Oral History Betty Tubbs

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Transcript:

Beach: I am Sheldon Beach with the Metropolitan Library System. Today is October 22nd, 2019 and I am here today with Betty Tubbs, so we're just going to talk about Betty Tubbs, so first can you spell your name for me?

Tubbs: B E T T Y, last name is Tubbs T U B B S

Beach: Okay and when and where were you born?

Tubbs: I was born May the 17th 1952 in Sunflower, Mississippi.

Beach: What brought you to Oklahoma?

Tubbs: Well, my father and his parents came from Mississippi through Oklahoma. Well we actually went to Tallahassee, Oklahoma by Porter up in—at Wagner County up in that area then we ended up in Tallahassee, Oklahoma and from there we moved to Tulsa like 1957 maybe and from there we roosted up in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Beach: So you didn’t spend much of your life outside of Oklahoma before that right? You were pretty young when you moved here.

Tubbs: I was about 3 years old. I remember us moving from Mississippi my brother was, he was the baby and I remember it was actually like we was escaping and I asked one of my older cousins, I said you know seems like to me even though I was three years old but I kind of remember glimpse and pieces of things and all of my other relatives my father was able to get them out they— most of them went up north and so my grandfather— most of his children came to Oklahoma with him and we had two aunts that went to Texas, so my father was telling me later on that they were scouting out where they wanted to go most of the other relatives went up north, they migrated north and my father—my grandfather had a sister in Tallahassee, Oklahoma so he wanted to follow her and they came to Oklahoma with them; but it seems like when we were moving we had—it was a big truck and I was on the floorboard of this big truck and my brother the young ones right under me he was in he was a baby and it was like we were sneaking out so later on I asked my cousin, I said “seem like we were sneaking out” he said “we really did sneak out because if the white men knew that we were leaving they would have stopped us” so we probably—it was about 2:00 o'clock in the morning when we left out. Interesting isn't it?

Beach: That is interesting, then what made you settle on Oklahoma?

Tubbs: My father said that his father, which is my grandfather, had a sister like I said, and she was wanting him to come to Oklahoma she had been praying for him to move to Oklahoma. She thought it was better in in Tallahassee, Oklahoma it was one of— Tallahassee was one of— I found out later on it was one of the historical black towns and she told me it was better here than it was in Mississippi and so when we moved to Tallahassee we kind of like still did farming, my daddy he had some land which was probably rented out because we did like sharecropping moved up there then next what—what got us stored it there yes.

Beach: And do you remember anything—whether or not it was—was it better?

Tubbs: By me being so young I really don't know because not knowing the history I can only feel I couldn't want only go by the vibes I was getting from my parents and my siblings, you know there were little older than I was,  and at that time I knew things wasn't quite right, but I didn't know exactly what was going on, but they still had a struggle. It was still a struggle for them, my dad being in the sense of humor that he had from Mississippi he had favor with the white man because he was able to be on his property and he sold corn whiskey and that was one of the ways that we kind of made it out of there. When nobody was getting corn whiskey he would say, the white man came by and say “hey you need to shut it down because the police are coming out today” and so they come out and it wasn't nothing— they couldn't find anything they were kind of slick for doing that, that area, so that's—I find that was interesting by him telling me that story, you know, of how they—how he made it out of that and that was during time in Mississippi.

Beach: Did he continue making whiskey when he got to Oklahoma?

Tubbs: No, I don't think he did because I don't think… no I don't think he did because I was getting older and I don't think he even found a niche of doing it that way. They just had to work, work a little harder and plus my mother had gotten sick when we moved Oklahoma, so most of the time buyers coming from Tallahassee—when we moved to Tulsa my mother didn't come . She was already in the hospital here in Clinton, Oklahoma she had tuberculosis and so they had quarantined her and at that time she had my brother and he had tuberculosis and they quarantined him in Oklahoma City, here in Oklahoma City.

Beach: And how long did you live in Tulsa?

Tubbs: We lived—it seemed like from the time I was…  ‘53 actually I think it was like 1957 ‘til 20 years ago. I moved here in 2000.

Beach: And why did you move to Oklahoma City?

Tubbs: My job. My job transferred me here and that's where I started my life down here in Oklahoma City area.

Beach: What was the job?

Tubbs: I was working with Oklahoma Natural Gas and transferred from Tulsa 'cause I was working in Tulsa, to—transferred here to Oklahoma City.

Beach: Did you do that for…?

Tubbs: I did that for fifteen years, yes, and then I retired because my husband had gotten sick and I retired from there and I tried to take care of him, actually, so I took early retirement. Of course, he passed away four years ago November 15th— November 19th I take that back.

