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From YouTube: Viewpoints - Russell M. Perry
Description
Viewpoints is a City of Oklahoma City/City Channel 20 program which will give viewers a unique, firsthand, in-depth conversation with city leaders past and present. Viewpoints will explore their lives; from life as a child to their roles in making Oklahoma City what it is today.
This profile features Russell Perry of Perry Publishing and Broadcasting Company
A
Of
course,
I
grew
up
in
a
segregated,
City
Oklahoma
City
was
totally
divided.
I
went
to
an
all
segregated
school,
both
through
elementary
junior
high
senior
high
school.
It
was
all
segregated,
so
it
was
a
very,
very
small
world
force
very
limited
with
commerce
we
had.
We
did
have
commerce,
2nd
Street
down
steep
deuce,
and
the
schools
and
the
churches
would
basically
our
overall
activities
and
I.
Don't
know
if
you
would
truly
understand
a
true
segregated
community.
A
It's
it's
not
a
hard
to
define
it's
just
that
you
see
the
same
people
of
people
of
color
you're
confined
to
that
area
and
very
limited
in
what
you
could
do
now.
You
could
come
downtown,
but
I'll
give
you
a
good
example.
If
you
came
when
I
was
a
little
kid.
If
you
came
downtown,
I
can
recall
this
experience.
We
had
halliburton's
here
and
we
came
downtown.
My
mother
brought
me
downtown
to
get
a
pair
of
shoes.
A
Well,
we
had
to
stand
until
the
whites
left
before
we
could
be
fed
it's
a
seated
and
fitted
for
the
shoes,
so
otherwise
it
was.
If
it
was
a
vacant
chair
that
we
could
not
sit
there
until
it
was
totally
empty,
so
you
can
imagine
what
impact
negative
impact
or
maybe
I
didn't
realize
it
I
understand
it
at
that
time,
but
as
an
adult,
you
can
realize
what
negative
impact
that
would
have
on
the
child.
I
came
from
a
broken
home,
my
mother
remarried,
and
there
was
difficulties
in
the
family.
A
A
The
this
the
school
system
discovered
that
but
I
stayed
in
school
and
eventually,
and
they
got
me
a
little
part-time
job
and
worked
after
just
never
never
looked
back.
I
grew
up
on
around
the
deep
deuce
area,
but
not
exactly
if
I
recall,
I,
see
four
fifth
street
I
grew
up
on
I.
Had
her
I
had
a
room
there
that
I
shared
a
room
with
a
lady
by
the
name
of
mrs.
flowers.
A
It
was
booming
it.
That
was
our
as
I
said,
that
was
our
commerce
area.
We
had,
of
course,
the
newspaper
there
we
had
restaurants,
we
had
clubs,
we
have
both
of
our
funeral
homes
were
two
of
our
funeral
homes.
Were
there
on
deep
dues,
we
had
a
state
employment
office
there
and
all
deep
deuce
and
we
had
a
movie
theater,
so
it
was
all
consolidated
there
in
one
pack.
You'll
find
this
quite
interesting.
A
I
think
this
is
a
true
story
now
and
I've
been
known
to
tell
interesting
stories
I
as
a
kid
two
things
about
this.
As
a
kid
I
used
to
sell
the
black
mismatched,
which
is
oh,
it's
so
pretentious
or
niccola
copy
at
that
time,
and
so
one
day
I
happen
to
drift
downtown,
trying
to
sell
papers.
Of
course,
I
told
you
of
all
I
was
on
my
own,
and
so
this
was
before
this
was
a
issue.
This
was
not
an
issue,
but
this
was
a
a
force
that
I
were
trying
to
enhance
my
financial
situation.
A
A
We
were
asked
each
board
member
to
get
up
and
talk
about
our
experiences,
and
so
when
it
was
my
time
to
get
up,
I
got
up,
walked
for
the
windows.
I
said
and
I
told
that
story
and
I
said
now.
Here:
I
am
40
years
laters,
one
of
the
directors
of
this
bank,
so
I
thought
that
was
only
in
America.
Could
you
do
something
like
that.
A
I
started
as
a
prince
devil
sweeping
the
floors
and
change
into
the
job
case
for
the
numbers
of
the
letterings
to
go
into
the
news,
then
it
would
formulate
into
cast-iron
and
then
we'd
put
it
on
a
cylinder
necessarily
which
would
print
I
started
it
as
apprentice
devil-
and
you
know
jump
it's
too
long,
but
anyway,
to
make
a
long
story.
I
ended
up
being
the
manager
of
that
newspaper
and
it
was
owned
by
two
doctors
and
Ross
the
founders
nephew
and
saying
that
here
ago,
here
we
go
again.
