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Norman Native Bell is a fifth-generation Oklahoman, born and raised in Norman and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. “I had a wonderful childhood,” recalled Bell. “I was very fortunate to have two loving parents who also met in Norman. I’m an only child so I interacted with a lot of adults growing up and was a very curious kid.” Bell’s election as the first woman of color to represent Norman in 2018 was even more significant given the city’s past as a former “sundown town,” which were places where African Americans were not welcome past sundown. That changed in 1967 when George Henderson and his wife, Barbara, became the first African Americans to buy a home in Norman after George accepted a job at the University of Oklahoma, becoming the university’s third full-time African American faculty member. Bell, who is biracial, admits her achievement in 2018 was exciting, but she didn’t think too much of it until she encountered a young person who highlighted her impact. “Last year, I was judging a scholarship competition for kids,” recalled Bell. “One of the recipients came up to me afterward and said, ‘I read all of these things about you. I follow you on Facebook and I look up to you because you’re like me.’ That moment has really stuck with me. That feeling of knowing that even if you’ve had a hard day, you have achieved something that no one can take away from you or the people that it matters to.” BELL’S PRIORITIES AS A LEGISLATOR INCLUDE IMPROVING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ADVOCATING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS.
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / MAR-APR 2021 55
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