people-from-oklahoma

"I want this to be a forum where the best and brightest work together in an operating environment that embraces advanced knowledge and technologies to improve lives, including the life of our planet!"

"I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams"

"Let's level the playing field by making essential knowledge available, get it to people who need it, and support them in being healthy and self-sufficient"

"I still smell smoke and see fire"

"We were victims of a lie"

"You don’t hear about these Black people, how many of them died. How many of the Black babies that died because there wasn’t any milk for them, after their mother had nursed the other babies."

"I say that Freedmen descendants must continue to use all legal avenues to pull down the barriers of racism, apartheid and second-class tribal membership."

"When you have documentaries about the Trail of Tears, you don’t see these Black people carrying all the loads."

"Though special interests tried to ruin her good name, those who know Lenore understand the important role she has played in the fight for liberty. She has blessed Idaho with her service more than we could ever express."

"Lenore’s legacy lives large in the Idaho Capitol"

"None of those positions was a job, but a chance to help solve problems for people who lacked resources to help themselves, I love public service and will never take for granted the responsibility imposed upon those of us who choose that path."

"Jari has been a zealous advocate for the judiciary, and a faithful friend and wise counselor to every Oklahoma Chief Justice lucky enough to have benefitted from her service. While I believe that no single person is bigger than the office he or she may hold, I’ll make an exception for Jari Askins as our Administrative Director."

"She is an authentic Oklahoma legend, and it has been my unique privilege to have served with her."

"Gill says that, after leaving home as a young man, he spent his entire savings on a single guitar. One thing is for certain: It was in good hands. He’s one of the best in the business."

"Sure, Gill earned initial acclaim for his work with Pure Prairie League in the late 1970s, but when he went out on his own, the Oklahoma native achieved truly tremendous success. Among his many prodigious musical talents—singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, et al.—Vince Gill can play a Telecaster just about any way there is to play one. With his compressed, snappy tone, he’s a master of country Tele techniques and is at home in seemingly any genre, be it traditional country, bluegrass, R&B, country rock and much more."

"Angel, devil or both, Chet Baker is the stuff of jazz legend. By his mid-20s, the Oklahoma country boy was famous, leaping to stardom in 1953 with saxophonist Gerry Mulligan’s trend-setting West Coast quartet and winning polls on trumpet. His reputation was no mere publicity bubble. After playing with Baker in his pre-Mulligan days, bebop pioneer Charlie Parker told his trumpet protégé Miles Davis, ‘There’s a little white cat out on the coast who’s going to eat you up.’"

"When I think about the attack, I always go back to that moment when we got organized and decided to engage the enemy as one. The way we assembled into a synched stack and moved aggressively, right into the chaos. To be with those guys, at that time, on that day, is probably the proudest moment of my career. It's the epitome of soldierly virtue on the battlefield."

