Jabar Shumate plans to combine his political background and passion for OU to create a more diverse and inclusive university when he takes office as OU's new vice president of university community this June.
As an OU student studying public affairs from 1994 to 1998, Shumate, a Tulsa native, served as student body president, a resident adviser and a member of the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi, he said.
Before being elected to the Oklahoma state Senate in 2012, Shumate also served as OU President David Boren’s press secretary, he said.
The relationships Shumate made as a student and a press secretary with his peers have helped guide him to where he is today and will continue to guide him as soon as he takes office, he said.
“I would not have accomplished what I’ve accomplished today if it had not been for [the people] that were here that took me under their wing like a son,” Shumate said. “It’s sort of like a homecoming.”
When Boren announced Shumate's appointment at a press conference on March 31, he said his support for Shumate in his position is “vigorous.”
Shumate's relationship with Boren began when he was Couch Center president, when he brought together a diverse community and went directly to Boren himself to persuade him to keep them all together, Shumate said.
"That launched my political career,” Shumate said. “I went on to run for student body vice president ... and president, but it was those experiences ... that launched my [relationship with Boren].”
Shumate's experience in building that diverse community will serve as the model for how he wants to create a sense of community throughout the whole university, he said.
Shumate said he experienced injustice firsthand when attending OU.
Few other black students were involved in student government when Shumate ran for student body vice president, he said. During his campaign, a controversial poster was circulated across campus that depicted Shumate and read, "Do you want somebody like this living in your greek house?"
“I strongly remember that,” Shumate said. “People were shocked that an African American man was running with a [Delta Delta Delta member] from Duncan, Oklahoma.”
Fortunately, Shumate’s campaign won in spite of the controversy. Shumate thought it was a testament of the student body and how most of the students at the university do want to do right, he said.
Shumate’s first order of business as vice president of university community will be to talk to college deans and students to figure out a plan of action. He said he will also work with black student alliance OU Unheard and use their grievances as a guide to figure out more problems.
“I look forward to building strong relationships with the members of Unheard,” Shumate said.
Shumate complimented the black student alliance’s thoughtfulness and drive, saying they are an “impressive group of students.”
Shumate was told by Boren to come back to the university to continue to implement diversity and inclusion as he did when he was a student, Shumate said.
Shumate is ready for the challenge, he said.
“When students [and faculty] come back ... I want to have something that they can look at and tear apart,” Shumate said. “I want to develop this office with buyin from our three constituencies: Our students ... our faculty and staff, and our alumni. And then from there we’ll move forward.”
