CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

'I was young and dumb': Tattoo parlor's promotion to cover hate, gang tattoos for free draws dozens

Tulsa World - 9/14/2017

SAND SPRINGS - When Parlour Hair & Ink opened Tuesday - the day it had offered to cover up any gang- or hate-related tattoos for free - about 15 people already were waiting outside the door.

The tattoo parlor, at 100 N. Garfield Ave. in Sand Springs, offered the cover-ups as part of an effort to "stop the hate in the 918," a reference to the long-established Tulsa telephone area code.

The cover-ups were offered on a walk-in, first-come, first-served basis.

"I was young and dumb," said Steve Ullrich, who arrived at the shop to have a Nazi Waffen "SS" tattoo covered on his arm.

"When I was 9 years old my dad was killed in a motorcycle accident by an African-American woman ? and it really hurt my soul," he said.

Ullrich later got the tattoo "to cover up the pain, I guess - with hate," he said.

Tuesday's event at the tattoo parlor "means the world to me, because I've been wanting to get them covered up for years," Ullrich said. "It's not right."

Jamy and Erica Magee co-own the tattoo parlor, which was open from noon to 8 p.m.

"When I got here at 10:30, there were probably about 15" customers waiting, Erica Magee said. "The whole point is we want to help people who want to right any mistakes they might have made in the past.

"We want to help people with positivity. ? We want to help people who want to help themselves."

Jamy Magee said he got the idea for the event after seeing and getting involved in discussions on social media about race and politics.

Riley Bailey said he showed up Tuesday to have a Crips gang tattoo removed.

"It represents something stupid, really," he said.

Bailey explained that he got the tattoo at a time when he thought the gang was his family. Later, he said, he realized it was not his true family.

"It's time to get rid of it, man," he said. "I'm tired of my kids asking what it is."

Adam Sorden said he was waiting outside the business by about 6 a.m.

"I was at work and my mom called me" about the tattoo shop's offer, Sorden said. "I got tired of having the tattoo, tired of the hate and things going on in our community. I've wanted to get it covered up for years."

Jaben Tinsley got to the shop around 9 a.m. and had a gang tattoo covered up.

"Some of us have gang-related tattoos, some have hate-related tattoos," Tinsley said. "It's great to get free tattoo work done, especially for something you regret getting in the first place."

Erica Magee said the shop will offer a $60 credit for people who showed up Tuesday but weren't able to have tattoos covered up during shop hours.