Clara Luper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clara Luper
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Clara Mae Shepard
May 3, 1923 |
| Died | June 8, 2011 (aged 88) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Civic leader, school teacher, activist, 1972 Oklahoma candidate for U.S. Senate |
| Children | 2 |
Clara Shepard Luper (born Clara Mae Shepard; May 3, 1923 – June 8, 2011) was an important leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. She was also a dedicated schoolteacher. Clara Luper is best known for leading the 1958 Oklahoma City sit-ins. She, her children, and young members of the NAACP Youth Council helped end segregation at lunch counters.
Her success led her to lead many other sit-ins in Oklahoma City. This happened between 1958 and 1964. Clara Luper helped desegregate hundreds of places in Oklahoma. She was also active in the national Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s.
When asked if she, a Black woman, could represent white people, she said: “Of course, I can represent white people, black people, red people, yellow people, brown people, and polka dot people. You see, I have lived long enough to know that people are people.”
Contents
Early Life and Education
Clara Shepard Luper was born in 1923 in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma. Her father, Ezell Shepard, was a World War I veteran. Her mother, Isabell Shepard, worked as a laundress. Clara grew up in Hoffman, Oklahoma.
She went to high school in the all-Black town of Grayson, Oklahoma. In 1944, she earned a degree in math from Langston University. In 1950, Luper became the first African American student in the history graduate program at the University of Oklahoma. She earned her master's degree in 1951.
Leading the Way for Civil Rights
In 1957, Luper became an advisor for the Oklahoma City NAACP Youth Council. She was a history teacher at Dunjee High School at the time. She was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery bus boycott. She also saw how segregation hurt people.
With the Youth Council, she wrote a play called Brother President. It was about King's ideas of nonviolence. In 1958, she took the Youth Council to New York City to perform the play.
The Trip to New York City
The trip to New York was very important for the students. They saw places where segregation did not exist. After this trip, the students felt they could not go back to segregation. They had experienced what equality felt like.
When they returned to Oklahoma, the Youth Council decided to start protests. They wanted to end segregation in Oklahoma City. This led to their first sit-in at Katz Drug Store.
From 1958 to 1964, Luper guided the NAACP Youth Council. They worked to end segregation in public places. They used sit-ins, protests, and boycotts.
The Oklahoma City Sit-ins
Clara Luper wanted to desegregate restaurants in Oklahoma. Her first target was Katz Drug Store. This store had segregated lunch counters. Before the sit-in, Luper tried to talk to the owners. She sent letters for 15 months, but they ignored her.
On August 19, 1958, Luper, her children, and Youth Council members went to Katz Drug Store. They asked to be served at the segregated lunch counter. They were refused service. The police were called, but the group was not arrested. They faced hostility and threats.
Luper and her students waited from opening to closing time. The students even brought their books to study. Clara Luper was a civil rights activist, but she was a teacher first. Two days later, Katz corporate management in Kansas City ended segregation at its lunch counters in three states.
Luper's eight-year-old daughter suggested the 1958 Katz Drug Store sit-in. It happened a year and a half before the famous Greensboro, North Carolina, sit-ins in 1960. It was the first sit-in of the civil rights movement.
The success in Oklahoma was also due to Police Lieutenant Bill Percer. He and Luper had an agreement. He would not harm her students if they remained non-violent. The fact that most protestors were schoolchildren also helped. It made violence less likely.
From 1958 to 1964, Clara Luper was a key leader in the fight against segregation in Oklahoma. She led efforts for equal banking, jobs, housing, and voting rights. With the NAACP Youth Council, she personally helped integrate many places. These included restaurants, theaters, hotels, and churches.
Making a Difference Nationally
Luper was also important in the national Civil Rights Movement. She went to the NAACP's yearly conference with the Oklahoma City Youth Council. She took part in the 1963 March on Washington. This is where Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.
She also joined the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. During "Bloody Sunday", she was hurt when police attacked marchers.
After 1964, Luper remained an important community figure. She continued to be an activist and educator. She worked for equal education, economy, and politics. In 1968, she taught at Northwest Classen High School as part of a school desegregation plan. Later, she taught history at John Marshall High School (Oklahoma).
Helping Sanitation Workers
In 1969, Luper spoke for striking sanitation workers in Oklahoma City. These workers wanted better pay and working conditions. She supported them by letting them use the NAACP Youth Council’s Freedom Center. The workers used it for meetings and planning. Clara also raised money and brought food for the workers. The strike lasted from August to November 1969.
Running for U.S. Senate
In 1972, Clara Luper ran for the United States Senate in Oklahoma. A reporter asked if she, a Black woman, could represent white people. She famously replied: “Of course, I can represent white people, black people, red people, yellow people, brown people, and polka dot people. You see, I have lived long enough to know that people are people.”
Civic Engagement and Legacy
Luper taught American history for 41 years. She retired from John Marshall High School in 1991.
From 1960 to 1980, Luper hosted a radio talk show called The Clara Luper Show. She discussed civil rights with her son.
Her students were greatly inspired by her work. One student became the first African American chief of police in Oklahoma City. Another became a U.S. Army Colonel because of her.
Death
Clara Luper passed away on June 8, 2011, from natural causes.
Honoring Clara Luper
The Clara Luper Corridor is a street project in Oklahoma City. It connects the Oklahoma State Capitol with a historic African-American area. It was named in her honor in 2005.
Luper received many awards. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame.
In 2006, she received an Honorary Doctorate from Oklahoma City University. The Clara Luper Scholarship is given by Oklahoma City University. It helps students from diverse backgrounds who need financial help. The scholarship promotes community service, leadership, and education.
The Clara Luper Post Office Building was named in 2021. It is located in Oklahoma City. In 2018, the University of Oklahoma named its Department of African and African American Studies after Clara Luper. This honored her contributions to diversity and inclusion.
The Oklahoma City Public Schools opened the Clara Luper Center for Educational Services in 2017. This building houses administrative staff and programs for teachers.
Literary Works
Clara Luper wrote a book called Behold The Walls (1979). It tells her personal story of the civil rights campaign in Oklahoma City during the 1960s.
See also
