Employment credit checks are putting jobs out of reach for Oklahomans

This post is by OK Policy intern Lydia Lapidus. Lydia is a recent graduate from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs with a concentration in International Politics. When applying for a job, you might scan your social media… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma has a tragic history when it comes to Indian education. Here’s how we’re turning it around.

Bah-He-Toya-Mah is an OK Policy summer intern. She has a political science degree from Oklahoma City University and is completing postgraduate studies at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Tribal Administration and Governance program. Prior to OK Policy she worked at her… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s refusal of federal dollars especially hurts African-American and Hispanic families

Drew Capps interned with OK Policy this spring and recently graduated from the University of Tulsa. We’ve discussed previously, and at length, why Governor Fallin’s decision to reject federal funds to expand health coverage to low-income Oklahomans is the wrong… Read more [More...]

Don’t ban bilingual education (Guest post: Shannon Guss and Ryan Gentzler)

Shannon Guss is the Educare Project Director at the Early Childhood Education Institute (ECEI) at the University of Oklahoma  – Tulsa. Ryan Gentzler is a Research Associate at ECEI and an OK Policy Research Fellow. With two bills from 2011… Read more [More...]

Schools, housing, & poverty: Thoughts on segregation in Tulsa

This is an edited version of remarks made to a community form hosted by the Dan Allen Center for Social Justice on “Resegregation of Tulsa Schools” held September 4, 2014. All statistics, along with their sources, are compiled in this… Read more [More...]

The State of Oklahoma Women (Part One): Economic security and leadership

This is the first of a two-part series examining the state of women in Oklahoma based on three indicators: economic security, leadership and health of women and families. The first post focuses on economic security and leadership; the second post… Read more [More...]

A response to The Oklahoman: It’s about economic opportunity, not bigotry

This article was originally submitted as an op-ed, which The Oklahoman declined to publish.  A recent report by Oklahoma Policy Institute, “Building Equity: Closing the Opportunity Gap in Oklahoma,” outlines large and persistent gaps in wealth, income, and opportunity between… Read more [More...]

Opportunity gap is a central, not ‘marginal’, concern for Oklahoma

Last week, State Representative Jason Nelson (R- Oklahoma City) expressed concern about a presentation given by Kate Richey, a policy analyst for Oklahoma Policy Institute, as part of a lecture series sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Human Series. The… Read more [More...]

7 Things You (Probably) Don't Know About Affirmative Action

One of the state questions on the general election ballot this November, SQ 759, proposes a ban on affirmative action in state employment, education, and contracting.  Ironically, supporters of the ban and SQ 759 oppose practices that are already illegal… Read more [More...]

Angela Glover Blackwell: 'Equity is the superior growth model'

This blog post was excerpted from remarks by Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and CEO of PolicyLink, during the opening session of PolicyLink’s 2011 Equity Summit in Detroit, Michigan.  The speech presented a new framework for creating an equitable economy.  Click… Read more [More...]