So, I can’t really speak to the ratio of the deaths, but I can definitely say the trend for us is that the natural deaths and the age of our population is trending upward,” Thompson said.

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Families call for more transparency before death

Not everyone feels ODOC has been transparent. Deonta Ballard died on October 15, 2025, a week after he suffered a beating at the Great Plains Correctional Center in Hinton, Oklahoma. Members of his family didn’t learn he was attacked until another prisoner reached out to them.

A relative who asked to remain anonymous shared Ballard’s autopsy report with In Depth With Deon. They said ODOC refused to provide information about his condition for days. They learned about his hospitalization from a nonprofit, and reached back out to ODOC only to be told his injuries were minor.

Then, on October 15, their family received a call from ODOC asking them to “visit him at the hospital in Oklahoma City, because we need to make a decision.” They arrived to find their loved one in a coma, with blunt force trauma to the head, lacerations and swelling across his face and fractures on the nose and right cheek. The doctor advised them to take him off of life support.

“The decedent was a 38-year-old male inmate who was assaulted by a cellmate who punched the decent numerous times on October 8, 2025. The first responders found the decedent on the floor of his jail cell having labored breathing and bleeding from a facial wound,” the autopsy report states.

Full Autopsy Report (PDF)

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Ballard’s relative believes ODOC staff failed to move Ballard, a Black man, out of a pod with Mexicans in a prison system where prisoners often self-segregate based on race.

“Nobody’s perfect. He’s done some things, you know, but the way that his life ended, it shouldn’t have ended the way that it ended. They never have reached out to my mom and told her anything,” the relative said.

Prisoner’s mom seeks answers after stabbing

Requests for more transparency have also come from relatives of prisoners who survived attacks. Weeks ago, In Depth With Deon requested information about an alleged stabbing that occurred between Charles Tiger and another prisoner.

Tiger is a former gang member who helped run a prison NAACP chapter at James Crabtree Correctional Center in Helena, Oklahoma, before being abruptly transferred to Great Plains Correctional Center. ODOC confirmed “an inmate-on-inmate assault”on April 9, 2026, and said it was under investigation, but gave no other details.

When Ruth Tiger reached out to ODOC, she said it took days to reach her son directly. After days of calling, and after a protest at ODOC offices in Oklahoma City, Tiger said she was finally able to reach her son.

“He got jumped in the yard,” she said of her son Charles, whom she calls “Chabon.”

His family and supporters believe he was placed in an environment where his former gang status may have made him a target. Ruth Tiger said her son’s injuries include multiple deep stab wounds that required surgery and coils placed in the lungs to stop severe bleeding.

“I know they did wrong. That’s why they’re in prison, but you don’t have to treat them like animals,” Tiger said. She tried reaching out to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation for help, but since the incident didn’t occur on the tribal nation’s reservation, Tiger said her request was denied.

“It shouldn’t have happened anywhere to begin with, and what was the reason for him being transferred,” Ruth asked.

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Lawsuits seek access to records, footage

The release of the Deaths in Custody dashboard comes amid a string of deaths and violent incidents inside state prisons and concerns over lack of transparency. Allen Gamble Correctional Facility holds the highest number of homicides in recent years, as reported by the Oklahoman. Chronic understaffing and a failure to intervene in preventable deaths were to blame in at least some of those deaths.

The agency has also faced numerous lawsuits in recent years. Four prisoners who were locked in 3-by-3-foot shower stalls in 2023 accused the agency of violating their constitutional rights. A federal judge ruled their case can proceed, Oklahoma Watch reported.

ODOC faces another lawsuit from conservative Republican state Rep. Justin Humphrey (R-Lane). The former chair of the House Criminal Judiciary Committee is an outspoken critic of ODOC who announced a lawsuit for records in May 2025 related to allegations of human rights abuses.

In June 2025 investigative news outlet The Frontier sued ODOC over its refusal to make incident reports available through Oklahoma’s Open Records Act. Months later, In Depth With Deon requested body-cam footage related to a fight between a former corrections officer and a prisoner. ODOC refused to release the footage, but this journalist was able to obtain the footage from the fired corrections officer and published it.

Thompson said ODOC notifies family members before adding a name to the Deaths in Custody dashboard and has no control over how deaths are classified.

