Oklahoma Courage Sparks National Movement
This month we observe an anniversary that is significant not only for Oklahoma City and the State of Oklahoma, but for our nation as a whole. Fifty years ago, on August 19, 1958, a courageous woman named Clara Luper led 13 children in a sit-in at Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma City and launched a national movement against segregation.
The Katz protest, which Clara organized with the help of the NAACP Youth Council, was the first sit-in of the civil rights movement. The brave stand that Clara and those children took in downtown Oklahoma City would inspire thousands more across the U.S.
The protesters were taunted, spat on and pelted with food and drink. Clara had taught the children about nonviolent protest, and those determined young people never reacted violently or gave in to the insults. Each day the number of protesters grew until more than 60 youths sat silently, waiting for their Cokes and hamburgers.
It took several weeks, but eventually the students were served at Katz. The sit-ins then moved to other lunch counters and restaurants around Oklahoma City over the next four years until many of the city’s eating establishments accepted integration.
The Katz sit-in teaches us it only takes an individual, or a small group of people, to make a difference in the world. It’s no surprise, then, that all 13 youth who sat down in Katz on August 19 continued to pursue their dreams. All went to college, and many earned graduate degrees at a time when African Americans faced significant obstacles in higher education.
It is impossible to overstate the courage shown by Clara Luper and the young people who sat patiently and tenaciously waiting to be served. Against incredible pressure, they stood against laws they knew to be unjust. In doing so, they brought our country a step closer to keeping its promise of freedom and equality for all.
The era of segregation was a shameful time in the history of the United States and the state of Oklahoma. Today, we are proud of the brave Oklahomans who fought with patience and resolve, rather than violence, against such discrimination. Because of their courage and passion for justice, Oklahoma is a better place.
If you have questions or comments, please write me at the Office of the Governor, Room 212, Oklahoma City OK 73105 or visit the “Contact the Governor” section of my website, www.governor.ok.gov.
