People of Oklahoma: Civil Rights Movement Across Oklahoma

Summary

The transcript recounts personal experiences and reflections on the Civil Rights Movement, highlighting the struggle for racial equality in Oklahoma City. It details the early sit-ins led by Clara Luper, the impact of segregation on daily life, and the pride in participating in protests to challenge unjust laws. The narrative also touches on the broader context of the movement, including the influence of NAACP, the significance of the March on Washington, and the importance of community wealth and entrepreneurship in fostering lasting change.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker advocates for equal treatment and rights for Black people, expressing a desire to sit and eat in downtown stores just like white people.
• 🏫 The speaker recalls growing up in a highly segregated Oklahoma, where Black people faced numerous restrictions and were subjected to overt discrimination.
• 🚌 The speaker participated in sit-ins as a young person, which were organized by the NAACP Youth Council and led by ministers, aiming to challenge racial segregation.
• 🏛️ The sit-ins at bus stations in Altus, Oklahoma, were among the first of their kind, predating similar actions in other parts of the U.S., and eventually led to the removal of segregated seating.
• 🏡 The speaker's family stayed in Oklahoma City for educational opportunities, as other areas were even more restrictive, highlighting the disparities in access to education for Black children.
• 🎓 The speaker's cousins were among the first Black students to integrate Norman High, facing hostility and violence, illustrating the resistance to desegregation.
• 👩‍🏫 The speaker's mother, a schoolteacher, faced racial prejudice even from her own students, showing the deep-seated nature of bigotry and its impact on everyday life.
• 📚 The speaker emphasizes the importance of education and community engagement, particularly through organizations like the NAACP, in the fight for civil rights.
• 🗣️ The speaker was inspired by leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Clara Luper, who played pivotal roles in the Civil Rights Movement, and participated in significant events like the March on Washington.
• 🏘️ The speaker reflects on the importance of preserving Black history and culture, and the need to support Black-owned businesses and community spaces to ensure they thrive.

Q & A

What was the main issue faced by the Black community in downtown stores as described in the script?

The main issue was that Black people, despite shopping and spending money in downtown stores, were not allowed to sit and eat in the same places as white people due to racial segregation.

Why was Oklahoma City considered one of the most segregated states during the narrator's childhood?

Oklahoma City was considered one of the most segregated states because it had more segregation laws than Mississippi, which included restrictions on where Black people could live, attend school, ride buses, and use public facilities.

What role did the NAACP Youth Council play in the narrator's life?

The NAACP Youth Council played a pivotal role by providing the narrator with an opportunity to participate in the Civil Rights Movement, helping to change laws and fight against racial segregation.

How did the sit-ins in Oklahoma City differ from those in South Carolina as mentioned in the script?

The sit-ins in Oklahoma City, led by Clara Luper, involved younger participants, including school children as young as seven years old, whereas the sit-ins in South Carolina, associated with SNCC, primarily involved college students.

What was the significance of the narrator's trip to New York during their childhood?

The trip to New York was significant because it was an eye-opening experience where the narrator and other Black children experienced a level of freedom and equality that was not available to them in Oklahoma, such as being able to sit in a restaurant like everyone else.

Why was the narrator proud of being a part of the sit-in movement?

The narrator was proud because the sit-in movement was a direct action against segregation, and being a part of it meant contributing to a significant change in society, even though they were young at the time.

What impact did hearing Dr. Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech have on the narrator?

Hearing Dr. Martin Luther King's speech was a source of pride and inspiration for the narrator, as it showed the unity and support from people of all races for the cause of integration and equality.

Why was the opening of Eastside Pizza House important to the community as described in the script?

The opening of Eastside Pizza House was important because it represented a place of ownership and belonging for the community. It was a symbol of the historical and cultural presence of Black entrepreneurs and a reminder of the community's resilience and contributions.

What message does the narrator want to convey to young people about dealing with racial injustice?

The narrator advises young people to develop 'tough skin' to deal with the racial injustices they will face due to their skin color, emphasizing the importance of dealing with these challenges with pride and resilience.

How does the narrator reflect on the progress made from the Civil Rights Movement to the present day?