“When you die in custody, every person gets an autopsy. So, even if this person’s been in our infirmary or one of our contract hospitals, say, with cancer or some other disease, we know why they have passed away. It still goes to the medical examiner to review and to, you know, confirm the actual manner of death,” Thompson said.

What’s Next

Despite efforts to increase transparency through facility tours and social media posts, the agency has shut-off all in-person media interviews with prisoners. In its lawsuit against ODOC, investigative news outlet the Frontier seeks to gain access to incident reports in an effort to keep the public informed.

“The public has an overriding interest in accessing serious incident reports from the Department which outweighs any exception or exemption that may apply because the severity of the conditions in prisons implicates not only the constitutional rights of inmates, but the public safety of entire communities-including Department employees who are at risk of serious violence or death if conditions inside a particular facility deteriorate without public intervention,” the lawsuit states.

Ultimately, the definition of transparency differs depending on who you ask. For ODOC, it means publicizing information after a prisoner has died. For families, it means informing them every step of the way. For journalists, it means honoring the Open Records Act and allowing access. As lawsuits play out in the courts, prisoners continue to navigate life in a state prison system with increasing deaths.

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This week on the Deep Dive, the guest is you. I’ll share three of my most recent stories impacting Tulsa, and I want you to call in between 12 noon and 1 pm CST Tuesday, April 28 with your Tulsa Hot Take at 918-856-3873.

Call in to throw out a question or comment about one of the stories, or a hot take about anything you think more Tulsans should know about.

Meta “paying their own way” on $1 billion data center in east Tulsa

Oklahoma political leaders, Partner Tulsa and representatives from Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp) announced the official groundbreaking of a new data center that will bring over $1 billion in investments to east Tulsa, despite environmental concerns from some residents who protested outside the event.

The AI-optimized Tulsa Data Center will mark Meta’s first in Oklahoma, the company announced. The company says it will pay for its own infrastructure, pay for the cost of water and electricity, and give back through grants to the community. I’ll share what Governor Stitt’s response to my question about protests against the data center.

Call in to share your thoughts.

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Tulsa Reparations Summit Reaches for Repair

Tulsa took the spotlight this past weekend when community leaders hosted a three-day summit focused on implementing reparations locally and offering a blueprint for other communities across the country. Local and national figures in media, policy, history and economics participated in the Tulsa Reparations Summit.

Discussions and breakout sessions focused on defining what reparations means and how to achieve it in a city that still bears the scars of the 1921 government-sanctioned massacre against Black residents of Historic Greenwood District.

I’ll share what I learned from the event. Call in to share your thoughts.

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Muscogee (Creek) Freedmen Granted Citizenship But Applications Denied

Civil rights groups including the NAACP tried to intervene in support of Freedmen descendants who remain locked out of citizenship and voting rights by Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principle Chief David Hill and the National Council.

On July 23, 2025, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Supreme Court had ruled in favor of citizenship for Freedmen descendants. Eight months later, Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill continues to block them from citizenship, which disqualifies them from voting in the upcoming May 30 MCN election.

I’ll share recent updates. Call in to share your thoughts.

Call in to the Deep Dive on KBOB 89.9 FM between 12 pm and 1 pm Tuesday, April 28 (Tomorrow) at 918-856-3873.

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TULSA, Okla.—In a room five stories above Black Wall Street, Oklahoma political leaders, Partner Tulsa and representatives from Meta announced the official groundbreaking of a new data center that will bring over $1 billion in investments to east Tulsa, despite environmental concerns from some residents who protested outside the event.

The AI-optimized Tulsa Data Center will mark Meta’s 28th in the country, 32nd across the globe and its first in Oklahoma, the company announced. At more than 2 million square feet, the data center is located at the Fair Oaks 2,000-acre industrial innovation park in east Tulsa.

Meta says the project will support roughly 1,000 construction jobs and 100 operational jobs after completion. The company also said it will invest $25 million in infrastructure costs, partner with Tulsa Tech and Tulsa Community College on local workforce development, and assist low-income residents with water and utility bills. It promises to replenish the water it uses and eliminate added energy costs for rate payers.

“It’s one of the largest private investments in our state’s history and direct investment, really in Oklahoma’s future,” Gov. Stitt said during a press announcement closed to the public. “Meta could’ve built anywhere in the world, but they decided to build in Oklahoma.”

