Oklahoma Voices: Calvin Davis

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Transcript:

Speaker Calvin Davis

Interviewer: Good afternoon. How are you doing Mr. Davis?

Davis: I’m fine.

Interviewer: We are happy you are participating in the centennial project that we have called Oklahoma Voices. We have interviewed two members of your family and we’re honored since you live out of state that you would make this appointment with us. We would like for you to relax and enjoy this interview and just present yourself in your own personal style. Please tell me your name.

Davis: Okay. It’s Calvin Orlando Davis

Interviewer: And your birthday?

Davis: October 5th 1958

Interviewer: And where we are?

Davis: Where are we now? We’re at the Metropolitan Downtown Library and today by the way is my birthday.

Interviewer: Right I was gonna ask you. Since today is your birthday we’d like to tell you happy birthday.

Davis: Thank you

Interviewer: Where were you born?

Davis: Here in Oklahoma City at Saint Anthony’s Hospital right down the street.

Interviewer: And where did you grow up?

Davis: In Spencer, Oklahoma in Oklahoma City

Interviewer: What was it like?

Davis:It was a wonderful time. By the way I’m a Star Spencer Bobcat we were the first state champions 1976 by the way just wanted to point that out I was on that team.

Interviewer: You were on that team? Okay now was that basketball.

Davis: Basketball

Interviewer: Okay so you got that in early. So when did you start playing basketball?

Davis: In the backyard I was, as long as I can remember. Organized though, I didn’t really start playing organized ball until really it was the ninth grade till high school.

Interviewer: Okay. But you grew up with it in your backyard.

Davis: Oh yes.

Interviewer: Okay. So how far did you go with your basketball?

Davis: Well I actually played I was a letterman at Langston for two years before I tore the cartilage in my knee, so college, 2 years. NAIA

Interviewer: Okay. Who were you’re parents?

Davis: My mother’s still living- Nancy Randolph Davis who why I’m sure the reason why I’m here I'm sure and my father is Fred C. Davis he passed away in 1996.

Interviewer: What were they like?

Davis: Well I’ll just say it for this point to move ahead, first they were wonderful. Had a wonderful mother and father who gave us plenty of love, education. Both were educators. My mother being famous for being the first African American admitted to Oklahoma State University in 1949 and she had a great support system with my father and both were civil rights leaders.

Interviewer: Did you have brothers and sisters?

Davis: Yes. I have a sister who I grew up with- Nancy Lynn Davis who you’ve interviewed, and I have actually two sisters who are deceased. I have one other sister, half sister, Freddy Davis.

Interviewer: Okay. Where did you go to school in elementary school?

Davis: I started in parker elementary which is part of the Dungee system, a Choctaw school system and I went to Green Pasture Elementary School in 5th grade and Roger Middle School from 6th to 8th grade. By the way Roger Middle School, they told us it was the first in the country, I believe it was the first in the state middle school, back in 1969, I believe. Then I went to high school again at Star Spencer.

Interviewer: Okay. You want to take us through the rest of your educational career?

Davis: Sure. After leaving high school, graduating with very high honors, I must say I went onto Langston University. Very good experience. I didn’t want to go at first because I had scholarships elsewhere. But my mother who was a bigtime in the alumni of Langston and so was my father said you will go to Langston University and I did. It was a great experience. Majored in accounting. I knew in the 4th grade that I wanted to be a lawyer. By the way I am a lawyer. In the 4th grade I knew that working in the NAACP, I’ll say it slowly so can understand me, Because those were the people that made big differences at that time and we can elaborate on that in a minute but the point is that I majored in accounting and pre-law. Had institutional people I want to mention right now Ada Lois Sipuel, which I understand you also know, my interviewer here. She was a great influence in terms of constitutional law, solidified my feeling that I was definitely going to law school. And also the lady who taught me business law, which I realized early on that I needed to not just be the basic lawyer who maybe does criminal or probably constitutional law but also do business law. And that was Ms. Almeda Parker who taught me business law. So I finished in 1980, December of ‘80, I finished with both my studies in March of ‘81. And from there well, I don’t know if you want to keep going or not, but I will continue.