A
I
worked
there
sitting
on
a
number
of
years,
I
don't
I
can't
recall,
but
the
doctors
and
I
disagreed
was
they
had
a
place
for
me
and
if
that
rocked
all
for
a
period
of
time
and
I
woke
up
one
day
and
said
I'm
not
gonna
do
this
in
the
world
with
them
we
differed
in
so
many
areas.
We
different
with
the
political
party
representative.
We
differed
with
my
editorial
stance
and
we
different.
A
A
Didn't
take
a
pencil
with
me
and
with
in
month
month
and
a
half
I
started
my
own
this
paper.
They
were
then
about
a
30
35
year
old
publication,
I
started
mine
in
18
months.
They
were
out
of
business
and
I've
been
there
ever
since
37
years,
so
is
going
back
to
the
passion.
The
drive
intestinal
fortitude,
those
characteristics
of
an
individual
I'm
passion
with
passionately
committed
to
that
and
with
that
passion,
I
think
I've
been
able
to
grow.
A
The
one
thing
that
I've
been
involved
that
I've
never
dreamed
that
it
would
occur
to
me.
I
said
when
I
was
asked
to
serve
in
governor
Frank
Keating
's
cabinet
is
Secretary
of
Commerce
over,
say
right
at
5,000
employees,
21
agencies
under
my
supervision
and
the
responsibility
with
state
and
federal
budget
combined
during
that
period
of
time,
21
to
30
million
dollars
that
I've
managed
and
when
I,
when
I
took
over
Secretary
of
Commerce,
there
was
less
than
1%
of
people
a
person
of
color
when
I
left
it
was
twenty
three
point.
A
What
you
see
on
at
Lincoln,
8th
between
8th
and
13th,
Street,
now
used
to
be
an
all-black
community.
I
was
asked
by
the
city
leaders
at
that
time.
If
I
would
serve
him,
the
Harrison
walnut
and
the
objective
there
was
to
develop
that
commercial
strip
that
we
exist
there
and
one
of
the
challenges
was
that
replacing
those
residents.
A
I
thought
it
would
be
an
enhancement
for
the
city
of
Oklahoma
City,
and
what
you
see
now
is
the
development
of
the
Health
Science
Center
that
has
expanded,
and
what
have
you
and
what
also
has
creep
been
created
is
that
integration,
when
you
replace
those
dilapidated
homes
for
the
most
part,
there
was
an
expansion
and
they
had
federal
funds
to
enhance
growth
and
development
and
replacement
of
those
citizens
that
were
removed.
That
was
a
very
difficult
challenge,
because
a
lot
of
the
community
leaders
did
not
agree
with
it.
A
I
happen
to
happen
to
agree
with
it.
A
case
in
point:
I
was
against
busing
as
opposed
it
would
be
a
detriment
to
our
community
and
I.
Think
buses
and
busing
has
been
good
in
one
point,
but
it
is
destroyed.
Northeastern
Oklahoma
City.
Now,
when
the
expansion
plan
of
trying
to
redevelop
that
I
just
happen
to
be
living
long
enough
to
be
involved
to
see
that
the
change.
A
I
guess
I've
been
on
the
urban
weirdo
board,
with
some
great
leaders
and
great
people
of
our
city,
for
maybe
10
or
12
years,
I
had
just
been
in
a
while
look.
What
look
what's
happening
to
this
city?
It's
been
an
urban
renewal,
it's
been
a
part
of
that
and
I've
always
been
thrilled
and
willing
to
work
and
share
my
time
and
energy
with
these
government
agencies.
A
To
be
honest
with
you-
and
this
is
very
seldom
said-
this
is
my
opinion
again
Herbert
and
where
no
authority
was
founded
on
it
was
tried,
I
think
it
was
Cleveland
Ohio
just
prior
to
us
getting
it
here.
It's
been
a
long
time
that
was
a
young
man
but
I.
These
are
some
things
that
I
think
I
observed
and
what
it
had
to
have
federal
match
a
federal
match
to
at
the
beginning
of
Urban,
Renewal,
Authority
and.
A
So
it
had
to
start
somewhere,
so
urban
were
no
thought.
I
started
northeast
Oklahoma
City
and
they
used
public
accommodations
to
make
the
federal
match,
meaning
schools,
the
buildings
saying
all
of
that.
The
plan
was
to
clear
up
the
deter,
the
debris,
the
dilapidation
and
redevelop
the
community,
and
it
was
never
done
so
it
almost
in
certain
sects
of
segments,
sections
of
our
city,
northeast
quadrant
of
city
almost
destroyed
it
and
some
people
would
say
it
was
destroyed
and
the
catch
was
that
you
find
you
did.
A
They
were
not
able
to
find
developers
that
was
willing
to
come
over
in
urban,
real
Larry
northeast
quadrant
area
to
develop
it
redevelop.
It
I
saw
that
as
a
youngster
didn't
really
understand
it
at
the
time,
and
then
you
go
to
Northeast
23rd,
which
was
not.