"Staff Sergeant Earl D. Plumlee distinguished himself by acts of gallantry above and beyond the call of duty on August 28th, 2013, while serving as a weapons sergeant, C Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in support of Enduring Freedom. Sergeant Plumlee instantly responded to an enemy attack on Forward Operating Base Ghazni—Ghazni Province, Afghanistan —that began with an explosion that tore a 60-foot breach in the base’s perimeter wall. Ten insurgents wearing Afghan National Army uniforms and suicide vests poured through the breach. Sergeant Plumlee and five others mounted two vehicles and raced toward the explosion. When his vehicle was engaged by enemy fire, Sergeant Plumlee reacted instinctively, using his body to shield the driver prior to exiting the vehicle and engaging an enemy insurgent 15 meters to the vehicle’s right with his pistol. Without cover and in complete disregard for his own safety, he advanced on the enemy, engaging multiple insurgents with only his pistol. Upon reaching cover, he killed two insurgents —one with a grenade and the other by detonating the insurgent’s suicide vest using precision sniper fire. Again, disregarding his own safety, Sergeant Plumlee advanced alone against the enemy, engaging several insurgents at close range, including one whose suicide vest exploded a mere seven meters from his position. Under intense enemy fire, Sergeant Plumlee temporarily withdrew to cover, where he joined up with another soldier and, together, they mounted another counterattack. Under fierce enemy fire, Sergeant Plumlee again moved from cover and attacked the enemy forces, advancing within seven meters of a previously wounded insurgent who detonated his suicide vest, blowing Sergeant Plumlee back against a nearby wall. Sergeant Plumlee, ignoring his injuries, quickly regained his faculties and reengaged the enemy forces. Intense enemy fire once again forced the two soldiers to temporarily withdraw. Undeterred, Sergeant Plumlee joined a small group of American and Polish soldiers, who moved from cover to once again counterattack the infiltrators. As the force advanced, Sergeant Plumlee engaged an insurgent to his front left. He then swung around and engaged another insurgent who charged the group from the rear. The insurgent detonated his suicide vest, mortally wounding a U.S. soldier. Sergeant Plumlee, again, with complete disregard for his own safety, ran to the wounded soldier, carried him to safety, and rendered first aid. He then methodically cleared the area, remained in a security posture, and continued to scan for any remaining threats. Staff Sergeant Earl D. Plumlee’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Special Forces Regiment, and the United States Army."

"The most joy I have is when I see other people experience God in their lives and respond to that experience — they recognize it, and they respond to it, and it changes them. Because that's really what I most want to give people, is a deep connection with God himself. Wherever it is, when people have that encounter with Christ that sets them on fire, that changes their life and that initiates a radical conversion, that is the greatest joy that I experience."

"Master Chief Petty Officer Delbert D. Black was born on July 11, 1922, in Orr, Oklahoma, graduating from high school in 1940. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on March 14, 1941. Upon completion of recruit training in San Diego, he was assigned to USS Maryland (BB 46) and was aboard in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He then served aboard eight ships and six shore commands. On January 13, 1967, the Secretary of the Navy announced Master Chief Black as the first MCPON. As such, he was the highest-ranking enlisted man in the Navy, and served as the enlisted representative to the Chief of Naval Operations. He counseled the highest Navy councils on problems associated with enlisted guidance, leadership, and policy. MCPON Black was the first Navy enlisted man to receive the Distinguished Service Medal. His other awards included the Navy Unit Commendation, Navy Good Conduct (seven stars), American Defense (one star), American Campaign, Asiatic Pacific (eight stars), World War II Victory, China Service, Navy Occupation, National Defense (one star), Korean Service, Vietnam Service (three stars), Antarctica Service, United Nations, Philippine Liberation (two stars), Philippine PUC, Vietnam Campaign with device, and Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry Cross)."

"The Chief can, and should, take the responsibility of keeping every Sailor under their leadership informed. If one of their Sailors has a problem, they have a problem. There should be no excuses. There is a solution to every problem, and it should be pursued until their Sailor is satisfied that every means has been exhausted in the effort to find a solution."

"Sexual preference bias is one step away from bias based on the color of one's skin."

"Just to clarify what you just said, you’re saying saving the lives of slaves or saving the lives of an unborn child is more important than saving the lives of slaves?"

"From Nowheresville Oklahoma to Heavensville Heaven, it's amazing."

"It could be that the army group here was recalled to help out in El Salvador because the war there is now picking up in intensity. This whole Central American area is in the process of change and if the Governments don't want to do it peacefully, then it will be done by war. It is sad but it has to happen. I haven't been able to confirm the report that the army did move out. Just say a prayer on occasion that we will be safe and still able to be of service to these people of God."

"He was an ordinary man who was a good steward of the gifts God gave him. He cultivated those gifts, those natural talents. They were not necessarily the kinds of talents one would have identified as those of a future saint, but he used those gifts that God gave him faithfully and generously and allowed the Lord to lead him. He said, “Yes” to the promptings of grace in his life and was very generous in his response. So God calls all of us to be holy. All of us are called to sanctity. But the path that each of us walks is uniquely ours."

