SAND SPRINGS – Nine years ago, Jamie McGee first gave people a chance to change their lives.
McGee, Sand Springs tattoo artist at Parlor Hair & Ink, initially created Stop the Hate, an event giving free tattoo cover-ups for anyone with hate, gang or racially related tattoos, to help people take action toward a second chance.
“They’re here to change their lives, and those people are easy to spot,” McGee said. “They’re happy to tell you, they’re singing praises from the rooftops, and it’s just an honor to be able to do something like that for somebody, to have that much impact in their life is crazy to me.”
Describing himself in words such as ‘goofy tattoo artist’ who ‘draws pictures for a living,’ McGee said he never imagined that what once began with simply him and his booth would grow to the now 21 tattoo artists who are a part of the cause.
“I think it’s a testament to Oklahoma,” McGee said. “I think there’s a lot of good people here, and it’s crazy to me that one or two other people would be willing to show up here and donate their time when normally, their [tattoos] are $1,000 bucks, $1,500 bucks a day, and they’re just gonna show up here and do it all for free. And now there’s 21 of them, so, like, it’s crazy to me; Oklahoma is an amazing place.”
Outside of the 21 artists is Jameson O’Connor, cofounder and pastor of Hope Dealerz, a street outreach organization in the Tulsa area since 2020.
O’Connor saw what McGee was doing and thought to add another layer through giving away free sacks of groceries, Narcan and Bibles.
At the Stop the Hate event, O’Connor’s hope was to bring a different aspect to bring those donating their time and those receiving help come together.
“So, that’s really our key, is to give people hope,” O’Connor said. “Let people know there are people out there that love them, and that there is a way to live a new life, and that’s through Jesus.”
Cynthia Wilson, who attended the event to cover up a gang-related tattoo from when she was only 14 years old, recognized Saturday as ‘just another part of her testimony.’
“I think it just means that I’m just continuing in that walk, and I’m taking those next steps to keep changing and keep growing,” Cynthia said.
In Cynthia’s eyes, the changes begin internally before making changes that people feel before looking in the mirror.
“I was broken, addicted, homeless, in and out of prison,andtoday,Istandhere three years clean,” Cynthia said. “I’m a case manager for a court services program for the city of Tulsa and the mental health association of Oklahoma, and it’s just a huge inspiration that people are doing things like this for free to help people who are trying to make that change.”
Among the 21 artists donating their time is Brian Spitz from Studio 205 in Ponca City, who believes people being comfortable in their own skin is important when it comes to accepting themselves.
“I’ve been in a lot of dumb situations and made bad decisions, and I got a second chance,” Spitz said. “I think everybody deserves one.”
Alongside Spitz as well as a friend and apprentice of McGee was Scott Wilson from Toxic Monkey Tattoo in Tulsa.
Wilson has been a part of Stop the Hate for six years and enjoys giving back to his community.
“Just hope they leave with a positive mindset, and know that what you have on your body doesn’t hold you back,” Wilson said.
Also volunteering their Saturday was Sara Atchison and Meg Bowen.
Atchison is a five-year volunteer and became hooked that first year through meeting and learning of people’s stories.
A particular story that stayed with her was one of a man who didn’t even want to go to the lake with his son due to questions about his tattoos. She recalled his excitement that day of finally getting them covered up.
“The second chances, like, they’re just so excited to not have that anymore for the things they did when they were younger,” Atchison said.
Bowen, a therapist, is a believer in second chances as well.
“A lot of the time people do things when they’re young, and as they get older and wiser, they realize ‘I need to get rid of this part of me to help myself progress and heal,’” Bowen said.
Beginning that process 10 years ago is Tammi Hart who is proud to be in attendance beside Cynthia Wilson, her friend of 11 years, and for herself as well.
Hart advocates for abused children and does speak outs through her belief in second chances and the beginning of her being ‘a new girl.’
“I’m proud of myself,” Hart said. “You know, it’s a hard struggle in life, and we got to make changes sometimes. And this new person that I’ve become in the last 10 years has made me who I am today.”
In attendance at the event for the second-year is Bree Holnes.
“I have a very lengthy history of gang activity in my past, and I’ve been cleaning now for like six years, and changed my path when I had my daughter,” Holnes said. “I came here last year and got these [tattoos] covered up, so I’m here to go for another round.”
She attributed her attendance this year to the experience of those donating their time to help not only her with the things she’s been through, but others as well.
Holnes said before getting her first cover up last year, the decision process was gradual.
“I got pregnant with my daughter, I got clean, and then I slowly started changing my ways of thinking,” Holnes said. “And then that’s whenever it became a thing that I was like, ‘Okay, I don’t want to live that life anymore.’” Holnes said as she leaves the event, she feels like a new person, beginning a new chapter in her life and hopes her daughter can learn from her and to think before she makes her choices.
“We’re just goofy tattoo artists, man,” McGee said. “Like, so to just do our thing, and have an impact on somebody’s life – to me, it’s as good as it gets, you go to conventions and win trophies and all that fun stuff, none of that compares to this, this is way more valuable to me.”