Johnny Price was in the crips for 15 years. And those 15 years ended just a few months ago.
On Tuesday, Price showed up at Case Community Center in Sand Springs to get his crips tattoo covered up.
“I’m in a better place in my life than in I don’t know how long, man," he said. "I feel healthy, I feel happy, I feel safe, and I don’t have to worry about that no more.”
Price was one of dozens who came to the community center on Tuesday afternoon for Stop the Hate in the 918, where they got their hateful, racist, antisemitic or gang tattoos covered up, free of charge.
Stop The Hate is the brainchild of Jamy Magee, who owns The Parlour Hair and Ink in Sand Springs. Except for during COVID-19, Stop The Hate has been held annually since 2017.
Magee got the idea for the event after arguing on social media about politics. He said he'd rather make a tangible difference in the world than argue his opinion to someone who likely won't change their mind.
Magee initially did Stop The Hate out of his shop, and covered up tattoos until 4 a.m. the next morning. He was exhausted.
He wasn't going to do it again — until the wife of one of the men he tattooed ran into him.
"She started going on about how I helped her husband, covered up his tattoo. Now her kids don't see him as a monster anymore, you know, and now he's got a different job because those tattoos aren't visible anymore, and you know, I don't think either one of us had a dry eye when it was done," he said. "It was after that conversation I realized, 'Man, we gotta do it again. There's no way not to after that.'"
Fortunately for Magee, other artists have joined him for the annual event in the following years. On Tuesday, Jennifer "Tootie" Woods of Davis inked up clients in a both next to Magee.
Woods said everyone should find a way to do good in the world, and this was her way.
Magee and Woods were two of six artists at Case on Tuesday, who lined the back wall of the center's gymnasium. The gym was filled with food, hair stylists and a job fair as well.
Price said his tattoo was "just a constant reminder of the past." He's trying to look to the future.
"We can recover, and we can do better, and life is what you make it," Price said.
