Tulsa

Several Tulsa-area schools will come together on the OSU-Tulsa campus on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. to put on song, dance and spoken word performances in honor of Black History Month during the second annual OSU-Tulsa Community Youth Explosion event.

 

The free event, held in the OSU-Tulsa auditorium, is open to the public and will feature a food truck, local vendors to shop from and more.

 

“We want everyone to feel welcome at this joyful celebration of Black history,” said Nekki Reagan-Neeley, assistant vice president of community engagement and student services at OSU-Tulsa. “At this event, we aim to not only entertain, but also to educate and empower individuals from all backgrounds in our community as we recognize the importance of honoring the past while actively shaping a more equitable future.”

 

Student performances will come from local schools including McLain, Booker T. Washington and KIPP Tulsa high schools, Carver Middle School and Walt Whitman, Emerson and Anderson elementary schools.

 

Traci Manuel, who was named 2023 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, will attend the event as a special guest. Manuel is an English teacher at Booker T. Washington High School who has been teaching in Tulsa Public Schools since 2005.

 

For questions about this event, contact OSU-Tulsa community engagement coordinator Alnetta Morris at alnetta@okstate.edu.