ENID, OKLAHOMA — On Valentine’s Day 2023 the citizens of Ward 1 in Enid, Oklahoma elected Judd Blevins to represent them on the Enid City Commission. However, this was unlike other elections in that Blevins has been accused of being an Oklahoma organizer for the white nationalist group, Identity Europa, and was among those marching with a Tiki Torch at Charlottesville, Virginia, at the Unite the Right rally in 2017. In a now viral video Blevins confirmed his involvement when he was confronted by a KFOR.com reporter.
Local activists have formed the Enid Social Justice Committee (ESCJ) in hopes of removing Blevins from his seat and addressing the many other social justice issues in the community. The group held a protest on May Day when Blevins was officially sworn in as a city commissioner.
In July the ESCJ held an event in conjunction with Oklahoma Progress Now at the Hoover Splash Pad to honor veterans who fought against fascism during World War II, calling on the public to honor their ancestors by fighting for the future of Enid.
Members regularly speak out during public comment at City Hall. The Enid City Commission meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 401 West Owen K. Garriott Road. Concerned members of the public are encouraged to attend.
A petition on change.org currently holds over 1,200 signatures in opposition to Blevins’ election, calling on citizens to “unequivocally denounce white nationalism and its presence in our community, and pledge to steadfastly, peacefully, oppose any and all entities which support it, either actively or through their willful silence and apathy.”
D.L. Lang was Vallejo Poet Laureate (2017-2019)
