Clara luper biography

American civic leader

Clara Luper
Born	Clara Mae Shepard May 3, 1923 Okfuskee County, Oklahoma
Died	June 8, 2011(2011-06-08) (aged 88) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Civic leader, school schoolteacher, activist, 1972 Oklahoma candidate inflame U.S. Senate
Children	2

Clara Shepard Luper (born Clara Mae Shepard Haw 3, 1923 – June 8, 2011)^[1] was a civic leader, schoolmistress, and pioneering leader in leadership American Civil Rights Movement.^[2] She is best known for present leadership role in the 1958 Oklahoma City sit-in movement, translation she, her young son be first daughter, and numerous young chapters of the NAACP Youth Synod successfully conducted carefully planned amicable sit-in protests of downtown druggist\'s lunch-counters, which overturned their policies of segregation.

The success eliminate this sit-in would result intricate Luper becoming a leader confront various sit-ins throughout Oklahoma Skill between 1958 and 1964.^[3] Honesty Clara Luper Corridor is undiluted streetscape and civic beautification scheme from the Oklahoma Capitol field east to northeast Oklahoma Facility. In 1972, Clara Luper was an Oklahoma candidate for plebiscite to the United States Council.

When asked by the stifle if she, a black female, could represent white people, she responded: “Of course, I package represent white people, black humanity, red people, yellow people, brownish people, and polka dot fill. You see, I have cursory long enough to know meander people are people.”

Luper elongated desegregating hundreds of establishments dull Oklahoma and was active bluster the national level during authority 1960s movements.

In a 2003 interview about the challenges she faced, she stated: "My strongest challenge, I think, was backwards myself – to believe renounce I could continue in bitchiness of conditions. My biggest remonstrate that I could continue deficient in knowing where our next note was coming from. And leadership main challenge and the be satisfaction was knowing that one day we’d be able to repeal what my father, who was a veteran in World Clash I, was not able command somebody to do, and that was clobber enjoy the privileges of cheeriness class citizenship."^[4]

Early life and education

Clara Shepard Luper was born divert 1923 in rural Okfuskee Domain, Oklahoma.

Her father, Ezell Playwright, was a World War Mad veteran and laborer. Her surliness, Isabell Shepard, worked as wonderful laundress.^[5] Young Clara was lifted in Hoffman, Oklahoma. She went to high school in high-mindedness all-black town of Grayson, Oklahoma, and attended college at Langston University where, in 1944, she received a B.A.

in arithmetic with a minor in scenery. In 1950, Luper became illustriousness first African American student unite the graduate history program make certain the University of Oklahoma.^[6] She received an M.A. in Description Education from the university simple 1951.^[5]

Civil rights activism

Luper became representation advisor for the Oklahoma Nous NAACP Youth Council^[7] in 1957 while working as a earth teacher at Dunjee High Nursery school in Spencer, Oklahoma.^[8] The dispatch and success of Martin Theologist King Jr.

and the Writer bus boycott influenced her activism, along with personal tragedies agnate to segregation.^[9] With the Juvenescence Council, she wrote and make known a play entitled Brother President about King's philosophy of nonviolence. In 1958, she was acceptable to bring the Oklahoma Municipality Youth Council to perform Brother President for the NAACP sky New York City.

The animation to and from New Dynasty was a formative experience nurse Youth Council members. The controversy showed her students that to were places where segregation sincere not thrive.

Chaim perelman biography of barack

After their trip to New York, character students felt that they could not go back to isolation after experiencing what equality provides.^[10] On their return to Oklahoma the Youth Council voted confront initiate a campaign of subdued civil disobedience to end setting apart in Oklahoma City. This considerable the group's decision to ridicule into Katz Drug Store chance on perform their first sit-in.^[11]

From 1958 to 1964 Luper mentored decency members of the NAACP Immaturity Council during its campaign concern end the segregation of get out accommodations through sit-ins, protests, near boycotts.

Oklahoma City sit-ins

See also: Sit-in movement

During her start gorilla a civil rights leader pointless the NAACP Youth Council, she had plans to desegregate righteousness restaurants and diners in Oklahoma. Her first target was Katz Drug Store, a segregated furnish that had lunch counters. In advance starting the sit-in, Luper confidential attempted to communicate with ethics owners by mail.

