HOW DID YOU GET INTO BOXING, AND WHAT MADE YOU BRING IT TO GREENWOOD? 

Growing up, I was pretty athletic.  I played most sports at Booker T. Washington High School. A friend of mine, an underclassman, encouraged me to try boxing. I was 17 at the time. I remember when I met my coach, Coach Reed. My mom pulled up to Frost Elementary. Of course, there were a lot of kids out there. We saw this man standing out there. My mom said, “go ask him to help you.” So, I walked up to him, and I just see this gold tooth as he starts smiling. And, he says, “I’m the coach.” … It was so funny. We had an instant connection. He trained me along with Coach Ronnie Warrior.  I fell in love with boxing that first day. 

I opened Cheyenne’s Boxing Gym in March 2019. It started with a friend of mine through Keith Ewing, who I trained in boxing. I was originally going to work with him as a real estate agent since he already had his business in Greenwood. Keith told me that he would grant me space in his commercial space for a boxing gym. I hadn’t even thought about opening a gym. I don’t have a degree in college for business, but I knew that I was a champion and a good coach. I decided to use my God-given common sense to run my business. I opened Cheyenne’s Boxing Gym.

HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE? CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THE STORY YOU HEARD? 

I learned about the Massacre through my mother, who is of Cherokee descent. My Pops is Black. I have had to understand how family members on my Indian side grew up versus how those on my black side grew up. I had questions about this and so many things. When I asked my mom, she told me “Girl, you better do your research!”  So, I did. 

When it comes to the Massacre, I realized that I didn’t really cherish the ground I was standing on until I did my own research.  I learned about Sarah Page and Dick Rowling. I also learned about a large number of businesses, boutiques, and grocery stores. I was impressed to learn so much about the Black community and how they were able to assist one another and themselves given the times they were facing and be successful. In my opinion, that same energy does not exist now, but is in the making.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO HAVE A BUSINESS ON SUCH HISTORIC GROUND? 

In a lot of ways, Greenwood is a family-oriented space. I was very welcomed by Mike at Mike’s Barbershop.  I love Mike and his boys. They always looked out for me. I also found Walter Armstrong of A Big A Bail Bond and “Mr. Cleo, the shirt guy,” to be very kind.  [Black Wall Street T. Shirts and Souvenirs]. Gina Woods of the Loc Shop on Black Wall Street always encouraged me to come and talk to her anytime I needed to talk to her or for resources. 

I also had some interesting experiences in Greenwood in 2020. On the day of the protest [Tulsa May 30, 2020, Protest related to the murder of George Floyd], my spirit was so rattled. I didn’t know what to do. So, I went to the church, I bought myself holy oil. I had a lady pray over me. I went down to the businesses; I just prayed walked around.  I anointed all of those buildings. Before we marched, I turned my radio on. I was playing and listening to Marvin Gaye, the Temptations.  I was like, “Okay. I want it to be some love in the air, because I don’t know what’s fixing to crack. “

I participated in a peaceful protest, I’m happy to say. It was so peaceful as to where if someone bumped into you, they were like, “Oh, I’m sorry!” That’s how peaceful it was.

 I will never forget that moment and the lesson. It dawned on me how real this all was. Something that occurred somewhere else can literally affect everybody to the core. This event truly hit me as a Black and Native woman. 

WHAT INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS?

When I was on Greenwood, I felt like it was my duty to run my business the best possible while looking out for the kids, the community, etcetera. I marched for Greenwood and protected it.  Once, I remember hearing through a close source that the KKK was going to be driving around. At the time, I lived five minutes away from my gym. I would get up in the middle of the night, and I’d drive down there through Greenwood and do a check.

It’s funny now because I’ve been in business for two years now.  I was only charging like $50 dollars a month.  I had one bag. It’s just so funny because when you’re so hungry for something, you’ll start with anything, you’ll do anything. It was rough starting out. I had a good support system like my closest friends and family and stuff to keep me going and my passion for the kids and the community.

I realized that I needed to charge a bit more for my business to survive for my business and make my services available to a larger community.  I was charging too little and had to pay for multiple things for the business as well as take care of my home. I started to create different packages for the community to better assist my business and home life. I also wanted to see the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce communicate more with its tenants and invest more in building maintenance. 

I am thrilled that I started my business in Greenwood. That will always mean a lot to me. I am also happy to share that I have moved the gym to the Tulsa Promenade Mall (4107 S. Yale Avenue, Suite 138). 

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF CHEYENNE’S BOXING GYM LOOK LIKE?

First, I always have to give God the glory and the honor for blessing me with the talent that I have because I didn’t know that this was what I would be doing. My inspiration would be him, my mother, and the kids. I work to teach discipline, life skills, and boxing. Hopefully, I can turn at least one into a champion. All I need is one. 

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The interview was edited for length and clarity. Transcriptions by LaJenna Thomas.

To cite this interview, use the following citation: Brandy Thomas Wells, Interview with Cheyenne McKinney, April 2021, Brandy Thomas Wells, ed., Women of Black Wall Street, https://blackwallstreetwomen.com/cheyenne-mckinney-cheyennes-boxing-gym/