FEATURED KEYNOTE

MARA GAY
Journalist and New York Times Editorial Board Member

Mara Gay is an opinion writer at the New York Times and a political analyst at MS Now, where she appears regularly on Morning Joe. Her award-winning journalism focuses on politics, national affairs and New York City. She has written extensively about many of the events that have gripped the nation in recent years, from the 2024 election to the pandemic and rising threats to American democracy.

Gay is also a former member of The New York Times editorial board, writing editorials for nearly a decade that helped shape elections in the largest city in the United States. She has also worked as a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News and The Atlantic. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and lives in Brooklyn.

HONORARY CO-CHAIRS & CELEBRITY EMCEES

BECKY DIXON
Broadcasting Pioneer and Tulsa Civic Leader

Rebecca “Becky” Dixon is president of AyerPlay and a pioneering leader in broadcast and sports journalism. She began her career at KTUL-TV and later became the first woman to anchor a network sports program as co-host of ABC’s Wide World of Sports alongside Frank Gifford.

Dixon covered major events including the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, Triple Crown, and World Gymnastics Championships. In 1994, she co-founded AyerPlay Productions with Ed Taylor and helped produce the world’s first live webcast in partnership with Harvard University. Dixon was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2016.

J.C. WATTS, JR.
Business Leader and Former U.S. Congressman

Julius Caesar “J.C.” Watts Jr. is a former congressman, clergyman, businessman, and professional football player. A native of Eufaula, Oklahoma, he played football at the University of Oklahoma before continuing his career in the Canadian Football League.

Watts later entered public service, winning election to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and becoming the first Black person elected to statewide office in Oklahoma. In 1994, he was elected to represent Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Watts was re-elected to three additional terms and became chair of the House Republican Conference in 1998.

“Our fifth anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the impact we have made while looking ahead to where we are going. Over the past five years, Greenwood Rising has welcomed visitors from around the world, engaged students and educators, and created meaningful conversations about Historic Greenwood and the Black Wall Street mindset.”

”This celebration recognizes the people, partners, and supporters who have made this work possible while recommitting us to preserving this history and inspiring future generations.”

— Dr. Raymond Doswell, Executive Director