OKPOLICY.ORG
An overview of our work on Race & Equity Issues
Oklahomans of color still face huge gaps in wealth, health, and opportunity. These gaps reflect a long history of violence and discrimination, as well as continuing state and national policies that disproportionately arrest and incarcerate Oklahomans of color, suppress wages, deny health coverage for Oklahomans who need it, and neglect our public schools even as the task of educating children is made far more difficult by the effects of poverty and discrimination. We work to uncover these disparities and support policies that bring us closer to racial justice, equity, and opportunity for all Oklahomans.
See all of our race and equity research here.
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Areas of Focus
Race & Equity Facts
Featured Articles and Reports
Recent anti-immigrant policy proves Oklahomans are not the priority
When lawmakers go to the Capitol, they’re supposed to put their constituents first and work to improve their lives. However, this year, lawmakers passed or supported legislation that will directly harm Oklahomans, regardless of their immigration status. Senate Bill 1633 will make college prohibitively expensive for undocumented Oklahoma students and worsen the state’s workforce shortage. More...
Legislative Updates: Immigration (May 15, 2026)
Welcome to the last immigration newsletter of this legislative session. Now that legislative session has ended, the newsletter will be published as-needed when there is a major immigration-related development in Oklahoma. Thank you all for subscribing and remaining informed on these important issues. Attacks on our immigrant family and friends will not end anytime soon, More...
Silence in the face of injustice puts each of us at risk (Commentary)
The federal government took less than 100 days after President Trump’s inauguration to mount an unprecedented and wholesale attack on immigrant families in America, regardless of their immigration status or criminal history. The Trump administration is destroying lawful pathways into the country, detaining people with no criminal background using “collateral arrests,” suddenly enforcing rarely implemented, More...
Anti-immigration raids harm all communities (Commentary)
This commentary was authored by Vivian Morris, Tribal-State Policy Analyst, and Gabriela Ramirez-Perez, Immigration Policy Analyst. As the new administration issued a flurry of executive orders during its first weeks in power, many of the actions have specifically targeted immigrants and negatively impacted many community members in our country. These sweeping acts have created chaos More...
Tulsa Race Massacre: After the national spotlight fades ….
The national spotlight will shine on our state in the coming days as we gather to commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre and its aftermath. Soon, however, this attention will fade and many long-standing issues will remain for Oklahomans to address. In addition to wrestling with the question of reparations, we need to More...
Race & Equity Experts