Beach: And where did you move in Oklahoma City? What part of town did you…?

Tubbs: Edmond, in Edmond

Beach: Is that where you still—

Tubbs: Mm hmm

Beach: Still live?

Tubbs: Still there, still there

Beach: What do you do in Edmond?

Tubbs: What do I do in Edmond like right now?

Beach: Yeah

Tubbs: I do volunteer work just doing some things for—have you heard of Possibilities?

Beach: I believe so

Tubbs: Okay so I volunteer some work with that organization, and we do things to help the community out.

Beach: Now do you ever spend any time in the part of Oklahoma City where we are right now around Ralph Ellison Library?

Tubbs:  Yes that’s right. Oh ‘round the library where we do northeast as we work like Kelly and 36th St up in that area.

Beach: Can you maybe explain a little bit about what all they do?

Tubbs: Possibilities is a 50[1(c)]3 organization which we actually train people to work with the community work in communities, and different things that they do. The first year I worked with them after my husband passed away, maybe a couple years after that, I started with them with them it was doing training for a widow's group and so from there I decided well I’ll just—it was just like a short time and so after that I said “Well, let me see if I can try.” And I went through a training again and the first thing we was we worked with the senior on Martin Luther King, it’s like a YMCA and we did a wellness program and we had investment, we had “ask a doctor,” we had senior questions such as “when’s the last time you had a date?” and nutrition, health and nutrition, and they enjoyed that, you know, the senior citizen place and the following year, this year, we did storytelling, we asked about four seniors a piece, it was three of us, and we asked them questions about their background and what they did and from there we did a luncheon, and in this luncheon we honored them because most of the time we throw our seniors away, throw them in the trashcan and they really felt special… and this year we’re working—we worked in a community this past Saturday. We did a—in North Highland area— we did a community bus drive and we went into the communities and we had fun in the park and we had a round circle and we asked them different questions, how did they want to do communities, you know, it was pretty interesting.

Beach: How long have you been doing that?

Tubbs: This is my third year—going on my third year. It’s very interesting.

Beach: Why do you feel like that’s important to the community? To do that kind of thing?

Tubbs: Because it’s bringing—okay, let me explain one thing, when I was growing up that was way back in… back a while back. We had a community growing up and in my community we knew our neighbors we had—the children had a place to go. Everybody—you knew everybody, if I got in trouble on my way home from school, by the time I got to my house I got questioned, and sometimes I got a beating. I mean I said a whipping, but we called it beating back then, but those are some of the things that happened, so nowadays children are not connected that way. Some are—for whatever reason it is they don’t know their neighbors, you know, they’re not that friendly towards each other and I’m sure my community is no different from anybody else now, so I purposely, intentively try to get to know neighbors and try to get that back, even though I get pushed back sometimes, but I think that is what’s more important, because we list the area and there’s tons of kids in the area. They’ve closed down one of the schools and made it a different school, but the younger children they have to bus them way out, so I think that’s very important, so one of the things that Possibilities is wanting to do is to—each area North, East, South, and West—is to bring communities together. We did North Highland so the next time whatever community we're going to be going to bust some people for North Highland—take them to the west side and maybe they can see how they’re doing their communities and maybe you know everybody can get on the same page.

Beach: What kind of impact have you seen this have with the people that are doing it?

Tubbs: It was great impact this Saturday because some didn't know like one young lady said “I didn't know that they had closed to school” she homeschooled her children and some knew that they had closed and they was pretty upset about it but they want to know how can they make a difference in their communities, so we were able to you know just talk with him and get the information that they need and then probably go back again we would have some— well we gave the information if they were interested in it, so hopefully that that would create a time and a place for them to come and get together in their communities and also I saw that maybe there's like some slumlords that's in that area, they need to be responsible, you know, who they put in there or even help make that area keep up the upkeep of their property.

Beach: Over the couple of years that you've done it have you seen things change?

Tubbs: For the positive? You get information of how they’re really feeling. One of the things we do is like a talking stick and the ones that has the talking stick is the one that—they might have something on their minds, no one else can say anything about it. They have the stick and they are the one that’s talking. They might just wanna talk about racism or what’s going on politically in the air now, so they—all they do is talk about it and then—they have a voice, in other words. We all have a voice, so we are allowing them to express themselves.

Beach: Do you think that has made people, I don’t know, maybe express themselves more outside of that when you do start to facilitate these conversations?

Tubbs: I believe so, yes. I really do, I really do. I really believe so. Someone is hearing them and maybe it’ll spark another interest of what someone else has to say about what’s going on in their lives, so I think it really has a possible outcome on that, very positive.