Interviewer: Yeah please do.

Davis: I got my B.S and B.A, worked for the Hertz Corporations. The Internal Revenue Service actually was chagrin because I worked for them in the summer as a co-op student and decided I didn’t want to do the IRS work. I decided I’d go to the Hertz Corporation, worked for the vice president of management and systems services. My father kept saying there are people who’ve worked for thirty years and

haven’t gotten where you are. You don’t need to go to law school and I said don’t care I’m going to law school anyway it’s my dream. And after two years and moving up in the organization, I left it. No one believed that I was going to leave that, went on to Howard University School of Law in Washington D.C. Got my juris doctor degree in 1985 and from there worked for was hired from law school, basically worked right after law school with Arthur Anderson company and their tax department, tax law department. And was recruited by KPMG Pete Mark in Los Angeles where I moved and worked there for several years.

Interviewer: And then how did you get from Los Angeles to Texas?

Davis: Well, after leaving KPMG, deciding that my roots were in community service and having the accounting background I found myself working with a lot of small businesses. I did a private practice for a short while. I was a consultant and I met the head of the small business administration and the general council asked me if I would be interested in working for them and I applied and I got in and I realized I could help fledgling businesses develop with legal in both accounting and business type backgrounds and I found a lot of enjoyment from that and I still did. But the point is that my father passed away in 1996 and I decided I needed to come to Oklahoma and I started looking for opportunities here and they asked me if I could take over the Lubbobk Legal office in Texas and I kind of laughed at them. I said a Lubbock? But somehow they convinced me and I’ve been there for ten years now and they keep giving me more responsibility and no more money. In fact I was head of the office and doing the legal work and now I’m in charge of El Paso but a pat on the back is all I've got.

Interviewer: Well you can count on that accounting degree and law degree. So you talked about your tie into civil service, sounds like your right in the middle of that. I would like to make sure before we go any further, that we don’t miss the chain of events with your family. You said that your father died in ‘96.

Davis: Yes.

Interviewer: And that had something to do with you trying to get back in this part of the country.

Davis: Correct.

Interviewer: Okay now did you know, do you remember both of your grandparents and your great grandparents and if so would you like to tell us their names before we go any further?

Davis: Okay I’ll go the grandparents which I certainly knew both and from my mother’s side for sure. Ed and Napoleon Randolph they were very essential. My grandmother and grandfather both migrated to Texas actually that’s where they were born. My great grandparents Henry and Lou Randolph, I understand, Henry was born into slavery in Virginia, bought in slavery to Texas. I’m not sure if he’s bor in Texas or not, in Marlin Texas. The Hilliard Family they more of the Houston area, around there, and came to Marlin and that’s how they met then in early 1900s migrated to Oklahoma. My father’s side, unfortunately, doesn’t go back very far back past my grandmother, who I knew very well and her husband who was my step-grandfather I did not know my actual grandfather. But she was born in Alabama to my name sake Calvin Mora actually from the islands I believe it was the Barbados or so I’m not sure exactly which one but it was the Caribbean to Alabama then my grandmother moved as a child to Oklahoma her mother died when she was a child and through a chain of events my father’s father passed away early on so I never got a chance, when he was a kid a baby he never really got to know him. So I didn't know my grandfather, my actual biological grandfather.

Interviewer: Do you have any special memories that you would like to share in your interview concerning your grandparents or your parents?

Davis: Well I think everybody probably has special memories about grandparents. My grandmother on my father’s side was the sweetest most wonderful lady I have ever known. Great attitude. She always taught me no matter what you can always laugh and be happy with an attitude so that was very important early on. With my parents, you have to understand they were very civil-minded so I always knew my mother was the first African American going to Oklahoma State but that was no big deal at that time. But what she always taught me is that you always stand up for yourself. Every single thing that you respect people stand up for yourself. My father taught me a lot about you know show love as Jesus Christ did, love- the greatest commandment: love God and Love others as yourself. So those two things, any specific things, there’s a bunch. But I do want to point out, on significant things on historical things I remember. One of my earliest memories- my sister at age 7 or 8 and I was about 3, I had to be about three or four, attended the march on Washington in 1963. And I remember on TV and the mass of people, my mother said my baby’s out there in the march on Washington. And I remember that it was only a year after that that there was a park in Lawton, Oklahoma called Dodo Park. And Clara Luper, the head of the NAACP, I call her aunt Clara, that’s how close I am to her, had me at age 5 leading the march for probably a quarter of a mile because I got tired and got into the car after that as people walked from Oklahoma City to Lawton to desegregate that park. Years before, before I was born in fact, I think they, while I was a baby desegregated Spring Lake Park, which no longer exists. So I remember these things, I remember so clearly, and I think they certainly formed a lot of my enthusiasm and zeal for public and civil service, civic services rather.