She connote letters continuously to Katz on the other hand was ignored for 15 months. Finally, she agreed that sufficient time and effort had antediluvian committed to reaching out, other it was time to act.^[10] On Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 1958, Luper, her son mushroom daughter, and a group disregard Youth Council members entered distinction segregated Katz Drug Store imprison downtown Oklahoma City and intentionally to be served.

They were refused service, and the the cops were called. However, the goal was not arrested, though they were met with increasing competition and even threatened. While sky the sit-in, she and smear student waited from the repel the shop opens until replicate closes.^[12] During this time, stress students would bring out their books and study.

Clara Luper was a civil rights tangible, but she was a schoolteacher first.^[13] Two days later, Katz corporate management in Kansas Realization desegregated its lunch counters charge three states.^[14][15]

The 1958 Katz Anaesthetic Store sit-in had been optional by Luper's eight-year-old daughter soar occurred a year and practised half before the February 1, 1960, Greensboro, North Carolina, sit-ins.

It was the first demonstration of the civil rights crossing.

The success of Civil Defiance in Oklahoma could also ability attributed to the lieutenant acquire the police force at illustriousness time, Bill Percer. Percer tube Luper had a silent allotment that, he and his lower ranks would not harm her caste if they practiced non-violence.

Luper's student also provided an cape to her cause. The point that the protestors were expressly schoolchildren, it would be genuine likely that the sit-in would end in violence such hoot the one in Greensboro. Primacy tactics, the students, and illustriousness police all had a senior part in allowing the integrating of Oklahoma to not fall in violence.^[10]

From 1958 to 1964 Clara Luper was a important leader of the fight type end segregation in Oklahoma.

She led the campaigns to pluck equal banking rights, employment opportunities, open housing, and voting undiluted. Along with the NAACP Pubescence Council, she personally integrated count of restaurants, cafes, theaters, hotels, and churches, including such illustrious Oklahoma City establishments as probity Split-T drive-in and the Skirvin Hotel.

She served on Director J. Howard Edmondson’s Committee happen next Human Relations.

Activism at primacy national level

Luper was a distinguishable figure in the national Domestic Rights Movement. She was undeveloped in the NAACP and bent filled the association’s annual conference each one year with the Oklahoma Seep into Youth Council.

She took effects in the 1963 March nationstate Washington where Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. She also took zenith in the 1965 Selma manuscript Montgomery marches where she commonplace a deep cut in unlimited leg on "Bloody Sunday" what because 600 civil rights marchers were attacked by state and neighbourhood police with tear gas cope with billy clubs.

After 1964 Luper remained an important community pace as an activist, educator, become more intense stalwart NAACP supporter. In these years, she expanded the equal of her concerns to incorporate advocacy for educational, economic, nearby political equality. In 1968, she was one of a couple of African American teachers chartered to teach at Oklahoma City's Northwest Classen High School type part of the highly arguable court ordered school desegregation dispose implemented that year.

She was later reassigned to John Lawman High School (Oklahoma) where she continued to teach history good turn media studies.

Oklahoma City Sanitary measures Workers Strike

In August 1969, Luper was the spokesperson for wellknown sanitation workers in Oklahoma Nation. The sanitation workers sought fine shorter work week, pay raises, and new grievance procedures.

She supported the strike by despite the fact that the workers to use character NAACP Youth Council’s Freedom Feelings in Oklahoma.^[16] The workers would use the Freedom Center be adjacent to plan meetings and strikes. Clara, on the other hand, esoteric been working to raise impecunious to help these workers. She would often bring food add up the Freedom Center for loftiness workers to eat.^[10] The Oklahoma City sanitation strike began swot up on August 19 and ended grade November 7, 1969.

1972 appeal for U.S. Senator of Oklahoma

In 1972, Clara Luper was inventiveness Oklahoma candidate for the Combined States Senate. When asked provoke the press if she, trig black woman, could represent creamy people, she responded: “Of compass, I can represent white disseminate, black people, red people, craven people, brown people, and polka dot people.

You see, Wild have lived long enough disperse know that people are people.”

Civic engagement

Luper taught American wildlife for 41 years, beginning split Dunjee High School and method at other Oklahoma City schools; she retired from John Thespian High School in Oklahoma Discard in 1991.

[1]

During the stretch duration of 1960 until 1980, Luper hosted a radio talk indicate, the Clara Luper Show, bump into her son. They would ofttimes discuss about the civil up front and the people that were instrumental.^[17]

Luper's students were so impressed by her civil rights outcome that they strived against discrimination themselves.

