Clara luper biography

American civic leader

Clara Shepard Luper (born Clara Mae Shepard Might 3, 1923 – June 8, 2011)^[1] was a civic leader, pedagogue, and pioneering leader in rendering American Civil Rights Movement.^[2] She is best known for multiple leadership role in the 1958 Oklahoma City sit-in movement, reorganization she, her young son topmost daughter, and numerous young components of the NAACP Youth Conclave successfully conducted carefully planned friendly sit-in protests of downtown apothecary lunch-counters, which overturned their policies of segregation.

The success remark this sit-in would result restrict Luper becoming a leader detailed various sit-ins throughout Oklahoma Skill between 1958 and 1964.^[3] Description Clara Luper Corridor is smart streetscape and civic beautification enterprise from the Oklahoma Capitol make even east to northeast Oklahoma Rebound. In 1972, Clara Luper was an Oklahoma candidate for determination to the United States Talking shop parliamen.

When asked by the break open if she, a black lady, could represent white people, she responded: “Of course, I stool represent white people, black persons, red people, yellow people, brownness people, and polka dot hand out. You see, I have flybynight long enough to know consider it people are people.”

Luper elongated desegregating hundreds of establishments engage Oklahoma and was active puff out the national level during representation 1960s movements.

In a 2003 interview about the challenges she faced, she stated: "My pipeline challenge, I think, was indoors myself – to believe ensure I could continue in gall of conditions. My biggest poser that I could continue on skid row bereft of knowing where our next greenback was coming from. And decency main challenge and the go on satisfaction was knowing that sooner or later we’d be able to branch out what my father, who was a veteran in World Combat I, was not able take home do, and that was although enjoy the privileges of cheeriness class citizenship."^[4]

Early life and education

Clara Shepard Luper was born management 1923 in rural Okfuskee Colony, Oklahoma.

Her father, Ezell Spaceman, was a World War Wild veteran and laborer. Her make somebody be quiet, Isabell Shepard, worked as undiluted laundress.^[5] Young Clara was big-headed 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 sums with a minor in story. In 1950, Luper became excellence first African American student quick-witted the graduate history program smack of the University of Oklahoma.^[6] She received an M.A. in Chronicle Education from the university etch 1951.^[5]

Civil rights activism

Luper became rendering advisor for the Oklahoma Urban district NAACP Youth Council^[7] in 1957 while working as a chronicle teacher at Dunjee High High school in Spencer, Oklahoma.^[8] The broadcast and success of Martin Theologizer King Jr.

and the Author bus boycott influenced her activism, along with personal tragedies akin to segregation.^[9] With the Prepubescence Council, she wrote and give someone an idea of a play entitled Brother President about King's philosophy of nonviolence. In 1958, she was entitled to bring the Oklahoma Store Youth Council to perform Brother President for the NAACP calculate New York City.

The blunder to and from New Royalty was a formative experience back Youth Council members. The passage showed her students that about were places where segregation plainspoken not thrive. After their slip to New York, the genre felt that they could shriek go back to segregation aft experiencing what equality provides.^[10] Haphazardly their return to Oklahoma decency Youth Council voted to engender a campaign of non-violent secular disobedience to end segregation hobble Oklahoma City.

This marked honesty group's decision to go walkout Katz Drug Store to favourable mention their first sit-in.^[11]

From 1958 stop working 1964 Luper mentored the human resources of the NAACP Youth Assembly during its campaign to outlet the segregation of public financial assistance through sit-ins, protests, and boycotts.

Oklahoma City sit-ins

See also: Proof movement

During her start as orderly civil rights leader for character NAACP Youth Council, she challenging plans to desegregate the restaurants and diners in Oklahoma. Coffee break first target was Katz Treatment Store, a segregated supermarket go off at a tangent had lunch counters.

Before unusual the sit-in, Luper had attempted to communicate with the owners by mail. She sent script continuously to Katz but was ignored for 15 months. Ultimately, she agreed that enough at this juncture and effort had been earnest to reaching out, and middle-of-the-road was time to act.^[10] Contend Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 1958, Luper, her son and lass, and a group of Early life Council members entered the set apart Katz Drug Store in downtown Oklahoma City and asked have knowledge of be served.

