Panhandle State students recognize Black History Month

In Celebration of Black History Month, Oklahoma Panhandle State University supports and stands with its Black Scholars of the World organization, whose students asked to share their voice through the statement below:

“Black History Month was designated to commemorate the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Passed by Congress February 26, 1869 and ratified the following February, the Amendment granted Black men the right to vote. Black Americans battled through the Jim Crow law era, violence, and discrimination for nearly a century in effort to exercise that right. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law and throughout history, Black voters have been a catalyst to change, progression, and civil rights liberties afforded to many minority groups and the lgbtq+ community to present date.

Reflecting on the year 2020 and how Black History Month will be approached this year feels differently for many in the community here at OPSU. We have all been through an emotional period together. It has caused us to question if we are truly making changes. Are we helping people to realize the fear, anger, and hurt that has been felt in the Black community for so long? Do they realize the struggle?

We saw protests rise all over the country. Millions came out in support of ending systemic racism and demanding change. But we also saw many incidents across our nation and here in our own local community of those who stood in dark contrast to that progression. At times there were great feelings of a breakthrough, and other times it felt like we took steps backward. The feeling presently is one of worry, but also one of hope, and one of feeling blessed to still be here. To be with one another

and to know that we

have made it another day to see our family is something that we will not take for granted. We continue to push forward

in our mission to achieve goals that some thought we may never achieve. Together we can make a difference,

and for us, it begins right here at Oklahoma Panhandle State University.”

Johnita Funk

Johnita Jane Funk, 76, of Guymon, passed away Monday afternoon, February 8, 2021 at the Heritage Community Manor.

The daughter of George Nelson and Lillian May (Hargrove) Funk, she was born March 2, 1944 in Wichita, Kansas.

Jane attended school in Guymon, graduating with the Class of 1962. During her school years, she was active in competitive speech and drama, garnering numerous awards for both. She was also a dancer and singer, traveling with her sister to entertain at various venues across the Southwest. She also utilized her talents as a singer to participate in radio shows. When time allowed, she helped her parents and grandparents run their theaters in Guymon, the American and Royal Theaters.

She attended West Texas University in Canyon, Texas, where she continued to be active in drama, participating in many productions. She graduated with a teaching degree in English, Speech, and Drama. She taught in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Texas. She retired from teaching and spent her remaining years in Guymon.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Lillian Funk and sister, Bonnie Funk Wortham.

Survivors include a nephew, Fred Wortham of Guymon; niece, Susan David and Thomas Harper of Rochester, Minnesota; great nieces: Rachael and Elizabeth David of Rochester, MN, Sarah Le Voir and husband Alex of Champlin, MN, great-great nephew Jaddian Le Voir of Champlin, MN, and great-great niece Olivia Malik of Rochester.

Memorial services and inurnment will be held at a later date. Services are under the care of the Bunch - Roberts Funeral Home of Guymon.

Friends can sign the online guestbook and leave condolences at www.bunchroberts.com.

With the work beginning at the State Capitol in the Oklahoma Legislature this past week, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) also has hit the ground running.

OICA is tracking roughly 400 bills filed by lawmakers which could have a significant impact on children and families in our state. Generally, we avoid measures related education, instead tracking legislation focused on the health and wellbeing of Oklahoma’s youth. This occasionally overlaps with school policies, such as suspensions, counseling, and nutrition programs.

Between now and the last Friday in May, by which the Legislature must complete its work, we will monitor, make suggestions for modifications, and alert the public about critical issues. We have found contact from Oklahomans often helps make bad bills good and good bills even better.

Follow this column, our website, and social media, to keep up to date about the myriad issues being considered. Each Thursday, we send electronic newsletters to subscribers. We have regular “action alerts” on time-critical legislative activity. Both are free for subscribers at oica.org. By staying informed and acting, Oklahomans make a difference as we work to improve the quality of life for our state’s youngest residents.

Part of our advocacy includes projects encouraging young Oklahoma to get involved in advocacy. Last year, we held several competitions allowing young advocates the opportunity to showcase their talent and help make a difference in the state.

We were pleased to partner with the Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) for our calendar art competition. Young artists were called to submit work for inclusion in our 2021 daily desktop calendar. The submissions were impressive and the judges from our board and OSMA doctors had a difficult time choosing a winner.

The theme was “Oklahoma Children’s Healthy Future”, and the winner was Susan Elmore, a 12-year-old artist from Oklahoma City. Her art graces the front of the desk calendar for people to see every day. Susan also won $100 and a calendar from OICA. Many thanks to all those who entered. You can see their works on the daily pages of the calendar posted to OICA’s Facebook and Twitter each morning at 8 a.m. If you would like a calendar of your own, you can email cfaulkner@oica. org for details.

The next initiative was our Census Community Challenge. OICA created this competition to help improve the Census count in towns across the state by holding a rivalry contest. We reached out to municipal and school leaders, encouraging them to get members of their local area involved boost U.S. Census response. Each person counted in a Census response brings back to our state about $1,700 per year in our tax dollars we send to Washington, D.C.

Wann, Oklahoma, located in Nowata County, won the effort, increasing their Census self-response rate from 3.4% on May 17 to 50.8% on Oct 28, when the Census ended. Their 47.4-point improvement was greater than any other community in Oklahoma. They were closely followed by Paoli, Drummond, Sterling, and Medicine Park in the top five. With the win, OICA will donate $250 to the Oklahoma Union Public Schools in South Coffeyville where Wann residents attend for their outstanding support of the U.S. Census.

Please watch this column, our website at oica.org, and our social media channels for upcoming competitions for Oklahoma’s youth!

About OICA: The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy was established in 1983 by a group of citizens seeking to create a strong advocacy network that would provide a voice for the needs of children and youth in Oklahoma, particularly those in the state’s care and those growing up amid poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, disparities, or other situations that put their lives and future at risk. Our mission statement: “Creating awareness, taking action and changing policy to improve the health, safety, and well-being of Oklahoma’s children.”