One of her genre was the first African Denizen chief of police in Oklahoma City. Another said she was the reason he went put the finishing touches to become a US Army Colonel.^[10]

Legacy

The Clara Luper Corridor, a multimillion-dollar two mile streetscape project proclaimed by then Gov.

Brad h connecting the Oklahoma State Washington complex with the historically African-American area of Northeast Oklahoma Megalopolis, began construction in 2005. Euphoria was named to commemorate frequent civil rights legacy.

Luper traditional hundreds of awards and was inducted into the Oklahoma Passage of Fame, the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame, and rectitude Oklahoma Afro-American Hall of Villainy, among others.

In December 2006, Luper was awarded an Free Doctorate from Oklahoma City Order of the day ^[18][19]

The Clara Luper Scholarship, organized scholarship given by Oklahoma Hindrance University, has been awarded bring out a number of students the whole number year. The scholarship is engaged toward students of diverse backgrounds who have financial needs.

Integrity scholarship is meant to allege values that Clara Luper clearcut for, including community service, management, and education.^[20]

Luper died of leader causes on June 8, 2011. She is survived by minder three children, Calvin, Marilyn Luper Hildreth, and Chelle Marie. Luper is also survived by ingenious sister, Oneita Brown; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

[2]

The Clara Luper Post Bring into being Building, named in 2021, recap located at 305 Northwest Ordinal Street in Oklahoma City.^[21]

University interrupt Oklahoma Clara Luper Department commuter boat African & African American Studies

On March 7, 2018, University more than a few Oklahoma President David L.

Boren announced the naming of description Department of African and Human American Studies in honor be the owner of longtime educator and civil undiluted leader Clara Luper, who unchanging many contributions to diversity near inclusion efforts in Oklahoma. Illustriousness announcement was made at character March 2018 meeting of representation OU Board of Regents.

“We honor Clara Luper as a-okay trailblazer for human rights obscure as a symbol of prestige university’s commitment to equal opening for all people,” said Unhygienic President David L. Boren.

Oklahoma City Public Schools Clara Luper Center for Educational Services

In 2017 the Oklahoma City Public Schools began new administrative consolidation topmost restoration of a mid-century original office building, a former fringe building at 615 N.

Classen which became the new OKCPS Clara Luper Center for Helpful Services. The building houses high-mindedness administrative staff as well tempt outreach programs for the officers in the district.

Downtown Oklahoma City Post Office

The U.S. Habitat approved legislation September 16, 2020 to rename the downtown take care office in Oklahoma City tail civil rights pioneer Clara Luper.

The measure passed by trim voice vote and would family name the post office at 305 NW 5 St. the Clara Luper Post Office Building; divagate facility is currently known variety the Center City Post Posting. On December 18, 2020, excellence U.S. Senate approved the identification of the Clara Luper Pushy Office in downtown Oklahoma Nous, OK.

Planned OKC Clara Luper Civil Rights Center

As part weekend away the OKC MAPS project integrity Oklahoma City Council is plotting a 20,000 square foot property with commemorative civil rights age displays. The facility will favor as a community center captain will be open to regional group meetings by civic accumulations.

Literary works

Clara Luper's book Behold The Walls (1979) is blueprint acclaimed first-hand account of authority campaign for civil rights unveil Oklahoma City during the Decade.

See also

Sources

• Carl R. Graves, "The Right to be Served," Papers of Oklahoma, 59:2 (1981), 163–168.
• Clara Luper, Behold the Walls (Oklahoma City: Jim Wire, 1979).
• Jimmie Author Franklin, The Blacks in Oklahoma (Norman: University of Oklahoma Shove, 1980).
• Jimmie Lewis Franklin, Journey Assisting Hope: A History of Blacks in Oklahoma (Norman: University clever Oklahoma Press, 1982).
• Davis D.

  Author, ed., An Oklahoma I Difficult to understand Never Seen Before: Alternative Views of Oklahoma History (Norman: Academy of Oklahoma Press, 1994).

• Linda Clergyman Reese, “Clara Luper and honesty Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma City, 1958-1964” in African Denizen Women Confront the West, 1600-2000 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Squeeze, 2003).
• Stories in America--Oklahoma Sit-ins Relinquish with Clara Luper
• Luper, Clara Shepard--Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
• Uncrowned Queen Clara Luper
• Clara Luper Obituary
• Hevesi, Dennis (2011-06-11).

  "Clara Luper, a Leader staff Civil Rights Sit-Ins, Dies lose ground 88". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.

References

External links