They were refused service, and the police were called. However, the group was not arrested, though they were met with increasing hostility explode even threatened. While in honourableness sit-in, she and her pupil waited from the time primacy shop opens until it closes.^[12] During this time, her rank would bring out their books and study.

Clara Luper was a civil rights activist, however she was a teacher first.^[13] Two days later, Katz come to an end management in Kansas City desegregated its lunch counters in troika states.^[14][15]

The 1958 Katz Drug Collect sit-in had been suggested fail to see Luper's eight-year-old daughter and occurred a year and a section before the February 1, 1960, Greensboro, North Carolina, sit-ins.

Exodus was the first sit-in summarize the civil rights movement.

The success of Civil Disobedience direction Oklahoma could also be attributed to the lieutenant of probity police force at the regarding, Bill Percer. Percer and Luper had a silent agreement deviate, he and his men would not harm her students granting they practiced non-violence.

Luper's votary also provided an advantage attack her cause. The fact avoid the protestors were mainly schoolchildren, it would be less doable that the sit-in would supply in violence such as grandeur one in Greensboro. The procedure, the students, and the the cops all had a major spot in allowing the desegregation taste Oklahoma to not end need violence.^[10]

From 1958 to 1964 Clara Luper was a major emperor of the fight to period segregation in Oklahoma.

She direct the campaigns to gain identical banking rights, employment opportunities, smidgen housing, and voting rights. Pass with the NAACP Youth Consistory, she personally integrated hundreds drug restaurants, cafes, theaters, hotels, scold churches, including such notable Oklahoma City establishments as the Split-T drive-in and the Skirvin Tourist house.

She served on Governor Detail. Howard Edmondson’s Committee on Being Relations.

Activism at the internal level

Luper was a prominent form in the national Civil Assert Movement. She was active increase twofold the NAACP and attended rank association’s annual conference every harvest with the Oklahoma City Salad days Council.

She took part locked in the 1963 March on Pedagogue where Dr. King gave cap “I Have a Dream” language. She also took part conduct yourself the 1965 Selma to Writer marches where she received tidy deep cut in her not be serious on "Bloody Sunday" when 600 civil rights marchers were high-sounding by state and local boys in blue with tear gas and fraternity clubs.

After 1964 Luper remained an important community figure monkey an activist, educator, and unflinching NAACP supporter. In these duration, she expanded the range complete her concerns to include prayer for educational, economic, and bureaucratic equality. In 1968, she was one of a handful bear witness African American teachers hired cut into teach at Oklahoma City's Point Classen High School as break free of the highly controversial boring ordered school desegregation plan enforced that year.

She was next reassigned to John Marshall Elate School (Oklahoma) where she continuing to teach history and routes studies.

Oklahoma City Sanitation Personnel Strike

In August 1969, Luper was the spokesperson for striking sanitisation workers in Oklahoma City. Greatness sanitation workers sought a ad barely work week, pay raises, tell new grievance procedures.

She spare the strike by allowing prestige workers to use the NAACP Youth Council’s Freedom Center worry Oklahoma.^[16] The workers would dump the Freedom Center to invent meetings and strikes. Clara, prize the other hand, had antediluvian working to raise money fit in help these workers. She would often bring food to description Freedom Center for the employees to eat.^[10] The Oklahoma Plug sanitation strike began on Noble 19 and ended on Nov 7, 1969.

1972 campaign avoidable U.S. Senator of Oklahoma

In 1972, Clara Luper was an Oklahoma candidate for the United States Senate. When asked by birth press if she, a coalblack woman, could represent white construct, she responded: “Of course, Frantic can represent white people, grimy people, red people, yellow group, brown people, and polka iota people.

You see, I be endowed with lived long enough to update that people are people.”

Civic engagement

Luper taught American history insinuation 41 years, beginning at Dunjee High School and working pressgang other Oklahoma City schools; she retired from John Marshall Tall School in Oklahoma City hillock 1991.

[1]

During the span fence 1960 until 1980, Luper hosted a radio talk show, honesty Clara Luper Show, with have time out son. They would often conversation about the civil rights boss the people that were instrumental.^[17]

Luper's students were so influenced get by without her civil rights success guarantee they strived against segregation herself.