"I’m grateful to the Church for recognizing him. I’m proud of him for not giving up, meeting his daily challenges and trusting in God’s promise to give him eternal life. Stanley was one who lived simply, gave his best, and I’m sure has heard the Lord say to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”"

"If I am to be remembered, I want it to be because I am fortunate enough to have become my tribe's first female chief. But I also want to be remembered for emphasizing the fact that we have indigenous solutions to our problems. Cherokee values, especially those of helping one another and of our interconnections with the land, can be used to address contemporary issues. (p250)"

"I try to encourage young women to be willing to take risks, to stand up for the things they believe in, and to step up and accept the challenge of serving in leadership roles. (p250)"

"Today, we are helping to erase the stereotypes created by media and by western films of the drunken Indian on a horse, chasing wagon trains across the prairie. I suppose some people still think that all native people live in tepees and wear tribal garb every day. They do not realize that many of us wear businesssuits and drive station wagons. The beauty of society today is that young Cherokee men and women can pursue any professional fields they want and remain true to traditional values. It all comes back to our heritage and our roots. It is so vital that we retain that sense of culture, history, and tribal identity. (p246)"

"I heard all sorts of things-some people claimed that my running for office was an affront to God. Others said having a female run our tribe would make the Cherokees the laughing stock of the tribal world. I heard it all. Every time I was given yet another silly reason why I should not help run our government, I was certain that I had made the correct decision. The reaction to my candidacy stunned me. It was a very low time in my life, but I would not be swayed. I figured the best tactic was to ignore my opponents. I remembered a saying I had once read on the back of a tea box. It said something like this-if you argue with a fool, someone passing by will not be able to tell who is the fool and who is not. I did not wish to be taken for a fool. (p241)"

"Today, if anyone asks members of our tribe if it really matters if the chief is male or female, the majority will reply that gender has no bearing on leadership. (p250)"

"There still exists in this country many negative stereotypes about Black people, Latin people, and Asian people. God knows there are terrible stereotypes about Native Americans; these have to be overcome before we can move forward...I would urge all of you who are here today, both graduates and families, to examine the extent to which we hold those stereotypes about one another. And finally, I would hope my being here and spending just a couple of minutes with you today would help you to eliminate any stereotypes you might have about what a chief looks like."

"The only issue in the first election was my being female," she said. "That was a total — a total issue in the entire election. There was incredible opposition because of that. But the people who stayed with me in the '83 election and who stayed with me through today, 10 years later, have been the older people in the tribe and the more traditional elements of the tribe. I've always found that fascinating. My husband and I have talked about it and I think we've come to the conclusion that maybe older people have a greater sense of history and understand that there was a time when women played a more significant role in the tribe and there was more balance and harmony between men and women in the Cherokee Nation."

"During the long healing process, I fell back on my Cherokee ways and adopted what our elders call "a Cherokee approach" to life. They say it is "being of good mind." That means one has to think positively, to take what is handed out and turn it into a better path. (p23)"

"From the start, I figured most people would be bothered about my ideas on grass-roots democracy and the fact that I had a fairly extensive activist background. I adhered to a different political philosophy than many people living in the area. But I was wrong. No one challenged me on those issues, not once. Instead, I was challenged mostly because of one fact-I am female. (p240)"

"Women can help turn the world right side up. We bring a more collaborative approach to government. And if we do not participate, then decisions will be made without us."

"Rural development was, and still remains, a high priority on my list of goals. For me, the rewards came from attempting to break the circle of poverty. My feeling is that the Cherokee people, by and large, are incredibly tenacious. We have survived so many major political and social upheavals, yet we have kept the Cherokee government alive. I feel confident that we will march into the twenty-first century on our own terms. (p246)"

"In our tribal stories, we have heard of a Woman's Council, which was headed by a very powerful woman, perhaps the Ghigau. This oral history is frequently discredited by Western historians as "merely myth." I have always found their repudiation fascinating. An entire body of knowledge can be dismissed because it was not written, while material written by obviously biased men is readily accepted as reality. (p19)"

"One of the issues that I wanted to comment on, and probably the most important issue today for the record, is the issue of self-governance...Always there are these great speeches about supporting tribal governments and that sort of thing in Washington from the leadership, but it needs to permeate every layer of these agencies, people we deal with on a day-to-day basis."