Interviewer: That excellent. We interviewed Bruce Fisher and he participated in the integration of Spring Lake Street and Spring Lake Park so you are helping us to piece that history together with your interview.

Davis: Great.

Interviewer:We want to make sure that we get these details that will help us pull the history of black leaders in Oklahoma City because you are an important part of that history.

Davis: In terms of some other significant things and this is more about myself but I give a lot of credit to Clara Luper and the NAACP youth council which brought people and did a lot of training bringing young people in, taking us on trips to national conventions, I went to 16 national conventions and that was where I saw black, African Americans who were lawmakers, who were not lawmakers I’m sorry, who were attorneys mainly , who were out mainly fighting for civil rights doing a lot of pro bono service because people didn’t have money and it was a synergistic a community attitude, that we will together overcome and make a change. And that was the reason why in the fourth grade I realized I was going to be an attorney. And in that we talked about first, and this doesn’t even have anything to do with and attorney but, when I was in high school and growing up in Oklahoma City, and this is kind of significant, I’ve lived in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and a little bit of Texas as well as Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City is very unique because we have a very special African American community that I feel is very galvanized and very helpful that we have pockets of say there’s a group called the Set Club, sororities and fraternities, the AKA’s, Omegas, I’m an Omega by the way, the Kappas, Alphas. And there are the balls or people call them cotillions and fashionetas, whatever. But I was fortunate enough to be part of even the Freedom Fiestas I was Mr. Talent USA, in fact the first one 1976. I was a senior in high school

and that was brought together. There were guys more talented than I but I just happened to win the hearts of the judges that day.

Interviewer: What’s the talent?

Davis: It was called the talent. I was in fact a thespian and had scholarships for acting right. And so I danced, a little bit of dance and some acting a little script that I wrote. There were guys who could play the piano and sing much better than I but with all the things involved, modelling and the interview, I was fortunate enough to get that and it became a pretty big thing for a while. The year before that there was something called the young man of the year. I was the first runner-up the young man of the year in 1975. These things help build self-esteem, the NAACP organization in terms of public speaking and things of that nature and confidence. This community has offered a lot over the years for African Americans. I’ve lived here for over 20 years. I don’t know if that’s still happening. I think it is but it certainly is unique and a lot of people don’t understand how special it is and the opportunities they can have in this city as African American youth, so I wanted to point that out.

Interviewer: That’s excellent. You mentioned that you had gone to 16 of the conferences and conventions.

Davis: Yes.

Interviewer: Do you recall by name any specific cities that you visited in that 16. That would help our history.

Davis: Sure. Sure. I remember, one of the early ones I can remember in 1966, the Los Angeles convention and that one we, the Oklahoma NAACP, won for the 9th consecutive year the number one youth council in the nation. I remember the big party around that. I remember Darryl Combs, who is Doris Combs’ daughter for another family, she won Miss NAACP nationally in the contest. I remember Boston, Massachusetts two years after that 1968, Hubert Humphrey was running for president. I had the chance to shake his hand at that particular time and met Mal good who knew Clara Luper specifically. He was the first, I think, correspondent for CBS, NBC or CBS. I’m sorry if I don’t have that quite right. I remember, by the way I was the first member of the National Board of Directors of NAACP from the state of Oklahoma as a youth, and they have certain slots set aside for youth, and I served two non-consecutive terms. In 1980, my second term, while I was in college, by the way I started the Langston college chapter of NAACP, in 1980 I was a senior in college, I had the chance to shake the hands and meet the president Jimmy Carter. I also, in 1981, had the chance to meet Ronald Reagan, at the convention in Denver, Colorado. Acutally, was that ‘81, ‘81 he was already president. And also later President Bush, I got to shake his hands that is the first Bush. I mean meeting Presidents, a lot of people don’t get the chance to so I'm so fortunate that through the conventions I had a chance to do those things.

