These men know how to roll with the punches. A decade ago, Cornel Williams (right) created Tulsa Crime Monthly — the satirical tabloid famous for its copy-and-pasted illustrations and bold, all-capped analyses of crime and politics in T-Town — to heighten awareness of violent crimes after a close friend was murdered. Next to him is his good friend Keith Reed, a lifelong boxer who established the Reed Foundation in 2006 as a place for at-risk youth to learn discipline and respect through pugilism. About 60 kids between the ages of 5 and 19 come to Reed’s gym every day for tough love (and also lunch) from the tenderhearted fighter who’s committed to keeping Tulsa’s kids on the straight and narrow.

Originally published in This Land, Vol. 5, Issue 14, July 15, 2014.