"Though many non-Native Americans have learned very little about us, over time we have had to learn everything about them. We watch their films, read their literature, worship in their churches, and attend their schools. Every third-grade student in the United States is presented with the concept of Europeans discovering America as a "New World" with fertile soil, abundant gifts of nature, and glorious mountains and rivers. Only the most enlightened teachers will explain that this world certainly wasn't new to the millions of indigenous people who already lived here when Columbus arrived."

"I think the Cherokee approach to life is being able to continually move forward with kind of a good mind and not focus on the negative things in your life and the negative things you see around you, but focus on the positive things and try to look at the larger picture and keep moving forward," Mankiller explained. "[It] also taught me to look at the larger things in life rather than focusing on small things, and it's also awfully, awfully hard to rattle me after having faced my own mortality ... so the things I learned from those experiences actually enabled me to lead. Without those experiences, I don't think I would have been able to lead. I think I would have gotten caught up in a lot of nonsensical things."

"Europeans brought with them the view that men were the absolute head of households, and women were to be submissive to them. It was then that the role of women in Cherokee society began to decline. One of the new values Europeans brought to the Cherokees was a lack of balance and harmony between men and women. It was what we today call sexism. This was not a Cherokee concept. Sexism was borrowed from Europeans. (p20)"

"Because I have risen to the office of chief, some people erroneously conclude that the role of native women has changed in every tribe. That is not so. People jump to that conclusion because they do not really understand native people. There is no universal "Indian language." All of us have our own distinct languages and cultures...Because Native Americans have our own languages, cultures, art forms, and social systems, our tribes are radically different from one another. Many tribal groups do not have women in titled positions, but in the great majority of those groups, there is some degree of balance and harmony in the roles of men and women. (p250)"

"Lowndes had one of the nation’s worst records for individual and institutional racism, a reputation for brutality that made white as well as black Alabama shiver. In this county, eighty-one percent black, the whites had ruled the entire area and subjugated black people to that rule unmercifully. [...] The history of the county shows that black people could come together to do only three things: sing, pray, dance. Any time they came together to do anything else, they were threatened or intimidated. For decades, black people had been taught to believe that voting, politics, is “white folks’ business.” And the white folks had indeed monopolized that business, by methods which ran the gamut from economic intimidation to murder."

"It became crystal clear that in order to combat power, one needed power. Black people would have to organize and obtain their own power base before they could begin to think of coalition with others. It is absolutely imperative that black people strive to form an independent base of political power first. When they can control their own communities—however large or small—then other groups will make overtures to them based on a wise calculation of self-interest. The blacks will have the mobilized ability to grant or withhold from coalition. Black people must set about to build those new forms of politics."

"Lowndes was a truly totalitarian society—the epitome of the tight, insulated police state."

"“The law” became a convenient tool to be used by illegal masters when black people sought to move."

"It is hoped that eventually there will be a coalition of poor blacks and . This is the only coalition which seems acceptable to us, and we see such a coalition as the major internal instrument of change in the American society. It is purely academic today to talk about bringing poor blacks and poor whites together, but the task of creating a poor-white power block dedicated to the goals of a free, open society—not one based on racism and subordination—must be attempted. The main responsibility for this task falls upon whites. Black and white can work together in the white community where possible. [...] Only whites can mobilize and organize those communities along the lines necessary and possible for effective alliances with the black communities. This job cannot be left to the existing institutions and agencies, because those structures, for the most part, are reflections of institutional racism. If the job is to be done, there must be new forms created. Thus, the political modernization process must involve the white community as well as the black."

"Law is the agent of those in political power; it is the product of those powerful enough to define right and wrong and to have that definition legitimized by “law.” This is not to say that “might makes right,” but it is to say that Might makes Law."