Interviewer: That is an outstanding opportunity. Most people don’t even get to see one in the same physical space.

Davis: Right. Oh I have a picture with Jimmy Carter, by the way. That’s why I remember that one so well.

Interviewer: That’s good. I’m glad we went and revisited that. Do you have any memories about you activities with the NAACP that you’d like to share that stands out enough for us to put it in the interview?

Davis: Well I want to give you an example of what typically I see now. I work for a lot of youth and this is all Clara Luper. Every single meeting, we had to stand up and say our names. Doesn’t matter if you were 6 or if you were 16 or 18, you had to do this. And so too often, I’d put my hands over my mouth so people can’t see me and say “my name is...” and she says “excuse me you must speak out young man you are special.” She would keep going and she’d get in front of you and tell you “If you don’t believe you’re special you are, and if you don’t believe it I will introduce you to the board of education. There was actually a board and it had on it the board of education. Now back when corporal punishment was popular, it worked. Well, I learned that when I say my name, I am not shy. I am Calvin Orlando Davis, you know I'd say the whole thing usually, and I remember that. I remember also, I mentioned that convention in it was another convention I believe it was in Atlantic City, where I'm walking with Clara Luper, I mention her a lot. My mother was always around, and she allowed this to happen. She was similar and I’ll mention her in the NAACP. We were headed to the convention hall and I’m a kid, I may be 10 years old or so or 11 or so. I’m opening the door, I'm with her and another one of her advisor friends, open the door, I remember feeling a hit on my shoulder, a pain I could still remember today. And the reason she hit me is she says “you never walk in in front of a lady, you open the door.” I’m 11 ear old, I’m like “okay” and tears coming out my eyes. Well okay, I still do that- open the doors for ladies so she definitely taught me manners. And I’ve got to give my sister, Nancy Lynn, credit for really teaching me how to be a gentleman too, because as I grew, she was always was into the prim and proper things and I remember she lived in San Francisco. She taught me the benefits of walking on the outside. I used to do that and as a single man, believe me, ladies appreciated that on the outside of the. And you know truly when they come to the tables sometimes stand up for them when appropriate and get the chair so.

Interviewer: I am so glad you are sharing these important things with us. We would like to ask you if you would like to share. You talked about your career and how you arrived at your career. We would like to know what you would say to a young man or young woman who’s planning a career, who might be coming out of an environment of poverty, not having the opportunity of having middle class parents. What are some of the habits in your lifestyle or some of the things that you learned in this process that you think would be valuable?

Davis: What I always try to tell people, young and otherwise, I don’t have all the answers, but the only thing that I can say is learn that you first off have to set a goal. You have to see it. You have to envision yourself doing whatever it is and especially young people, if you want to do whatever it is, an athlete, and astronaut, and accountant, whatever you need to see yourself doing that. And I always kind of bring it down to the greatest commercial I've seen for a long time is the Michael Jordan commercial where he says “I’ve attempted over 30,000 shots but I’ve only been successful 18,400 times.” “I’ve gone to the free throws”, he mentions the thousands of times attempted a free throw and has been only successful about 30% of those times. He was called upon to shoot the last shot at the end of the game, in his career from high school on, he mentioned about 997 times he was only successful 310. You don’t know this Michael Jordan but lady you said but the key thing you see his picture you say I kept on trying. So, you see it and you have to say that “I will, I will do this. I will be an attorney. I will be an accountant or astronaut. I will do it.” So you speak it into existence. It really goes back to some biblical principles how God spoke the world first into existence and then he saw it and he said it was good. But then you know

