Written in 2010.

Oklahoma has never been a very popular topic in American media. The state is not considered a political force, financial center, or powerhouse of industry. It tends to quickly fade into the dark, dusty corners of the minds of non-Oklahomans. The lack of national news channels and newspapers featuring life today in Oklahoma can only perpetuate stereotypes that people have of the state. Stereotypes that classify and describe Oklahomans in a narrow, fragmented, and unrealistic way. In the article “How to Break the Stereotype”, Sister Elizabeth Thoman comments, “Stereotypes can become too rigid and when there is no room for growth the label becomes stifling, both for the individuals who are labeled and for the category itself….Absolutism is not a virtue in our constantly changing world.”

Not all Florida residents are senior citizens; not all of the people living in San Francisco are homosexual; and not all New Yorkers are rude. So it is logical that not all Oklahomans live in rural areas and make their living through agriculture. Farming is a respectable and prominent career choice in Oklahoma, but it is crucial that people realize that there are thousands of Oklahomans who have never been near a horse and only wear boots to be stylish. Oklahoma is just as diverse as any other state, and with this diversity comes a unique mix of interests, passions, and goals. By categorizing Oklahomans with one notion the individual is lost, true identities are masked by ignorance, and first impressions occur before contact is actually made. Oklahoma is more than flat land, cows, farms, and rodeos, and Oklahomans are not rednecks, hicks, or hillbillies. Oklahoma is culture and inspiration. Oklahoma is art, and its people are artists. Other Americans do not make this connection easily, but if they were willing to dig deeper—past the red dirt exterior—they would uncover a world of art that exists in Oklahoma.
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