GTAC Meeting: Committee Reports, Guest Speaker, and Public Comment — Oct. 14, 2026

The Greater Tulsa African American Commission (GTAC) met on 2026-10-14 to receive committee reports, hear from a guest speaker from the Mayor's Office, and take public comment. A newly appointed commissioner introduced herself, and the commission approved the prior meeting minutes by voice vote.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes from the prior meeting were approved by voice vote after a motion and second.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Oscar Gian of East Side Rise described the nonprofit's free citizenship application assistance. He reported that Tulsa city residents receive the $710 application fee fully reimbursed, and that the organization has reimbursed over $150,000 to families since he began working there. He noted that over 90% of applicants served self-identify as Hispanic and asked the commission to help spread the word to other communities. Contact: EastSideRise.org/naturalization.
• Another speaker publicized the Tulsa Empowerment Network community meeting on the coming Saturday at 36th Street North Event Center, beginning at 9 a.m.

Discussion Items

• New commissioner introduction: Fifi Martin introduced herself as a transplant from Chicago via the Tulsa Remote Program, a procurement professional, 3D printer, and gamer.
• Strategic Focus Committee: Chair Humphrey reported that the subcommittee is developing a survey/census of African American conditions in Tulsa, focused on economic mobility and conditions that positively or negatively affect African Americans across education, culture, and policy. The plan uses existing secondary research, quality indicators, and Impact Tulsa data to avoid duplicating efforts. Commissioner Margaret Love stressed not reinventing the wheel and involving community residents in deciding what is measured; subcommittee members agreed the tool would be disseminated to the community for input. The framework will go to committee chairs next, then to the full commission for a vote, with approval targeted for Q2 of next year (2027).
• Policy Committee: Commissioner Dennis reported concerns about a proposed early voting location change from North Tulsa to East Tulsa and its effect on voter access. The location has since been moved back to North Tulsa. Commissioner Love said she wrote to the state, visited the election office, and that about 100 people submitted input; she opposed requiring North Tulsa residents, especially older voters without transportation, to travel farther. A commissioner named proposed alternate sites including Chandler Park and Tulsa Tech Broken Arrow and called that arrangement unacceptable. The committee is discussing additional polling and early voting locations and possible coordination with the Tulsa election board.
• Community Engagement & Culture Committee: The committee is revamping the 'Green Book Guide to Tulsa' website using the Black Fox Tulsa site as a base, continuing newsletter distribution, and beginning to place newsletters at physical locations across the city. Future work may connect Black-owned businesses and help coordinate event scheduling.
• Education Committee: The committee is preparing for the Dr. LeBurn Wimberly Educator Excellence Awards on October 27 at 6 p.m. Winners have been selected and will be contacted by the end of the week; their names were not disclosed publicly at the meeting. The caterer has been paid, and refreshments, certificates, cash awards, gift cards, a trophy, and a plaque are planned. Financial donations are still being accepted.
• Human Rights Commission report: The HRC is revamping its complaint and compliance process so complaints, including ADA and housing complaints, can be filed online; access is currently difficult. Compliance Officer LaKendra Carter is working with the city IT department. Community testing will occur before launch, and commissions will be asked to help publicize the new system.

Guest Speaker: Brentum Todd, Deputy Chief of Staff

• Todd thanked commissioners and noted that several GTAC seats are open: currently three organization seats and one at-large seat are vacant. An incoming commissioner was meeting with city council the next day, and Todd encouraged people to serve through committees even if not appointed to a seat.
• He listed Mayor Nichols' continuing priorities: putting 15,000 kids on a pathway to economic mobility, ending homelessness by 2030 by making it rare, brief, and non-recurring, increasing affordable housing stock, repairing relationships with the tribes, and making Tulsa more business- and economically friendly.
• On the Greenwood Trust, Todd said it is a private charitable trust designed to raise $105 million. It was announced in June 2025, its executive director was selected in October 2025, and it was fully established in June 2026 with a national governing board and national advisory board. President and CEO Elena Beverly brings national experience, and Todd said announcements are expected soon.
• On homelessness, Todd said the low-barrier shelter will open soon, and the annual point-in-time count's growth rate has decreased each year, with an actual decrease this year in the number of people experiencing homelessness.
• On the 1921 Graves Investigation, Todd said the current field season is continuing at Oaklawn, with updates and volunteer opportunities available through the 1921 Graves Investigation Facebook page.

Announcements

• Commissioners Margaret Love and Maybelle Wallace were honored by Black Wall Street Tours; they received flowers, a $50 QuikTrip gas card, and a crystal award.
• Love announced that she recently spent two days in Oklahoma City working on elderly population issues and plans to bring state legislative proposals on housing, food, and health care needs to the legislature.
• The Greenwood Legacy Corporation has established a Council of Elders, with an induction ceremony on Saturday, October 24; Commissioner Patricia Carter Bickner is one of the elders.
• The Rudy Center Regional Library on Historic Greenwood is open again: Monday–Thursday 9–9, Friday 9–6, Saturday 9–5, Sunday 1–5.
• A reminder was given about the voluntary fixed natural gas price program through Oklahoma Natural Gas with an October 15 deadline.
• Voters were reminded to vote November 3.
• A commissioner asked attendees to vote in a national Ace Hardware contest with a $25,000 prize and a national commercial; voting runs daily until November 19.

Key Outcomes

• The previous meeting minutes were approved by voice vote.
• The strategic focus plan is to go to committee chairs next, then to the full commission, with approval targeted for Q2 2027.
• The education committee will contact educator award winners by the end of the week and host the awards ceremony on October 27.
• The Human Rights Commission complaint process will move online, with community testing before launch.
• The commission heard plans for continued election access work, Greenwood Trust announcements, and public safety community conversations; dates for the community conversations were included in the October newsletter.
• The meeting was adjourned by motion and voice vote.