It
was
not
in
the
urban
renewal
area.
At
the
time
it
was.
You
had
the
white
flight
from
a
commercial
standpoint,
the
drugstores,
the
retail
stores,
the
hardware
stores
everybody
left,
and
then
it
turned
into
absentee
landlords.
A
You
know
what
happens
there
then
african-americans
moved
in
and
they
didn't
have
the
wherewithal
to
sustain
those
buildings
and
the
absentee
landlords
didn't
Horton
willing
to
reinvest
in
it,
so
it
died,
and
it's
just
now,
beginning
to
that's
been
40
years.
So
you
see
how
the
cycle
is,
can
be
very
damaging
now
saying
all
that
it
sounds
like
Urban
Renewal
Authority
has
been
a
bad
apple.
To
some
extent
it
was
not
planned
well,
but
it
has
changed.
A
It
went
to
a
period
of
time
while
I
was
there,
there
was
very
little
activity
in
this
city
and
downtown
was
feeling
the
impact
of
it.
Now,
in
my
opinion,
it's
been
rejuvenated
and
urban
renewal
has
prey.
It's
been
playing
a
very
major
role
in
helping
redevelop
this
all
parts
of
the
city
and
it's
specifically
downtown
and
there's
a
major
move
all
now
to
reach
by
investors
to
redevelop
northeast
quadrant
of
Oklahoma
City.
We
don't
have
enough
rooftops
there,
but
I
think
that's
coming
to
the
veil.
A
Ability
of
land
for
residential
areas
is
very
limited
there.
Now,
unless
you
remove
some
of
those
overall
homes
and
that's
happening
to
I'm
a
true
capitalist.
All
I
would
like
to
be,
and
one
of
the
things
that
I'm
often
asked
is
what's
missing
in
the
black
community,
is
wealth
think
what
one
can
do
with
wealth.
If
it's
done
properly,
you
can
create
jobs,
you
could
support
other
entities,
we
lack
that
and
once
we
get
it,
we
have
a
tendency
not
to
share
and
I'd
like
to
see
more
of
that
happen.
A
It
hasn't
gone
very
well
in
the
black
community
and
then
some
would
say.
Well,
that's
the
reason
why
you
they
picked
you
to
come
over
here
and
do
this
and
do
that
and
I
have
a
different
opinion
of
that.
I
I
have
a
right
that
I
think
that
we
as
a
people
in
this
country
we,
as
in
a
person
of
color,
we
have
seek
freedom,
and
that
means
to
me
that
true
freedom
is
that
I
could
be.
You
I
want
to
be
within
the
confines
of
the
law,
whether
a
Muslim
or
Republican
or
Christian.
A
I
thought
about
it
and
thought
about
it
and
sit
down
and
talk
with
my
wife
and
family,
and
we
all
thought
it
was
best
that
I'd
not
run
and
that
I
could
serve
my
community
and
my
part
better,
be
in
a
position
that
I
was
in
yes,
but
I
thought
about
it
and,
to
be
honest
with
you,
I
had
I've
had
some
comments
that
I
should
run.
You
know
in
for
statewide
office,
but
I
just
chose
not
to
do
that.
A
A
A
You
cannot
afford
to
make
one
mistake
if
you
do
you're
doomed
he's
44
years
old
today
and
he
hasn't
made
one
serious
mistake
that
would
cost
him
his
career
and
what
I
was
referring
to
one
negative
charge:
DUI
felony
or
whatever,
as
a
young
african-american
coming
into
corporate
America
you're
dead.
If
you
have
and
you're
very
lucky
and
fortunate,
if
you
had
that
experience
and
you
get
past
it
and
I
believe
that.
A
Think
now
that
I'm
in
a
position
now
that
I
I
realized
you
could
only
drive
one
car
at
a
time.
You
can
only
live
in
one
house
at
a
time.
You
could
only
put
on
one
pair
of
pants.
You
ship
way
at
a
time,
one
things
one
at
a
time,
so
one
of
the
blessing
and
rewarding
things
that
I
think
that
I
have
accomplished
is
that
I'm,
not
great
I,
don't
have
greed
I
mean
why
do
I
continue
to
grow
this
company?
Look
at
the
jobs
I
continue
to
create
look
at
the
tax
base.
A
That
I
could
continue
to
create.
Who
says
it
can't
be
done
because
of
your
color
can
be
done
even
if
those
challenges
it
could
be
done
and
in
one
of
the
rewarding
things,
and
why
I'm
here
today
this
city
and
state
has
been
good
to
me.
The
people
in
this
city
and
state's
been
good
to
me
do.
Are
there
some
bad
apples?
Yes,
but
they're
much
more
bit.
Good
apples
and
I'm
I'm
a
good
example
of
that
somebody
helps
me.