you can’t just do that you have to do something; you have to work at it, you have to sell it. You actually have to work because a lot of kids now just want to get it. “I want to be a rapper. I want to be you know.” But even rappers have to work hard at it and it’s luck. So, you know, you envision, it you say it, and you work at it. Those are the main things and I will point out, I’m going on, I deal with businesses but be it a career a business, anything you have to plan. Even everyday I have to remember the plan even coming here. And with plan, this is original from me, this comes from me, I’m not plagiarizing or stealing that idea, but with that P, and I do want to do business training and planning, and I say with that P, you really need to put pen to paper. And even before that you might even want to pray about whatever it is. But you know you put pen to paper and the plan in that P and the L is laying the groundwork. You know you really have to have love in your heart. But to really lay the groundwork that is the research. You really have to research. If you really want to go to a certain college, and it’s not how it used to be, you have to research, find out when the times are the deadlines. A lot of people miss deadlines on applications for financial aid and admissions because they’re not laying the groundwork, they’re not planning. And then the A, ask questions. Kid now, I mean they may ask questions but ask relevant questions about the situation. My daughter’s great at asking questions. Now when you need to ask that relevant question, you know, don’t be afraid to ask all the questions but ask all these important things like where you’re going to be next summer for camp because you need to start planning that. And then on the N is the never give up. PLAN.

Interviewer: That’s and excellent way to not only teach but to help somebody remember the concept. Are you married?

Davis: No I’m divorced.

Interviewer: Do you have children?

Davis: Yes I do. I have two wonderful children.

Interviewer: Let’s talk about those children. I going to open the door to your children.

Davis: Well I won’t go on because this is already boring. But no Torin, if your listening, if you hear this, Torin is my buddy, he is 13, Torin Samuel Jackson Davis. They have hyphenated last names. Their mother is Brandy Jackson, I’m Calvin Davis. He is the funniest, he is the most courageous person that I know. I want to talk about him because he keeps me humble. Torin, he is autistic, but he has endured so much and he has such a great attitude, so wonderful, and he just makes me laugh and I just love these kids so much. And him, he’s an inspiration to me. And I don’t know if you know much about autism but there is no known cure. The key thing is that he is a fabulous individual, my son.

Interviewer: I know a little bit about it. It’s not an area where I spent a great deal of research, but I intend to do some research in that area because my real interest is with children. Psychoanalytically or as a school psychologist. And it’s a rapidly increasing problem.

Davis: Yes it’s exponentially increased so much as 1981 since it was tied to the vaccinations and the mercury that was in those vaccinations. Apparently that’s the biggest theory. It’s been litigated not to the Supreme Court yet. But it’s a real problem because when we were growing up, and I say we as up until probably ‘22, we were vaccinated in elementary, probably kindergarten or the first grade and they didn’t use mercury. Baby vaccinations started in about ‘79. Mercury was introduced about ‘81 and since that time the incidents of what appears to be autism, they don’t know what to call it, pervasive well-

known disorder, has exponentially shot up. And it’s a problem and I really hope and pray that our government our leaders will research this matter even more so and will look for some changes.

Interviewer: Well I know in the counseling community we have a concern because of the sudden increase in cases. And so I have not gone back to work clinically and so I know that I going to have to really spend some time to get up to speed in that area so I appreciate you introduce that in your interview.

Davis: Sure. My daughter, I can’t forget about my babygirl.

Interviewer: We got to go and talk about daddy’s little girl.

Davis: Daddy’s little girl. Now I’ll tell you daddy always wanted two kids and he wanted a boy and a girl and I was just so excited because I got my girl next. And they’re only thirteen and a half months apart which is great. And her name is Teklyn, TEKLYN, Sarahn, SARAHN, Jackson-Davis. By the way Torin, I mentioned Torin, that means king, that’s a West African name, means king, Torin does. Samuel is after his grandfather on his mother’s side. But Teklyn means angelic peace and the word Sarahn means joy.

