Civil rights sit in monument to be unveiled Nov. 1

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A small downtown plaza at the intersection of W. Main and Robinson Ave. was once the site of Katz Drugstore, where the NAACP Youth Council, with the guidance of civil rights leader Clara Luper, staged the 1958 sit-in to force racial integration in OKC. The plaza is now the new home to a life-size and highly detailed depiction of the sit-in scene, slated to be publicly unveiled this Saturday.

The newly named ‘Clara Luper Sit-In Plaza‘ is centered around a $3.6 million bronze monument by sculptor LaQuincey Reed to honor the courage that reshaped Oklahoma City and inspired a nation. Years in the making and championed by the Clara Luper Legacy Committee and Mayor David Holt, the memorial sits just north of the former Katz Drugstore site on a vacated section of Main Street, converted into a pedestrian plaza once owned by the Oklahoma City Urban Redevelopment Authority (OCURA).

The sculpture portrays the 13 young people who joined Luper, the lunch counter where they demanded service, and the waitress who turned them away. Their persistence sparked the integration of Katz and, soon after, many other establishments across Oklahoma City. The scene, depicted in the exact location where the 1958 event took place, leaves a powerful presence with a heavy meaning to our city. Viewers can stand on this historic site during the unveiling ceremony this Saturday, November 1 at 11 a.m.

Speakers include the civil rights icon’s own daughter, Marilyn Luper Hildreth, who is depicted in the monument, and she will share her perspective on this historic event. Hildreth was a child at the time of the sit-in and attended with her mother and fellow NAACP Youth Council members. Kids aged eight through 15 years old sat silently at the Katz counter, enduring abuse from a growing crowd for several days on end.

Hildred has described their drive to succeed, explaining, “We could not afford to let them ruin the mission.” Ultimately, the chain store did open its doors to folks of all races and backgrounds, not only in Oklahoma City, but in all its locations across four states—Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Iowa.

While the beautifully crafted bronze statues are impressive (reimagined by the artist based on old photos from the sit-in), the monument is much more than a beautiful site. It is a long overdue tribute to incredibly brave kids and an iconic leader who, together, changed our community for the better.

Kenton Tsoodle is the president of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City.