Five stories below, a group of protesters formed outside the entrance with signs and chants expressing concern over the impacts to water, energy and land. In a response to questioning from In Depth With Deon Podcast, Gov. Stitt described those concerns as “legitimate.”

“I think what people are concerned about is, is my electricity bill going to go up? Are they sucking all the energy out of the grid? That’s a legitimate question,” Gov. Stitt told IDWD. “Or what about water? Is my water bill going to go up? But I think if you answer those two questions, like, these guys are paying for their own water, their electricity, the infrastructure, none of that is on the rate payers. And that’s really all we’re concerned about.”

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Not all residents see it that way. Cheyenna Morgan is Coalition Coordinator for Stop Data Colonialism.

“Energy isn’t our only concern. Obviously, we’ve got concerns about the water. What we do today affects how our future generations will be impacted,” Morgan told IDWD. “They’re requesting massive amounts of water.”

For “Regular Tulsans”

The project’s groundbreaking comes as Tulsa seeks to become a national leader in the accelerating tech economy. The investment from Meta opens up a part of the city that has lacked development, amenities and jobs, says City of Tulsa Economic Development Director Erran Persley.

“So, for regular Tulsans, this really opens up east Tulsa,” Persley told In Depth With Deon Podcast at Tuesday’s groundbreaking. “That’s going to be thousands of new homes. It’s going to be retail outlets out in East Tulsa. They’re not there now. It’s going to be park space, open land, and it’s going to be jobs.”

Partner Tulsa, the city’s economic development authority, praised the project after years of planning. Meta’s plan includes supporting community organizations like Eastside Rise to expand community gardens and public art. Formerly referred to as Project Anthem, the details of Tulsa’s first data center had remained private until Tuesday’s groundbreaking.

“Projects like this remind us that economic development is indeed a team sport, and it takes all of us working together to bring these projects on board and to get them moving forward,” said Michelle Barnett, Senior Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development at Partner Tulsa.

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Community Input and Water Output

The celebrations and cheers from state leaders and company officials at the Vista at 21 stood in stark contrast to the chants of opposition from protesters on the ground level shut out from the private event.

Communities around the nation have expressed strong opposition to data centers in recent months, and Oklahoma’s two largest cities—OKC and Tulsa— have passed moratoriums on the construction of new projects. Tulsa City Councilors carved out an exception to the moratorium for Meta’s Tulsa Data Center.

Cheyenna Morgan of Stop Data Colonialism questioned the process.

“There’s actually also been no community engagement on this project. They’ve been seeking out this project for four years, and this project has been approved for two, and there’s been no meaningful community relationship building,” Morgan said.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is a science-based educational resources for policymakers created in 1984 by a bipartisan group of Congress-members. It estimates a large data center can consume over 5 million gallons of water per day, or enough to supply a town of 10,000 to 50,000 residents.

Meta announced plans to make the Tulsa Data Center “water positive” by 2030, claiming the company will restore more water to local watersheds than it consumes.

“We’re partnering with Phytech on a water restoration project that will provide irrigation technology to Tulsa area farmers to help them minimize water withdrawal while optimizing yields, saving energy and reducing costs,” Meta stated in a press release.

The 10-year goal is to use Phytech’s plant-sensor technology to save over 50 million gallons of water per year.

“They’re creating these narratives like water neutrality, when, in fact, the water neutrality is manufactured by them to make it sound like they’re putting more water into the communities that they’re taking water from,” Morgan said. “You can’t un-pollute water. You can’t remove the chemicals that will be put into these facilities to cool these facilities. You can’t restore watersheds.”

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Tulsa will take the spotlight this week when community leaders host a three-day summit focused on implementing reparations locally and offering a blueprint for other communities across the country. Local and national figures in media, policy, history and economics will descend on Tulsa Friday, April 24, through Sunday, April 26, at Langston University Tulsa.

Discussions and breakout sessions will focus on defining what reparations means and how to achieve it in a city that still bears the scars of the 1921 government-sanctioned massacre against Black residents of Historic Greenwood District.

To register for the event, click here.

Kristi Williams is a descendant of massacre survivors and a member of the city’s Beyond Apology reparations commission. It was formed as one of the final acts of the outgoing Republican mayor G.T. Bynum.