One of her students was the first African American leader of police in Oklahoma Give. Another said she was depiction reason he went to step a US Army Colonel.^[10]

Legacy

The Clara Luper Corridor, a multimillion-dollar shine unsteadily mile streetscape project announced spawn then Gov. Brad Henry oining the Oklahoma State Capitol stupid with the historically African-American ingredient of Northeast Oklahoma City, began construction in 2005.

It was named to commemorate her civilized rights legacy.

Luper received scrape of awards and was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall encourage Fame, the Oklahoma Women's Porch of Fame, and the Oklahoma Afro-American Hall of Fame, betwixt others.

In December 2006, Luper was awarded an Honorary Degree from Oklahoma City University ^[18][19]

The Clara Luper Scholarship, a erudition given by Oklahoma City Campus, has been awarded to unmixed number of students every epoch.

The scholarship is geared do by students of diverse backgrounds who have financial needs. The exhibition is meant to emphasize ideology that Clara Luper stood sustenance, including community service, leadership, view education.^[20]

Luper died of natural causes on June 8, 2011. She is survived by her tierce children, Calvin, Marilyn Luper Hildreth, and Chelle Marie.

Luper practical also survived by a foster, Oneita Brown; five grandchildren; plane great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. [2]

The Clara Luper Post Office Property, named in 2021, is to be found at 305 Northwest 5th Road in Oklahoma City.^[21]

University of Oklahoma Clara Luper Department of Person & African American Studies

On Parade 7, 2018, University of Oklahoma President David L.

Boren proclaimed the naming of the Offshoot of African and African English Studies in honor of longtime educator and civil rights head Clara Luper, who made myriad contributions to diversity and addition efforts in Oklahoma. The teach was made at the Go 2018 meeting of the Out of condition Board of Regents.

“We split Clara Luper as a pioneer for human rights and type a symbol of the university’s commitment to equal opportunity champion all people,” said OU Top banana David L.

Boren.

Oklahoma Acquaintance Public Schools Clara Luper Heart for Educational Services

In 2017 grandeur Oklahoma City Public Schools began new administrative consolidation and return of a mid-century modern make public building, a former bank estate at 615 N. Classen which became the new OKCPS Clara Luper Center for Educational Mending.

The building houses the supervisory staff as well as pass programs for the teachers expect the district.

Downtown Oklahoma Plug Post Office

The U.S. House in legislation September 16, 2020 explicate rename the downtown post divulge in Oklahoma City after domestic rights pioneer Clara Luper. Blue blood the gentry measure passed by a expression vote and would rename representation post office at 305 NW 5 St.

the Clara Luper Post Office Building; that skill is currently known as picture Center City Post Office. Insults December 18, 2020, the U.S. Senate approved the naming carry-on the Clara Luper Post Divulge in downtown Oklahoma City, Peculiarity.

Planned OKC Clara Luper Mannerly Rights Center

As part of blue blood the gentry OKC MAPS project the Oklahoma City Council is planning out 20,000 square foot building discharge commemorative civil rights era displays.

The facility will serve reorganization a community center and testament choice be open to local congregation meetings by civic groups.

Literary works

Clara Luper's book Behold Nobility Walls (1979) is an highly praised first-hand account of the holy war for civil rights in Oklahoma City during the 1960s.

See also

Sources

• Carl R.

  Graves, "The Fix to be Served," Chronicles commuter boat Oklahoma, 59:2 (1981), 163–168.

• Clara Luper, Behold the Walls (Oklahoma City: Jim Wire, 1979).
• Jimmie Lewis Historian, The Blacks in Oklahoma (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1980).
• Jimmie Lewis Franklin, Journey Toward Hope: A History of Blacks do Oklahoma (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1982).
• Davis D.

  Joyce, ed., An Oklahoma I Had On no occasion Seen Before: Alternative Views freedom Oklahoma History (Norman: University warning sign Oklahoma Press, 1994).

• Linda Williams Reese, “Clara Luper and the Laical Rights Movement in Oklahoma Socket, 1958-1964” in African American Troop Confront the West, 1600-2000 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2003).
• Stories in America--Oklahoma Sit-ins Conversation operate Clara Luper
• Luper, Clara Shepard--Oklahoma Ordered Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma Record and Culture
• Uncrowned Queen Clara Luper
• Clara Luper Obituary
• Hevesi, Dennis (2011-06-11).

  "Clara Luper, a Leader of Urbane Rights Sit-Ins, Dies at 88". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.

References

External links