Tulsa Women’s Commission hears final inquiry presentation urging focus on safety, pick-one strategy

Dr. Meg Myers Morgan, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, told the Tulsa Women’s Commission on Nov. 10 that “women’s empowerment cannot exist if we first don't eliminate racism,” and framed empowerment around safety, health, education, work and public representation.

Morgan's presentation, the final installment of a year-long inquiry, emphasized that baseline personal safety — in housing, in public and at work — is a prerequisite for other forms of empowerment. She cited national research and disparities discussed earlier in the inquiry: “36 percent of women in the U.S. have experienced intimate partner violence,” and “black women are significantly more likely to die in childbirth than…