“It’s all about our children!” Monson Challenges
Anti-Gay School Chair Humphreys

December 18, 2008

By Wayne Fuller

Angela Monson has officially kicked-off her challenge against anti-gay figure Kirk Humphreys in a battle for the Oklahoma City School Board’s chairmanship.

“It’s all about our children,” said Monson in announcing her bid. 

Angela Monson

“I can’t think of anything more important than the education of our children,” said Monson. “As a product of Oklahoma City Public Schools, I know that the district has the capability of offering high quality educational opportunities for all children. Our district has faced many difficulties and conflicts and the academic success of our children has suffered.”

Monson is a former Oklahoma State Senator and in 2003 became the first black woman in history to be selected as president of the National Conference of State Legislators. As state senator, she was instrumental in getting insurance coverage for mental illnesses and in establishing health care clinics in OKC schools.  

She was born in Oklahoma City and attended Douglas High School. After graduating from Oklahoma City University with a degree in 1977, she became a probation and parole officer. Later, she was employed by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Oklahoma State Legislature as a fiscal analyst, and the Oklahoma Healthcare Project where she worked as executive director. Monson then attended the University of Oklahoma and received a master’s degree in public health administration. 

A former president of the OKC branch of the NAACP, she has chaired the boards of the Mary Mahoney Community Health Center, the Lennie Marie Tolliver Alternative Care Center, and the Neighborhood Services Association.

In 1997 after her sister’s death, Monson began raising her niece and nephew.

Kirk Humphreys

In May 2008, former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys was appointed chairman of the school board to fill the unexpired term of Cliff Hudson. Hudson left to fulfill a vow to resign, if embattled school superintendant John Porter did as well.

After graduating OU with a bachelor’s degree in business, he ran a beauty supply distribution service for 16 years and got his start in politics by serving eight years on the Putnam City school board from 1987 – 1995. He relocated to Oklahoma City proper and was elected mayor in 1998. He served in that role for two terms. In 2004 he challenged Tom Coburn in a congressional race and was soundly defeated in the Republican primary.

As mayor, Humphreys led the charge to remove LGBT banners from city streets during Pride activities. That action led to a lawsuit from the Cimarron Alliance Foundation, who successfully defeated the city in court and forced the reinstatement of the banners.

In a 1999 interview with the Daily Oklahoman Kirk Humphreys stated, “I've never seen a person whose skin used to be black and is now white. However, there are people who used to proclaim they were gay and are now straight. It's a matter of choice.”

During that discussion, which was about the City Council’s earlier decision not to pass a hate crime bill and to dismantle the city’s Human Rights Commission prior to his becoming mayor, Humphreys declared, “The human rights commission was disbanded because it had been co-opted by people promoting the gay/lesbian agenda."    

He was a guest co-host representing the conservative side on Flashpoint, when Rep. Sally Kern and Rev. Dr. Scott Jones debated homosexuality. The former mayor sided with Kern and quoted the Bible as being against homosexuality.

The school board election will take place on February 10, 2009.