In a city yearning for real solutions to violence and trauma, a new initiative has stepped forward: Live Free Oklahoma. Launched in Northeast Oklahoma City, it is positioned to be the most impactful community‐based violence intervention (CVI) program of its kind in the state, built around healing, connection, and tangible change. At its helm is the artist, activist, and organizer Jabee Williams, who brings lived experience, creative passion, and community credibility to this vital work.
Why Live Free Oklahoma? What Problem is It Tackling?
Gun violence is not just a headline here; it’s a lived reality for many in Oklahoma City, especially in Ward 7 and Eastside neighborhoods. For Jabee, the path to founding Live Free Oklahoma was painfully personal:
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In 2001, his brother was shot and killed. He knows what it means to sit in hospital rooms, feel anger, and carry trauma.
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He saw how after a violent incident, people often feel isolated, without support — even when help exists, it’s not always accessible, credible, or trustworthy.
Live Free Oklahoma is designed to intervene before violence escalates, to support people already impacted, and to build healthier patterns of response in the community. It’s less about punishment and more about prevention, healing, and resources: housing, jobs, mental health, and belonging.
Why This Matters
Live Free Oklahoma is more than a program. It’s part of a broader shift in how America thinks about violence prevention: from reactive to proactive, from punishment to healing, and from institutional responses to community-rooted solutions.
When leadership comes from within — from someone like Jabee Williams who has felt the pain firsthand — it fosters trust and deep resonance. People don’t just need services; they need to know someone sees them, understands their struggle, and stands ready to help build a way forward.
Get Involved
If you live in or care about Oklahoma, Live Free Oklahoma is a beacon. It’s showing what is possible when art, activism, and intentional intervention converge. Jabee Williams is not just launching a program; he is helping to lead a movement — one toward peace, justice, and community resilience.
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Live Free Oklahoma is on the frontlines of building safer, healthier communities—free from gun violence, mass incarceration, and systemic injustice. Your donation powers our work to uplift the voices of those most impacted, organize faith communities for change, and build sustainable solutions rooted in love, justice, and freedom.