The Center for Equity & Empowerment
According to the Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma,
“Hope is the belief that the future will be better and you have the power to make it so. Hope is based on three main ideas: desirable goals, pathways to goal attainment, and agency (willpower) to pursue those pathways.” But how can one have hope when you do not have power? Or when you and your ancestors have been continuously beaten down by those with the goal of stealing your dreams and willpower?
No Justice, No Peace Everything about our world today is shaped by long legacies of bigotry and abused power, both relentless and ferocious forces. Genocide, assimilation, slavery, and other tactics have not only had lasting effects like generational poverty and trauma but have also evolved into more subtle tools of oppression. In the last century, these have included medical abuse and negligence, redlining, police brutality, workplace discrimination, anti-immigration laws, neighborhood disinvestment, and disappearing social services. In many ways, the situation has improved because members of minority groups have worked hard to make change and make their voices heard; however, most progress is concentrated in urban areas, where populations are more diverse and connected to resources. Coincidingly, rural areas are far behind in social advancement for several reasons: lower concentrations of minority populations, lack of general resources, lower education rates, stronger disconnect with the larger world, less exposure to diverse lifestyles, and stronger ties to traditional (bigoted) power dynamics. Marginalized peoples often have access to less services and fewer opportunities because of current and historical discrimination in city management; this is multiplied in places with higher rates of white homogeneity and power, like rural Oklahoma. As a result, many people have extremely low quality of life because services and opportunity are not made for them, robbing them of the chance to have better health, education, income, social lives, and power. This is what the Center for Equity & Empowerment would seek to remedy.
The Center for Equity & Empowerment
Front view sketch
Purpose The purpose of the Center for Equity & Empowerment is to provide resources, services, and recreation for marginalized peoples in a way that empowers and celebrates diversity. The Center is open to all, but its main directive is to serve those who have been underserved and abused by society for any reason – racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, classism, etc. The Center seeks to provide these people with the equity they deserve as well as opportunities to gain power by offering social services, educational courses, and recreation.
Side view sketch
Aerial view sketch
Aerial view sketch
Services & Resources offered at the Center for Equity & Empowerment Courses that will be offered by the Center will include: • Language learning and culture courses • English and Spanish will be offered because of the high Latinx population in Oklahoma. This will help immigrants in navigating their current home and enable non-Spanish speakers to interact with Latinx immigrants more easily. • If possible, other language courses will be offered, especially Indigenous languages because they are going to sleep. If the Center cannot afford an instructor for other languages or if there is not enough demand to warrant the course, the Center will help connect students and tutors and provide study space. • Sex and health education that is inclusive to the LGBTQ+ community and POC and incorporates family planning and pediatric healthcare • Self-care seminars • Cooking classes that incorporate recipes from different cultures • POC- and woman-centered history classes • Civic and leadership classes • Finance classes • Indigenous and sustainability science classes • Arts and crafts courses, including methods from various cultures • Self-defense classes • General tutoring • Other classes that the community shows interest in
Recreational opportunities include: • A community garden where members can grow food or other plants • A playground with ADA accessible equipment • A field and gymnasium available for different sports, including soccer, stickball, basketball, etc. • Space available for arts and crafts • Space for socials and other meetings
Social services offered at the Center include: • Networking between members across Oklahoma • Helping members organize events (rallies, marches, social gatherings, etc.) • Shelter and showers for unhoused people at night • Guiding members to resources outside of the Center (food banks, HUD aid, healthcare, etc.) • Temporary medical events (hosting mobile clinics, breast exams, blood drives, etc.) • Daycare and youth programs
Location Suitability & Building Details Weatherford is an ideal location for the Center for several reasons. First, it is in the center of western Oklahoma – a predominantly rural portion of the state – by both north/south and east/west directions. This equalizes the distance to the Center for people across western Oklahoma, adding a component of regional accessibility. Likewise, Weatherford is a Rt. 66 town, so it is easily accessible to those who live near I-40. Secondly, Weatherford is one of the larger towns in western Oklahoma, which means there will be higher concentrations of the populations the Center is made to serve as well as better infrastructure and access to resources, like food banks, libraries, grocery stores, and museums. On that note, Weatherford is also home to Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), which has its own programs to attract a diverse student body and workforce, including people who would benefit from the Center. The Center will be partnering with SWOSU to make sure students, faculty, and staff are aware of the Center and feel welcome to use it; SWOSU will also be contributing aid toward the project. Partnering with SWOSU will not only bolster the Center’s resources and connections but also support SWOSU’s commitment to diversity. Knowing that they will have resources and community at the Center will encourage people to come to SWOSU and Weatherford, and, ultimately, they will be more likely to stay in Weatherford after graduation.
The building site is located in northwest Weatherford, close to the SWOSU campus, low-income residential neighborhoods, and two of Weatherford’s public schools. The building will include offices, conference rooms, classrooms, a kitchen suitable for learning, bathrooms with showers, lockers, and an indoor gymnasium with basketball courts. The entire building will be ADA accessible. Outdoors there will be a playground with ADA-accessible equipment, a community garden, and a field with equipment for various games, including stickball, soccer, and baseball. Sustainable building and landscaping will be utilized to reduce long-term costs, lower impact on the surrounding areas, and contribute to sustainability efforts. In the building, this will include sustainable construction methods, renewable energy power, a green roof, and a berm around the building. Outside, we will utilize native plants, trees, and conservation-centered irrigation technology.
Funding Funds for this project are sourced from donors and grants; the Center will host fundraising continuously through the year in addition to yearly fundraising events. Those who donate to this project now will be rewarded according to the size of their contribution. For example, those who donate at least $10, will get to decorate a tile that will be part of an art installation at the Center. The largest contributions will have official dedications throughout the Center. Your contribution of $100,000 would likely go toward the ADA-accessible playground, which would be used in our daycare and youth programs throughout the year. In which case, the playground would be dedicated to and named by you.
Questions or Comments? If you think of something later, you can contact our office at givemefunds@gmoney.com or (580)123-4567. If you would like to contact our board members individually, our contacts are listed below. Emily Fitzsimmons etcfitzsimmons4@ou.edu
Paris pinktoebeans12@ou.edu
Hypatia makingbiscuits4@ou.edu