Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a city rife with histories of Black success, but also anti-Black racism and violence. From the success of “Black Wall Street” in the early 20th century, to the subsequent destruction of that neighborhood by white supremacists in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, to present-day racial inequities in the criminal legal system, community organizations in Tulsa are reckoning with these histories and how to disrupt cycles of violence and the disenfranchisement of the Black community.
One such organization is the Terence Crutcher Foundation, which participated in the Catalyst Grant Program. The group was founded by Tiffany Crutcher after her twin brother Terence was shot and killed in 2016 by a police officer in Tulsa, an event that has compelled the foundation to focus on the criminal legal system and creating “just and liberated communities free from racial violence and harm.” The Crutchers—like many Black Oklahomans—are descendants of the prosperous Black Wall Street community.
Documenting Inequities in the Criminal Legal System
In 2021, the Terence Crutcher Foundation released Our Generational Vision for Justice and Liberation, a report outlining the foundation’s initial strategies for achieving justice and economic mobility for Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color in Tulsa. The report contains an analysis of Tulsa’s racial inequalities in justice and economic mobility, drawing from interviews and focus groups with community organizers and consultation with policymakers and impacted community members. Along with its report, the Terence Crutcher Foundation promoted two data-driven reports on racial disparities in policing, poverty, public safety, and the criminal legal system in Tulsa: "Get on the Ground!": Policing, Poverty, and Racial Inequality in Tulsa, Oklahoma, released by Human Rights Watch in 2019, and "We Are Not Lesser": An Urgent Call to End Over-Policing of Black Communities and Transform Public Safety in Tulsa, released by the NCAAP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in 2021.
Bringing Data to the People
The Terence Crutcher Foundation recognized that moving its recommendations forward required moving beyond just releasing reports to engaging and educating the community, policymakers, and law enforcement. With this in mind, the foundation used Catalyst grant funding to develop and implement a multipronged dissemination strategy to share report findings and recommendations with communities in Tulsa.
In partnership with the Black Wall Street Times, the foundation shared data and analysis from reports on the realities of racial disparities in the city and the ways community members can work together to reduce inequalities. In September 2022, the foundation first hosted its virtual town hall, "Our Generational Vision for Justice & Liberation", to give community members the opportunity to interact with the report’s authors (including Crutcher) in a panel discussion.
In January 2023, the foundation held a community walk to disseminate findings from We Are Not Lesser. Volunteers from the foundation went door to door with tablets to share infographics and abridged versions of the report to engage community members in discussion. Between the volunteers and the community members they engaged, 184 people participated in conversations about the report’s key data findings and recommendations. Community walks are integral to the Terence Crutcher Foundation’s broader strategy of advocating for policy reform in Tulsa, which also involves email outreach to inspire community members to become more civically engaged.
With Catalyst grant funding, the Terence Crutcher Foundation amplified reports and data to ensure findings reached affected community members. Through the town hall and community walk, the foundation not only shared data and information with community members, but worked to understand their key concerns so it could use them to guide its work. In addition, the Black Wall Street Times continues to be a strong dissemination partner for the foundation. The two organizations hope to continue the momentum created through the Catalyst grant activities to develop and screen a short film highlighting the analysis from the foundation’s 2021 report of racial inequities in the criminal legal system and economic mobility in Tulsa.
The Catalyst Grant Program is a collaboration between the Urban Institute and the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative to help nonprofit organizations use data and technology to advance racial equity and reform in the criminal legal system. Visit the Catalyst Grant Program Insights page for more resources and stories about the grantees.