Panelists | Past, Present, Future
Moderator: Steven Collins, J.D. Lead Professor of Political Science
Autumn Brown
Autumn Brown is a doctoral candidate at Oklahoma State University in the university’s Social Foundations of Education Department. She is a graduate research assistant (GRA) with the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program (OOHRP) in the OSU Library. She is also managing editor for The Black Wall Street Times, a black owned digital news-media company.
Autumn has served as a presenter at numerous national and international educational conferences such as the American Educational Studies Association (AESA) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA).
Autumn earned her Master’s of Education from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma and her Bachelor’s of Science degree from St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Her dissertation is an educational biography of Clara Luper, Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, and Nancy Randolph Davis--educational pioneers during the period of segregated schools in Oklahoma.
Tamra Banks Johnston
Tamra Banks Johnston is an Assistant Professor of History at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City. She joined the Department of Humanities at OSU-OKC as Lead History Instructor in 2018. After graduating from Oklahoma State University with her B.A. in History, Tamra served as an AmeriCorps member in Georgia, New York, and Louisiana, taught high school in New York City, and worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for several years. Wanting to return to academia and focus on her love of history, she enrolled in graduate school and earned her M.A. in History from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Tamra’s primary academic focuses include studying the intersectionality of American popular and political cultures, emphasizing the social movements of the 1960s & 1970s, and examining how African-American women were portrayed historically in American popular culture and mainstream media. She is fascinated by all things popular culture and is considered an unofficial Golden Girls expert
Joyce Henderson
Joyce A. Henderson is a 1964 graduate of Dunjee High School. She received her B.S. Degree from Langston University, M.Ed. Degree from the University of Central Oklahoma, and Secondary School Administration Certification from the University of Oklahoma.
In 1963, while in high school, and a member of the NAACP Youth Council, Joyce Henderson went to Washington, D.C., with her teacher the late Clara Luper and others to hear Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., deliver his “I Have A Dream” speech as part of the Civil Rights March. Clara Luper became her teacher, mentor, and personal guidance counselor.
On January 20, 2009 and January 20, 2013, she traveled to Washington, DC to see the Inaugurations of our President Barack Obama which were priceless experiences! Her experiences as a sit-in participant prepared her for life.
Of her thirty-seven years in education, Mrs. Henderson spent twenty years of those years as principal at five different area high schools in the Oklahoma City Public Schools (Emerson High School, original Classen High School, Northeast High School, Star Spencer High School, and returned to open one of the district’s first magnet schools, Classen School of Advanced Studies).
The Classen School of Advanced Studies is now listed as one of the nation’s top schools. Her last 10 years in the school district, she served on the Superintendent’s Cabinet as the Executive Director of School and Community Services.
She was honored for her outstanding education career by being named to the Wall of Fame by The Foundation of Oklahoma City Public Schools; Educator of the Year by The Women of Color Expo; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Black History Award; and, St. John CME Church’s Black History Outstanding Black Woman award.
She has served on several community boards and received numerous awards and honors, including the National Award from John F. Kennedy for the Performing Arts Administrator Award. Minister of Music Emeritus after 30 years as pianist of St. John CME Church, currently the pianist for the church’s Missionary Choir.
Marcus Garvey Charter School named their tutorial program in her honor. She was appointed by Gov. Brad Henry to serve on the Health Disparities Task Force and she has been appointed to other positions by former Governors. She has served on many Boards which included Youth Services of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, Oklahoma City Leadership Alumni Association, and Oklahoma African American Education Hall of Fame.
In Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., locally she has served as Basileus, Grammateus, Anti-Grammateus, and chairman of different chapter committees; Regionally, she is the recipient of the Mizura C. Allen Senior Soror Award, she serves as the “Master” Golden Stepper Leader. Nationally, she served on the International Program Committee, International Protocol Committee, International Connection Committee. She is now a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and is a Golden Soror (50 year member). She attended many Regional Conferences and Boule Conventions.
She is also a 30 year member of National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., Gamma Epsilon Chapter, a professional organization for educators.
She is a member of the NAACP, life member of the following… Langston University Alumni Association, University of Central Oklahoma Alumni Association, and 50 year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Joyce has been a part of Respect Diversity Foundation as one of their speakers for over 5 years. She is one of many interviews featured in 2015 Children of the Civil Rights Documentary film produced by Julia Clifford.
She came out of retirement to help and assist Douglass High School while they were going thru a transition from October 2012 to January 2013. She went back into retirement after she left the school in good hands.
Joyce is the oldest child of Eddie Lee & Fannie Johnson of Spencer, OK. She was reared in Spencer with her 3 sisters, Etta, Barbara and LaVerne. She and her husband of 48 years, Wm. Gerald Henderson, are the proud parents of two college graduate sons: Kevin and Kelly, a daughter-in-law – Tasha, and 5 grandchildren – Corie, Taletha, Maddisen, Kalehia, and Peerliss.
Jason Hackett
Jason Hackett anchors KOCO 5 News Weekday mornings with co-anchor Shelby Cashman. Before joining KOCO 5 News, Jason worked as a reporter at WPTV, the NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida. While there, he covered some of the biggest stories in the country, including the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, the massacre at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, FL, and President Donald Trump’s visits to his Florida Resort, Mar-a-Lago. Jason graduated from the University of Florida with a major in telecommunications.
Nehemiah D. Frank
Nehemiah D. Frank is the founder & editor-in-chief of The Black Wall Street Times and is a descendant of the historic Greenwood Community, dubbed the Black Wall Street. Frank's work appears in TIME Magazine, Education Post and Tulsa People and various other publications. He attended Harold Washington College and Oklahoma State University, earning a degree in political science. Frank is a formal teacher and assistant principal and cares about equity and diversity in education. He gave a TED Talk about education in 2018. He is a founding delegate for the National Parents Union and serves on various boards, community and national projects.