In part two of her look at the growing wave of attacks on free speech across college campuses, Nico Berlin takes us inside the story of the Maneater, the University of Missouri’s printed newspaper which switched to a digital only platform in May 2023 (two thousand twenty three) after nearly seven decades of publication. In her story, she reminds us that printed newspapers are significant because they make truth tangible.

Breast cancer touches families across every community, yet the burden of this disease is not shared equally. For Black women, a breast cancer diagnosis too often carries higher stakes, revealing how survival is shaped not only by biology, but by history, access, and justice. This disparity reflects deeper inequities. Danielle A. Melton brings us more.

In part two of her series on mental health, Alana Mbanza explores mental health in school and what young people are doing to address their concerns.

Clara Luper, also known as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, was recently commemorated in the form of a statue honoring her legacy leading Oklahoma City’s sit-in movement. Luper and the work of her student activists will now be memorialized forever. FBO’s Sondra Slade was there.

This podcast episode closes with a poem by Tinasha LaRayeė. She read this poem at the unveiling of the Clara Luper statue in Oklahoma City.

Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music.

Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew. Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jess Grimes, Roma Carter, and Anna Wilson.

You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK.

You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.

You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.