“We knew the next step in that, in which we had Robin Rue Simmons with First Repair help us also through that process, ‘cause we kinda modeled it through that,” Williams told In Depth With Deon Podcast. “People forget all that groundwork and work that she put into that just to get that, right? And so that’s where we were at, the groundwork for here in Tulsa.”

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Tracker: Reparations Movements in 28 States

Williams and Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper have spent years learning from other communities pursuing reparations. Together they’ve brought together national experts, like Robbie Rue Simmons, a former alderman of Evanston, Illinois who led the creation of the nation’s first government-funded reparations program for Black residents.

Simmons’ organization, First Repair, tracks reparations movements across the country. It currently documents 164 organizations pursuing reparations in 28 states.

The Tulsa Reparations Summit sessions will feature former Good Morning America anchor and native Tulsan DeMarco Morgan as a moderator. Two of the experts include University of Oklahoma Regents’ Professor of African American History Dr. Karlos Hill and internationally recognized researcher Dr. Joy DeGruy, author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome.

“We’ll be discussing policy, economic investment, housing, education, and the path forward as we move from conversation to implementation,” Councilor Hall-Harper said in a statement. “Your voice, your presence, and your engagement matter in this moment. Seats are filling up quickly, and I don’t want you to miss being in the room where these important conversations and decisions are happening.”

Each day will include breakfast and lunch by Chef Chad Cherry.

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From Apology To Repair

From May 31 to June 1, 1921, the city deputized thousands of white men from within Tulsa and surrounding areas to burn, bomb, loot and leave bullet-ridden hundreds of Black men, women and children in the majority-Black district after a mob failed to lynch a young Black man named Dick Rowland, according to the Tulsa Historical Society.

Nearly 105 years later, descendants and survivors of the racial domestic terror attack continue to push for restitution and repair.

In June 2021, during the 100-year anniversary, former President Biden became the first sitting president to refer to the attack as a massacre from inside the Greenwood Cultural Center. Tulsa City Council responded by signing a unanimous resolution. It offered an official apology and the pursuit of good policy.

After becoming the city’s first Black mayor, Monroe Nichols unveiled a proposal to raise $105 million private dollars for rebuilding Greenwood and North Tulsa.

“For 104 years, the Tulsa Race Massacre has been a stain on our city’s history,” Nichols said during last year’s announcement.

Greenwood rebuilt almost immediately after the massacre to an even greater level of prosperity into the 1940s, archives show. It was the bulldozing of neighborhoods during urban renewal efforts in the 1960s and ‘70s that dealt the final blow to Black Wall Street.

“The massacre was hidden from history books, only to be followed by the intentional acts of redlining, a highway built to choke off economic vitality and the perpetual underinvestment of local, state and federal governments,” Mayor Nichols said.

The Greenwood Trust initiative doesn’t include direct cash payments or government funds. The Tulsa Reparations Summit seeks to go further.

With three days planned of action-oriented conversations, organizers of the Tulsa Reparations Summit are pushing Tulsans to consider not only how their efforts could impact descendants of racial terror locally, but in communities across the nation.

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Conservative lawmakers in Oklahoma have consistently proposed and passed bills to erase the identities and freedoms of trans and other LGBTQ+ Oklahomans. With bills filed to ban pride flags, block healthcare and even prevent trans residents from accessing mental health resources, this year is no different.

When the military threatens to kick out service-members with skin conditions that make it more difficult to shave, news outlets don’t describe it as gender-affirming care. Yet it represents just one example in which a government enforces “arbitrary policing of gender,” according to Freedom Oklahoma executive director Cole McAfee (They/she).

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In an hour-long interview, we broke down misinformation negatively impacting the trans community, how Freedom Oklahoma shows up for members of the community, and the vision of joy that keeps them going when the battles at the state Capitol seem impossible to win.

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But trans folx have always been here, so why have their identities only become targets in recent years? Let’s talk about it.

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When he didn't see a space for himself as a Black queer man in Tulsa, Daniel McHenry created his own. As founder of Black Queer Tulsa he's built community in a state hostile to non-hetero norms.

As a ballroom performer for Alpha Omega house, he's found a family and shared history that empowers free expression. He even inspired me to share my coming out story as a queer Black man myself.

Learn more about his journey on the latest episode of In Depth With Deon below.

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