Interviewer: Beautiful

Davis: So she’s definitely joyful and she’s an excellent child. Just, she’s beautiful. Of course she’s daddy’s girl, she’s going to be beautiful but she’s a ballerina, been in ballet since she’s been two. Every year she’s been in the, she’s with the Lubbock Ballet as a matter of fact, she’s in the Nutcracker production several, every year, in Lubbock Texas. She’s a straight A student all of her life. She’s in GT what do they call it now, advanced, pre-AP type stuff, so she’s a wonderfully gifted student, gifted ballerina and just really a blessing because she helps out and really helps her brother and just wonderful.

Interviewer: I, we may recall when we were doing some of our initial preparation for the interview that you made a point to let me know that was the main reason, you were remaining in Lubbock.

Davis: Because of my children. And I can’t forget-

Interviewer: And I admire that and I have to say that in the interview I admire that ability and commitment to help participate in the raring of your children to that extent.

Davis: Well thank you so much and I’m committed to that and I will say certainly I hope that this person will hear this interview. Another reason which helps make it even more special and wonderful is my fiancé, Renee, Renee Gonzalez. I’ve been engaged for eight months to her and I wanted to let her know that I love her and that I’m happy that she’s so helpful and understanding.

Interviewer: Your fiancé Renee? Have you all set a wedding date?

Davis: We had but we had to move back it back because of my other’s injuries and stuff. My mom’s, she’s in the hospital, Nancy Davis, and so we are resetting it. We don’t have one right now.

Interviewer: Okay she is a lucky woman and she’s blessed. We would like to proceed this interview with any ideas that you would like to share about religion. Would you let us know where you stand on the matter of religion?

Davis: That’s a loaded subject.

Interviewer: You’ve talked about throughout your interview. We’d like to know your personal relationship in terms of religion. Where do you stand on religion?

Davis: Okay. First off, religion. I am a Christian and people get confused between religion and faiths. Whether you’re a Catholic, Baptist, Pentacostal.

Interviewer: Absolutely

Davis: That really is irrelevant because as a Christian, it’s about your belief in Jesus Christ and believing he is the son of God and so forth. And living that life, of course, that’s the key factor to salvation as a Christian. And I do believe that, for me, that is, at least your spirituality, is most important. Now that’s not to say that I have don’t respect for other religions, Jews, be it the Muslims, Buddhists. Because I’ve lived so many places and travelled the world, I know there are good people. I know from the Christian standpoint, you know, being good doesn’t get you to heaven but the point is that if you love your brother, you’re going to love everybody, and I love, I have a very dear friend who is Jewish. And you know that applies to Christianity, not to be friends necessarily, not to believe in Christ but the beauty of it is that the spirituality they have is beautiful. And the Muslims and others. And so when you ask about religion, I think it’s important for our spiritual well-being. As a Christian I do encourage, I don’t push on it, that people would consider Christianity as being the truth so I’ll leave it at that.

Interviewer: When you talked earlier about your career and you talked about how you went from being in California to Texas, you mentioned that when you made that transition, some things had occurred that you hadn’t counted on and you ended up being in Texas in 10 years and your job kind of ballooned out and continued ballooning out. I’d like to know if there is anything part of your work that you find especially satisfying.

Davis: Yes. As I mentioned, I love the fact that I can help someone and working with businesses. Those either that are starting or in existence. But what I enjoy. I enjoy the legal court work or the court work. But the part that gives me the most juice, as they say, is when I get chance to do the workshops and introduce people to things that they had really not thought about. For example, if someone’s starting a business, maybe people say well I’ll just get it started. Well you have to understand that not in planning, well in the planning process that structure. You know are you going to be a self-proprietor, are you going to incorporate, become a limited liability company, a professional LLP, so many different aspects. And then from there, the ramifications and things to consider, this seems technical but it can make a difference between whether someone succeeds or fails, if whether or not they’re sued and can recover, whether or not they pay major taxes or not. Legally. So these are things that I feel great about and I will say I’ve been very blessed, a lot of organizations have honored me. As a matter of fact, I just got a call the other day from the, it’s called, the Mexican American Network of Odessa and the Odessa Chamber of Commerce inducted me into their hall of fame as a business advocate of the decade. And the African American Chamber of Lubbock, has done something, has honored me similarly, they don’t have a Hall of Fame. And the Black Chamber of Commerce of the Permian Basin and other organizations. So alumnis of other organizations. And I feel blessed. It feels good when people recognize you’re doing that because you’re. A lot of times, and I don’t ask for any money ever. I mean even when I step outside of the government. So I feel good that I’m giving back in that way.

