Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women adds 7 names to Oklahoma Hall of Fame
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women is adding seven names to the Women’s Hall of Fame on Oct. 16.
Women’s Hall of Fame co-chair Brianna Ramos and Hall of Fame inductee Susan Bergen joined News 9 to discuss some of the women and their contributions to Oklahoma.
What is the significance of the event?
Ramos: In 1982, Governor George Nigh said, ‘Hey, we should recognize women a little bit more and a little better in our state.’ And so the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame was created and the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women was put in charge of it. And so we recognize women whose service has really served our state and made change for women and families here. And Susan is one of those women.
Tell us about yourself and what you’re passionate about?
Bergen: I’m Susan Bergen, and I run a family office, but I’m really interested in what you eat and the nutritional density of it. So instead of picking at the jails and saying they’re not doing the right thing, I say let’s grow a garden, teach girls how to grow their own food, have their own food, and eat their own food. I even brought you some raw okra, which the girls have loved eating. You can see it’s October. There’s still a tremendous amount of food coming out of the garden. The garden is a year and a half old, and it still produces year-round abundant food, and the girls carry it back in the jail.
What does it mean to you to be selected into the Hall of Fame?
Bergen: It is a huge honor, and I go on a huge cloud of witnesses of women that have gone before me that have been huge examples in my life and I was so surprised when they called and asked, but it’s a huge honor. So I hope my granddaughter and my grandchildren will know that women do make a difference.
Why is that so important to celebrate and honor women in Oklahoma?
Ramos: So especially in the age of AI and the way that people search for things. So in 100 years from now, I, you know, I think about the kids, you know, doing research projects, going, ‘What was Oklahoma like 100 years ago?’ And our women deserve a permanent space in our history books. And this is one way to do that to honor them, because not only is it important to have a record of their accomplishments, but then it shows, you know, our little girls and our little boys that you can do great, amazing things in the area that you’re called to or the area that you feel passionate about.
Who are some of the other women being inducted?
Ramos: We have Sister Barbara Joseph, Sister BJ, and she founded Sister BJ’s Pantry, and she serves a lot of our unhoused population. We have Sharina Perry who is an inventor and has created an alternative to plastic. And we have Coach Patty Gasso, who is, you know, the best softball coach ever…