At the Seams

A movement to defund the police. A counter-movement to recall the city council and mayor. A community terrorized by threats and harassment from both sides, and a setting rife with a history of racial injustice. At the Seams documents what happens when the national becomes local, when politics become identity, and when neighbors become adversaries. Norman, Oklahoma was ripped apart at the seams, and it's up to this community whether to mend it back together.

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Episodes

Ep. 5: Epilogue: Mending the seams

All over the country, movements have sprung up to remove city officials for their views on policing or COVID-19 policies. Oklahoma City Councilor JoBeth Hammon found herself on the receiving end of intimidation and harassment after sharing a Black Lives Matter meme about police. We’ll talk to two experts on community bridge-building, Allan Katz of American Public Square and Malka Kopell of Civity, about how to mend these communities back together. Guests: Dr. George Henderson, JoBeth Hammon, All...

Jan 05, 2021•23 min

Ep. 4: We were neighbors

Female city officials faced gendered harassment and rape threats from people they once considered neighbors, and Unite Norman volunteers also dealt with intimidation. One councilor’s testimony of an encounter with the Norman Police Department led to bodycam footage from the incident being shared by police officers on social media. Norman was coming apart at the seams.

Jan 05, 2021•35 min

Ep. 3: Unite Norman’s rise

After Russ Smith and Sassan Moghadam learned the Norman City Council had reduced funding to the police department’s budget, they formed the grassroots organization Unite Norman. The group decided to recall several members of the city council and the mayor. In this episode, we’ll hear from Unite Norman and city councilors on the group’s impact on the city. Guests: Russ Smith, Sassan Moghadam, Sereta Wilson, Stephen Holman, Norman Collective for Racial Justice, Kate Bierman. Warning: Explicit lang...

Jan 05, 2021•39 min

Ep. 2: From sundown town to new spotlight

To examine the setting in which the movement to defund the police in Norman rose out of, we explore Norman’s history with race relations since the state’s inception. The city is a former sundown town and had prominent ties to the Ku Klux Klan. It now faces a federal lawsuit over the 2018 death of Marconia Kessee, a Black man experiencing homelessness and mental illness. Guests: Dr. George Henderson, Chris Hammons, Alison Petrone. Warning: Explicit language, graphic content

Jan 05, 2021•44 min

Ep. 1: The meeting and the movement

On the heels of a raging pandemic and a national racial justice movement, Norman, Oklahoma, was grappling with the role of community police. After a marathon 11-hour meeting, the Norman City Council voted to reduce a proposed increase to the police department’s budget, setting off a chain of events that would eventually lead to a movement to recall the council and mayor. Guests: Kate Bierman, Stephen Holman, Sereta Wilson, Norman Collective for Racial Justice and Alison Petrone. Warning: Explici...

Jan 05, 2021•36 min

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