Beach: Now I know you say you’ve only been doing this a couple of years, but have you seen those kinds of things happen?

Tubbs: Yes, I have have, I have. It’s very interesting, you know, but only we just did North Highland and the next one, we would do—we’ll see how that comes, because each community is different. It looks different for everybody, every community, so… you know, and when we list the area, there was a lot of concern, some didn’t want to talk about—they talked about it to us, but maybe to someone—they don’t want to voice it outside, but it was very good.

Beach: Do you think that that’s going to change that people will start voicing things outside to maybe change the community? Get, you know, help from people like the city of Oklahoma City or, you know, other people in nearby communities?

Tubbs: I really think it will, because sometimes—okay, if you knew you would do better, so some people don’t actually know—don’t know where to get help from, don’t know how to get help started, so I think it really would be—bring a positive outcome.

Beach: Since you say that, you know, different communities are different, what are some of the ways that you’ve seen that they’re different, that they need different things and what are some of the ways that they’re similar?

Tubbs: There’s a greater need—Okay, say for instance someone makes pretty good, you know, pretty good money. They are not aware of what’s really going on with the lower class of folks. Does that make sense? You know, they are far removed from that, so therefore, that’s how it’s all different. You know, one lady that I know she says “well, do you really think people are living in that much poverty?” and I’m like—I just said “oh yes I do. I know they are” so that let me know that she’s far removed from one of the areas that’s—low income area and she’s not aware of what’s really going on, yes.

Beach: When you bring people into different communities are they often surprised with what they see and how different some people are from one place to another even though they’re not that far apart?

Tubbs: Right, that’s true they are. Shocking, but yes, it is.

Beach: And they’re all, you know, kind of in the same part of Oklahoma City too, right?

Tubbs: Mm hmm—

Beach: It’s not—

Tubbs: Just different areas. Some don’t have a clue and some don’t—that don’t get it, you know? Or maybe perhaps they don’t wanna get it, but that’s true.

Beach: Why do you think it’s important to have people go outside of their own little bubble and see what other people are doing—

Tubbs: that—

Beach: and see how other people live?

Tubbs: Good question, I think that’s very important because if they’re not aware of what’s actually happening, they don’t know so it—that might spark some compassion, you know, or you know, number one is to get them to learn how to trust and treat people with dignity you know that’s really important, so that’s the reason why. Just showing them, this is the way life is. Some unfortunately, you know, that that’s happening to them, especially their—I’ll just say people of color, you know.

Beach: What changes do you see going on right now?

Tubbs: I see, like on the Northeast side, you know the full—like they closed to the store and there’s really no closer store for them to get to, you know some might not drive. You know we have people with disabilities that they, you know, want to have a store in the community they just, you know, roll on up in their wheelchairs, so that is one concern, that’s a big concern. You know that’s just one area, you know, that I can see.

Beach: What would you like to see change?

Tubbs: I would like to see the changes that’s coming that—everybody get on—basically if they’re not on the same page then get close to the same book. Get into the same book and start seeing things—progress—going in the right direction. Not just split apart, not just saying “we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul” or just “money’s leaving” or you know, but I would like to see some things happen that way.

Beach: What would you like to see change just as far as the city itself? You know, just the Northeast side of the city when you drive through. Are there any changes you would like to just be able to look at and see?

Tubbs: Well number one is that most of the changes is already happened. You know, people have lost their homes because of the coming—you know they probably had a plan thirty, forty years ago so it’s already has happened, but for them to just keep those people in their homes and not just because of gentrification or, you know, different things of that nature, it’s to try to keep them where they can afford where they are. One area that’s—mental illness is real. Okay, we know that. People get down on their luck different things that happens—stuff happens in life and we don’t know why, but you know some things like that, just real simple.

Beach: Well on a kind of related note, not just the city physically, but the people. What do you see your organization doing in the future to help the people make changes?

Tubbs: I see that the organization is teaching people, training people how to, you know, act with one another and then respecting one another, those are some of the things that I see our organization is, not only if they’re black, white, red, polka dot, or whatever, but come together and learning from one another. We can learn from each other.

Beach: And what are your plans for the future?

Tubbs: My plans is to try to understand compassion for folks, empathy, you know, just being kind and genuine at the same time. Those are some of the things that I feel is very important.

Beach: one thing I wanted to ask you, because we were talking about it before we started recording, on a personal level I’m kind of wondering if you would mind telling a little bit about the story of how you, I guess, beat diabetes? (chuckles)

Tubbs: (laughs) Oh…

Beach: And does that kind of impact the way you talk to people about health?

