OF THOSE ORIGINAL PROTESTERS TODAY. YEAH, JESS AND IT WAS A REALLY POWERFUL INTERVIEW. JOYCE HENDERSON SAYS THE MOVEMENT THAT HAPPENED HERE ON THIS SPOT 66 YEARS AGO WAS HISTORICAL, BUT IT’S ALSO A STORY WORTH RETELLING. IT WAS AUGUST 19TH, 1958. THE FIRST CITY IN OKLAHOMA CITY. 13 STUDENTS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CIVIL RIGHTS ICON CLARA LUPER, LED A MOVEMENT THAT SPARKED A LARGER MOVEMENT NATIONWIDE. IT WAS THE SIT IN DEMONSTRATION INSIDE KATZ DRUG STORE. THE GOAL WAS TO STAY UNTIL WE GET SERVED AND AGAIN, 66 YEARS LATER AS WE REFLECT BACK, THAT WAS PROBABLY SUCH A HISTORIC MOMENT. IT WAS A TIME WHERE BLACK PEOPLE WEREN’T EVEN ALLOWED INSIDE. BUT LUPER AND HER 13 STUDENTS HAD ONE THING THAT WAS NEEDED TO SPARK CHANGE COURAGE. IT DIDN’T TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THAT PICTURE. WHEN YOU CANNOT GO AND EAT, GO AND LIVE. GO TO ANY SCHOOLS. THERE WERE SO MANY SEGREGATED THINGS THAT YOU COULDN’T DO BECAUSE OF ONE REASON ONLY, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN AND THAT PEACEFUL PROTEST. IT TOOK THREE DAYS FOR THEM TO BE SERVED AND FOR THE LUNCH COUNTER TO INTEGRATE. I LIKE TO TELL YOUNG PEOPLE, FIRST, KNOW YOUR HISTORY. IF YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR HISTORY, YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST, SO YOU CAN APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE NOW AND SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO TO MOVE FORWARD. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A STRONG MESSAGE THAT CLARA LUPER INSTILLED IN US, THAT REGARDLESS OF RACE, CREED OR COLOR EQUALITY IS FOR EVERYBODY. AND THE CLARA LUPER LEGACY COMMITTEE RECREATES THE SIT IN MOVEMENT EVERY YEAR, AND THIS WEEKEND MARKED THE SIXTH ONE OF THAT REENACTMENT REPORTING LIVE IN OKLAHOM
Oklahoma City commemorates 66th anniversary of historic Katz Drug Store sit-in
Oklahoma City marks the 66th anniversary of the Katz Drug Store sit-in, a pivotal event in the civil rights movement led by Clara Luper and 13 students
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Updated: 7:26 PM CDT Aug 19, 2024
Oklahoma City commemorated the 66th anniversary of the Katz Drug Store sit-in on Monday, a pivotal event in the civil rights movement.>> Download the KOCO 5 AppJoyce Henderson, a civil rights activist and one of the participants in the sit-ins, said the moments at the lunch counter were historic, but she said it's a story that needs to continue to be told. It was Aug. 19, 1958, when the first sit-in in Oklahoma City took place. Thirteen students, under the leadership of civil rights icon Clara Luper, led a movement that sparked a larger one nationwide."The goal was to stay until we get served. And again, 66 years later, as we reflect back, that was probably such a historic moment," Henderson said.At that time, Black people weren't even allowed inside the store. But Luper and her students had one thing that was needed to spark change — courage. "It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know something is wrong with that picture when you can't go and eat, go and live, go to any schools. There were so many segregated things that you couldn’t do because of one reason only, and that was the color of your skin," Henderson said.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.In that peaceful protest, it took three days for them to be served and for the lunch counter to integrate."I like to tell young people, 'First, know your history.' If you don’t know your history, you can’t understand what happened in the past, so you can appreciate what you have now, so we can continue to move forward," Henderson said. "I think that would be a strong message that Clara Luper instilled in us, that regardless of race, creed or color, equality is for everyone."The Clara Luper Legacy Committee re-creates the sit-in each year, and this weekend marked six years of that re-enactment.Top Headlines Watch these families bond over breaking the law WATCH: Sky 5 captures beautiful shot of blue supermoon over Oklahoma Phil Donahue, pioneering TV talk show host, dies at 88 Danielle Fishel, 'Boy Meets World' star, reveals she has breast cancer Family, friends mourn the death of Langston University football coach
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City commemorated the 66th anniversary of the Katz Drug Store sit-in on Monday, a pivotal event in the civil rights movement.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App
Joyce Henderson, a civil rights activist and one of the participants in the sit-ins, said the moments at the lunch counter were historic, but she said it's a story that needs to continue to be told.
It was Aug. 19, 1958, when the first sit-in in Oklahoma City took place.
Thirteen students, under the leadership of civil rights icon Clara Luper, led a movement that sparked a larger one nationwide.
"The goal was to stay until we get served. And again, 66 years later, as we reflect back, that was probably such a historic moment," Henderson said.
At that time, Black people weren't even allowed inside the store. But Luper and her students had one thing that was needed to spark change — courage.
"It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know something is wrong with that picture when you can't go and eat, go and live, go to any schools. There were so many segregated things that you couldn’t do because of one reason only, and that was the color of your skin," Henderson said.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
In that peaceful protest, it took three days for them to be served and for the lunch counter to integrate.
"I like to tell young people, 'First, know your history.' If you don’t know your history, you can’t understand what happened in the past, so you can appreciate what you have now, so we can continue to move forward," Henderson said. "I think that would be a strong message that Clara Luper instilled in us, that regardless of race, creed or color, equality is for everyone."
The Clara Luper Legacy Committee re-creates the sit-in each year, and this weekend marked six years of that re-enactment.
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