DeVon Douglass did something last week in a Tulsa public meeting about race relations that needs to be commended.
She got a laugh. From everyone.
She kept control of the microphone. She stopped booing and meandering stories.
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Just when things got a bit intense, she bit through the tension to steer everything back to a productive pace.
Douglass led the Tulsa Talks discussion with civility. Another meeting is set for Aug. 9 to develop more specific actions, and a follow-up will be a summit around the time of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
For reporters covering a lot of these town-hall type meetings, and officials familiar with how tense these gatherings can become, Douglass became an instant hit.
“My goal is to prevent things going on in other cities,” she said.
Douglass is one of those extraordinarily smart people doing good work without headlines or attention. She’s right to think pro-actively.
“People want to talk,” she said. “We had 450 people show up for an event not advertised. People in the community want a way to say what is happening now, have a say in how the community is run and not see any degradation of the community.”
Changing direction: Douglass grew up in the University City section of St. Louis and graduated from Missouri State University with a sociology degree before earning her law degree from the University of Tulsa in 2014.
In college at Springfield, Missouri, she survived a sexual assault, which started her in advocacy for better victim resources. While speaking to groups about her attack, people often confided in her.
“People, men and women, would pull me to the side and tell me the most horrific stories, not just from college but from their lives. Something broke inside me, and I decided I needed to go to law school.”
The idea was to be a champion for individuals. She completed an internship in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. After that, she decided on a different career path.
“By doing policy work, I can effectuate a greater swath of change,” she said.
Last October, Douglass joined the staff of the Oklahoma Policy Institute as an analyst examining economic opportunities and financial security for all Oklahomans.
Different experiences: Growing up, Douglass was familiar with Ferguson, Missouri, knowing the good restaurants and fun places to go. That’s the side of Ferguson most people don’t know. When violent protests erupted in August 2014 after the shooting death of black 18-year-old Michael Brown by white Officer Darren Wilson, she visited in the aftermath.
She recalls the burned-out cars left abandoned on the road, the vandalism that lingered, and the children and families attempting to live around the devastation.
“I was blown away to see tanks on the streets where I hung out as a teenager. It made me sad,” she said. “I definitely don’t want to see that in Tulsa. It does something to your psyche.”
Every city thinks it’s not Ferguson. But reality is race relations in America is a national issue with local repercussions. That’s why it’s crucial for local residents and leaders to have ongoing communication about services such as police, housing, education and jobs.
“I’d like to believe Tulsa is the only city without violence,” Douglass said. “But my mind is alive and my eyes are open, and that is not the case.”
Listening to each other and acknowledging the different experiences is a first step.
“I don’t doubt there are residents who have never seen anything racist in Tulsa. The fact you have not seen it proves the point there is a breakdown of communication,” Douglass said. “Tulsa is a tale of two cities. We’re having different experiences — whether that is geography, race or class.”
Change for good: The Tulsa Talks event came together quickly. After the national news of recent shootings of law enforcement officers and the police shootings of black men, Douglass got with Jamaal Dyer — both working to start a young professionals group with the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce — to plan the event.
“I was heartbroken,” she said. “I told him we have to do something. There has to be something we can do.”
Within about 10 days, the panelists were set, the venue found and questions established. There was no time for marketing except for press releases to media and word of mouth.
“My goal is to do something different,” Douglass said.
These types of town-hall meetings can establish better practices and policies for trust and safety. They also serve to make people aware of how race is being viewed and treated across the city.
It’s a type of neutral ground, as long as a strong moderator is at the helm. Douglass, being of a mind for policy and legalese, approaches public meetings to determine action steps with measurable results.
Last week, ideas included police giving their names and badge numbers to people during traffic stops, and law enforcement officers going through training on implicit bias, which refers to the psychology of race-based behavior.
“There are a few things we can get done between now and January if there is political will,” Douglass said. “We didn’t get here overnight. When it gets overwhelming, I go back to my part today. This is what I can do right now.”
Tulsa has been fortunate to have leaders working on relationships across race, religion, gender and class. Credit needs to go to the elected officials who consistently participate in these public meetings including Police Chief Chuck Jordan, District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, Sheriff Vic Regalado and representatives of the DA’s Office and Office of U.S. Attorneys.
Having young people such as Douglass involved and interested in leading these discussions will only make the city stronger.
“Why can’t Tulsa be an example for other cities?” she asks. “Maybe we can do things that have never been done before, and maybe we can set a precedent for others.”
