OSU-Tulsa and TulsaKids "Dismantling Racism" series among 2021 Great Plains Journalism Awards finalists

Each Dismantling Racism session is cataloged in this playlist on the TulsaKids YouTube page.

Oklahoma State University-Tulsa and TulsaKids Magazine's "Dismantling Racism" interactive Facebook Live series has been named a 2021 Great Plains Journalism Award finalists by the Tulsa Press Club Foundation. Find a complete list of finalists at greatplainsawards.org.

For the 12th-consecutive year, the regional contest is honoring print, online, TV and magazine journalists for outstanding stories, photography and design. The eight-state competition includes Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The monthly "Dismantling Racism" series began in August 2020 as a resource for parents to learn about and engage with topics of race and equity. The series is moderated by Quraysh Ali Lansana, acting director of the Center for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation at OSU-Tulsa. Each session focuses on a specific theme, such as "Diversity and the Election" or "How Poetry Lifts Marginalized Voices" and features a panel of related experts. Viewers of the hour-long live conversations can submit questions to the panel at anytime by posting a comment on the live stream. 

This year also marks a first for Tulsa Press Club as it celebrates its inaugural class of inductees to the Great Plains Journalism Hall of Fame. Those being recognized include Brenda Blagg of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Susan Ellerbach of Tulsa World, Kelly Dyer Fry of The Oklahoman, Mike Kelly of Omaha World-Herald and Jim Langdon of TulsaPeople Magazine.

Professional and student category winners will be announced May 7 during the virtual award ceremony. The 2021 Great Plains Journalism Awards will stream live and feature Tulsa native Roy S. Johnson as the 2021 Distinguished Lecturer during the live broadcast on Tulsa Press Club’s Facebook page.

Supported by community partners, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma and Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the popular event attracts entries from the region’s most well-respected media organizations and has a distinguished panel of judges, many of whom are Pulitzer Prize winners.

The Great Plains Journalism Awards promote the highest standards of journalism. The awards are presented by the Tulsa Press Club and Benevolent Association.

For information about the awards and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Tulsa Press Club Executive Director, Becki Watson at becki@tulsapressclub.org or 918.583.7737. Those interested in viewing the Dismantling Racism series can watch past episodes on YouTube or participate live on the third Wednesday of every month at noon on OSU-Tulsa's Facebook page.