Interviewer: You’re consciously still providing community service. And it’s unique because of the formal training you had both in accounting and law.

Davis: Yes. Oh, I want to mention something. The organization I’ve help develop in Lubbock. The 100 Black Men is an organization in America. We’re a chapter of that group, 100 Black Men in west Texas. I just a term as president. I’m on the board and we do a lot of mentoring. I love mentoring. I go into the elementary schools and junior high, the middle schools and do mentoring. So we’re trying our part to make a difference and still trying to give back. And we’ve talked about, biblically, to each one teach one. We have to, you know, to how much is given, much is expected, so I believe that I have to do that in order to just pay my debt back.

Interviewer: I wish you could spread that out, spread that around like an epidemic. Mr. Davis.

Davis: Oh, I’ve got to tell you this because I’m going to leave it alone.

Interviewer: That’s what we want, spontaneity.

Davis: I was thinking about my mom.

Interviewer: Go ahead run with it.

Davis: Well I think about a lot of firsts. Well go back to Ada Lois being, she was the first African American admitted to Oklahoma State. LU in ‘48 then McLauren in the same year who was in the graduate school my mother had been at first. Which all these things help, were great. And I mentioned being Mr. Talent USA but I did not mention something that I’m really proud of and I'm about to go to the Langston homecoming here tomorrow. I was the first Mr. Langston University in 1979/80. Yes, elected by the student body. They had, that was the first year they did that. I forgot all about that and they voted me most likely to succeed and I was serranid because most of the time when they do that the guy ends up in jail. But I'm not there yet, okay!

Interviewer: Don’t say it.

Davis: And Mr. Most Outstanding in the same year so I said this is too much in the yearbook. And it’s embarrassing. But I said hey, I might as well say it.

Interviewer: You need to say it. That was history. You made history when you did that. One of the key things we talked about was your trip for Langston Homecoming.

Davis: Yes. Oh yeah LU, which you’re a graduate also

Interviewer: Yes. I’m a graduate of LU. You mentioned Dr. Fisher. Dr. Fisher was one of my major professors in my studies Langston.

Davis: Let me say this about her. She was one of the most knowledgeable, most gentle. I expected someone who would be very harsh, but she said, she called me a gentleman, a real gentleman. She wrote that in my yearbook. And I cherished that to this day because I thought she was one of the most scholarly people that I had met at that point and made a huge difference in the way I approached things. So it’s nothing like having a teacher who was a part of history, made history.

Interviewer: That’s right.

Davis: Made the law. The judicial law. So that was really awesome. And she was a true mentor.

Interviewer: She was a mentor she did more than teach and I was fortunate in the way that you were. Not in the kind of involvement that you got to do in terms of the conferences. But I went to church at Field Street where Mrs. Luper was in, in church. And I had the opportunity to work with her. And Marilyn and I both had Allstate agencies and Marilyn was the first black female at Allstate. My brother was the first black at Allstate and won an award and I was the first black management trainee for Allstate in the country. So we have overlapping history.

Davis: Absolutely. And I think I be remised. Langston’s done so much and is awesomely outstanding with what they’ve done and developed. I do want to give a shout-out to Oklahoma State because they just did something they didn’t have to do 51 years after my mother was admitted they made her an outstanding alumnist in 2002 and you have this on tape I’m sure, with her. In 2001 is when they erected a building in her name and they made three perpetual scholarships. Last year they made February 1st of every year Nancy Davis day and I say that because let’s go back. In ‘49, the law did still say separate but equal. In ’54, 1954, the Brown case had still not been decided so it was still separate but equal. My mom had to sit outside in the hallway, in a cloakroom and everything. She couldn’t sit with the students at first, but after she got the second highest on that exam, her first exam, the students, those students, said that we demand she sit out here with us, in defiance of the state law. So the students at OSU made a difference and every time I’ve had a chance to go back with her and say anything, I let them know that the legacy that that school had of the student body who had spoken out and been equitable with their dealings. And I challenge them every time to continue that legacy, I do.