Tubbs: Yes, it does. You know, because I was diagnosed with... diabetes runs on both of my parents’ sides of the family and (pauses) I had a stroke I believe it was April, April of 2018 and—when my blood pressure was sky high and I take it from I didn’t take care of myself when I was taking care of my husband and he passed away, but then I still didn’t, but you know by that time it was so high that my doctor recommended me to go to the heart hospital. I thought maybe something was wrong with my heart and it still didn’t come down, so I was... ended up on seven medications trying to get it down and so I ended up having a ministroke and in the hospital the doctor came in— you know, he was trying to get it down—and he asked me all these questions and I was like “oh my God, why is he asking me all these questions?” so he came in three times and then he came back and he said “look, you have a brain” and I was like ‘okay,’ but he said “you can beat that if you do a plant-based diet, no dairy, no meats, no chicken, no this” he said “just fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes” and I said “that’s good, just let me go home and I’ll start” and he says “No we need to find out where it is” and so when he—after three days they finally located what was causing it and it was like a clogged artery and so when I got home—my son was up with me ‘cause he was from Tulsa and his family and I took everything out of my refrigerator, out of the cabinets, and he says “Mom, what are you going to eat?” and I says “I’m going to survive.” And I started it, I started then and so, to make a long story short I had told him last year that I wanted to be in control of my own health, I didn’t want to go to no neurologist. I didn’t want to go to heart doctors, I didn’t want to go to diabetes doctors. Number one it was—money was the factor because I said  “I’m just going to have you my doctor and I’m just going to obey—I’m going to be obedient to myself” and I started praying about it and so I went to the doctor this year. I went and I did my lab work and I went to him and he said—Well, I was coming out with them, some of them medications for the high blood pressure, like I said I started out taking seven and then I ended up taking three now and so then he says, when I did my lab work we go file paperwork and he says “Wow you have— your A1C is 4.9, you’re considered not a diabetic anymore.” And I was like “Thank you Lord” and so then when I had gone in July to—like I was going to a high blood pressure clinic and so I was slowly—when I send my paperwork in, my readings in, and she was like “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if you come off some more of these medicines'' and I was, ‘cause I go and work out, and she said “Seems like—that you are getting too dizzy so cut back on this medicine, take this medicine away.” Eventually now I’m taking three high blood pressure medicine. I’m looking forward to not taking any meds, you know? Just taking care of me, and I think I can do that, so when I see people not trying to—I don’t try to shame anybody, you know I just share my testimony and let them know when they enquire “Well why are you on plant-based?” you know “What do you eat?” you know and things of that nature, then I’ll be able to share with them. So I have a neighbor, he’s a diabetic and we know it, and I like “Well why are you going to eat all this sugar?” you know, but—and I told him so now he’s looking like “okay, what is plant-based? What is it? What do you do? What can you eat? What you can’t eat” you know lots of things like that that I try to just slowly try to encourage them to try to do, to obey, that’s number one, to obey and I, you know, after I had start losing, you know, some of the weight was dropping off and folks was thinking “Are you sick? What’s wrong? What’s wrong with you now” and I had to be like “No, I’m okay, I’m good” and so that’s the way I want my lifestyle, to be where they can see it and not to try to shame anybody into try to doing this and that ‘cause I—when I share with them I—one girl says “Girl, I love meat. I love—I love to eat” and I said “Okay, that’s good, but just be careful because you need to—you know you’re diabetic or you know you need to—or you know you have high blood pressure and you need to—and let’s just take care of our bodies.”

Beach: Are people ever surprised when you tell—when you say that and they ask you “Well what do you eat?”

Tubbs: Yeah they says “Well how do you do that?” and I says “Don’t set yourself up to keel” you know “just take your time and slowly work your way into that ‘cause its not going to come overnight and if you mess up, start over the next day. “ That’s what I tell them.

Beach: I think it’s a really cool, really interesting story.

Tubbs: It really is, you know especial[ly] my son says “You know this is—this is not bad. We need to—we need to change our eating habits.” You know, I said “Well if you don’t, just incorporate a lot of vegetables and fruits. If you want to eat meat, just eat a half of what you’ve been eating and it’s okay.” And I said “It’s okay, you see how you feel after three months, twenty-one days or so and you feel a little different.”

Beach: Well do you have anything else you’d like to add about what you do? What you’ve been up to? What your future looks like?

Tubbs: My future looks bright to me; it looks like I’m going to live forever (laughs). See my great-great grandchildren.

Beach: I hope so.

Tubbs: You know, yes, and I think that’s it.

Beach: Alright, well thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. I really appreciate it.

Tubbs: Sure