The Oklahoma men and women who work hard to change the world are often overlooked and forgotten as other news stories take over the scene. It’s important to remember the people who made a difference. Fern Holland was a woman from a very small town in Oklahoma who never let the tragedies of the state keep her from helping others.
Oklahoma has made the news many times over the last few decades for some of the nation’s most devastating tragedies. Many people probably remember the Edmond Post Office massacre in 1986 and the terrible bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995. More recently, one of the biggest earthquakes shook the town of Pawnee at its epicenter. Practically every year, Oklahoma is struck by damaging tornadoes that wipe out entire sections of a town. Still, the spirit of Oklahomans is not destroyed. People rebuild their homes and their lives, even amidst some of the worst disasters in the country.
Her Birth and Roots
Miami, Oklahoma is in the northeast corner of the state. For the record, it’s not pronounced like the city in Florida, but with an -ah at the end. During the summer, tourists might visit Miami on their way to Branson or the Grand Lake area. Holland was born in Bluejacket, Oklahoma, a small rural town just outside of Miami. Bluejacket is a town of about 300 people as of the year 2000 with a median income of $33,250 per family. Almost 15 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
Holland went to school in Miami, where she would graduate as the salutatorian of her high school. As an undergraduate, she attended the University of Oklahoma to earn her Bachelor in Psychology. She then went to the University of Tulsa to earn a law degree. She would work in the Tulsa area at a couple of law firms for a few years following her graduation.
Holland then joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Namibia, West Africa. Using her law degree, she worked for human rights and helped to establish schools in Namibia. Through her work with the Namibians, she was recruited by the America Refugee Committee and sent to Guinea, West Africa. There, she used her legal knowledge as part of a legal clinic to protect women and children.
The United States Agency for International Development hired Holland in 2003 to investigate human rights abuses in Iraq. The Coalition Provisional Authority retained Holland to help establish the government and promote women’s rights in a move toward democracy. In March the following year, she was assassinated by individuals posing as police. She was only 34, but her life was taken because she believed that everyone should have the opportunity to live free from oppression.
Fern Holland and her Legacy
“Fern would not want to be remembered because of her death or the way she died. She would want to be remembered because of her life and the way she lived,” Vi Holland, Fern’s Sister.
The University of Oklahoma offers an annual cash award in Holland’s name to an undergraduate woman who desires to make a significant difference in the world, especially in the areas of human rights and women’s issues. The Vital Voices Global Partnership also gives an annual award to honor a leader who faces risks to promote peace in vulnerable communities.
In Miami, Oklahoma, the local domestic violence shelter holds an annual celebration in honor of Holland. The town of Miami recently renamed a street after Holland. She is remembered in her hometown community for the way she lived. It’s hoped that you take inspiration from her life to make a small difference in your own community to stand up for those who need a strong voice.