Interviewer: I want you to know, Mr. Davis, we did get some of those facts from your mother and your sister, but I want you to understand the significance of your presentation. The presentation and style that you have is allowing us to record the legal aspect technically. Pretty much in the same way E. Melvin Porter’s interviews did. And it’s very important and we really appreciate it.

Davis: Another great man. Emanuel Porter, gosh! He was one of the reasons I wanted to be a lawyer too.

Interviewer: Well let’s talk about it in your interview.

Davis: Oh well, I just want to say, you know, God bless E. Melvin Porter because during the time when they’re weren’t very many African American lawyers, and he came from Tennessee and he stepped right up in Oklahoma City, and I remember him leading the way and donating to our various endeavors. And more so when he became a senator. I don’t know if my sister Nancy told you this, she was I believe, this is how the story goes, she was six years old, I was a baby, she gave the seconded speech at the House of Representatives for his nomination as senator.

Interviewer: No you talk about that.

Davis: Yes. So, I mean that’s a part of a very significant part of history that she did for E. Melvin Porter and I remember all the marches- he was at the forefront. Now having left the state, I don’t know, he’s been pretty much laid back and his son Joel E. Melvin Jr. Has been involved but I can tell you he laid, he was a tremendous several rungs on that ladder to justice. And I still think about him quite often and especially when I look back at the book Behold the Walls that Clara Luper wrote, and I talk to my mom quite often. By the way, my mom let me explain something about her is that I’ve talked about a lot of people but she’s always, she’s pretty modest. But if it weren’t for her, I mean, I wouldn’t be anything. I mean it takes a parent to push a kid and without her it wouldn’t have happened and she’s kind of like

the person who at the Oklahoma State experience she got it. And when she left there, she realized the world wasn’t quite like it was even at OSU with the students and was faced with a lot of discrimination. When she was a teacher. The Choctaw. The Dungee school then over at Star Spencer. She made a difference in forming human relations club and bringing people together. But she was one who says I’m just not going to take it. Just like she told people at Oklahoma State, she goes well no, I’m not going to go, you gotta let me in and she was like that all through life. She says you stand up for yourself no matter what. And she’s lucky she never got jailed or anything. And she couldn’t put up with the people who stepped on her toes in the civil rights movement. But I look at her now, the analogy I use for her is she had the chance to taste the lobster of success. So to bring her back to eating sardines was not acceptable. So she wants her lobster every time and she taught us that, you know you deserve it. So, she was not one to sit back and be spat upon, you see.

Interviewer: She talked about it in her interview. I’m about to pull her interview up. She did. She let us know. We would like to make sure as you have this reflection time that you would be able to close our interview with any important points you don’t want to leave out.

Davis: Well too often, I think we forget those who are behind the scenes. People who typically get noticed are those who are at the front like my mother who was fortunate and lucky as you will, but at the same time, I say lucky because timing is everything, is very, very deserving, and very noble. My father who we don’t get to talk about a lot was really the win beneath all of our wins. He was always there, always supportive, always loving, never, I could tell you I never in my whole life heard my father say a cuss world, a foul word. He was always uplifting and blessing people. And that balance of someone who could be quiet behind the scenes and push others makes it successful because, even with Martin Luther King, people don’t talk about people behind him and Ralph Abernathy is an example. So, my mother was the Martin Luther King, and he was the Ralph Abernathy, if you will. So I wanted to point that out about dad. He doesn’t get a lot of accolade but he deserves a lot.

Interviewer: I didn’t realize until the interview with your sister, that your father, they used to call him Pinky.

Davis: Yes.

Interviewer: I believe your father taught me in school and when I saw you, you looked like your father.

Davis: Good.

Interviewer: And I said good, it was his father. So I'm glad that you made sure you gave him the credit that he was due in your interview.

Davis: Well, thank you.

Interviewer: We would like to thank you again for interviewing with Oklahoma Voices Centennial Project and for what you’ve shared about your life.

Davis: Thank you for having me.