The narrator reflects on the progress by acknowledging the sacrifices made by Civil Rights activists and leaders, which have allowed for greater opportunities and freedoms for subsequent generations, but also recognizes the ongoing struggle against racial injustice.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Segregation and the Fight for Equality

The speaker recounts their experiences with racial segregation, particularly in Oklahoma City, where they grew up. They describe the restrictions placed on Black people, such as not being able to live across Seventh Street, attend desired schools, or use public transportation freely. The speaker also discusses the injustice of being able to spend money in downtown stores but not being allowed to use the same facilities as white people. They mention their involvement with the NAACP Youth Council and sit-ins as a way to protest and change these discriminatory practices. The narrative emphasizes the importance of challenging segregation and the role of community leaders in the Civil Rights Movement.

05:00

🏫 Education and Segregation

This paragraph discusses the impact of segregation on education and daily life. The speaker explains how they had to stay in Oklahoma City for school because of the lack of educational opportunities for Black students in other areas. They mention the opening of Norman High School to Black students after integration and the challenges their cousins faced as some of the first Black students to attend. The speaker also talks about their mother's experience as a teacher and an incident involving a white student's ignorance and prejudice. The paragraph highlights the systemic nature of segregation and the importance of organizations like the NAACP in fighting for change.

10:03

🚌 The Sit-In Movement and Early Activism

The speaker reflects on their early involvement in the sit-in movement, which began in Oklahoma in 1958, predating the more famous Greensboro sit-ins. They share their experience of participating in sit-ins as a young student, led by figures like Clara Luper, and the pride they felt in contributing to change. The paragraph also covers the speaker's family trip to New York, where they experienced a different level of freedom and integration, contrasting with the segregation back home. The speaker emphasizes the significance of the sit-in movement in Oklahoma and the influence of leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose 'I Have a Dream' speech they had the opportunity to hear.

15:05

🏛️ Integration and Community Legacy

In this paragraph, the speaker talks about the slow pace of integration in Oklahoma City and the pervasiveness of segregation. They mention the efforts of various civil rights activists and the importance of remembering their contributions. The speaker also discusses their personal experiences, such as being the first recipient of the Clara Luper Scholarship and the significance of this honor. They reflect on the legacy of these activists and the impact on their own life and career, emphasizing the importance of community wealth and entrepreneurship as a means to build a stronger community.

20:08

🏘️ Preserving Black History and Community Wealth

The speaker emphasizes the importance of preserving the history and contributions of Black individuals in Oklahoma, such as Roscoe Dunjee and others. They discuss their desire to create a community space that celebrates this history and educates visitors. The paragraph also touches on the speaker's vision for minority entrepreneurship and the creation of community wealth, drawing a parallel to the past prosperity of areas like Greenwood and Deep Deuce. The speaker shares their personal philosophy on resilience and the need for Black individuals to develop 'tough skin' to face the challenges and injustices they may encounter in society.

Keywords

💡Segregation

Segregation refers to the practice of separating people based on certain characteristics, such as race, into different groups or areas. In the context of the video, it highlights the systemic racial discrimination faced by Black individuals in Oklahoma City, where they were not allowed to live, eat, or use public facilities alongside white people. The script mentions, 'We could not live across Seventh Street... We could not eat in any restaurant in Oklahoma City,' illustrating the pervasive nature of segregation during that time.

💡NAACP

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 to fight against racial discrimination and segregation. The video script references the NAACP as a key organization that provided a platform for individuals to engage in the Civil Rights Movement. The speaker mentions being part of the NAACP Youth Council, which allowed them to participate in protests and sit-ins, aiming to change discriminatory laws.

💡Sit-ins

Sit-ins were a form of direct, nonviolent protest used during the Civil Rights Movement, where individuals would occupy seats at segregated lunch counters until they were served or arrested. The script recounts the speaker's involvement in sit-ins at bus stations and restaurants, emphasizing their role in challenging and eventually breaking down racial barriers. The phrase 'we did the bus sit-in' and 'we were allowed to sit elsewhere' from the script exemplifies the impact of these protests.

💡Integration

Integration in this context refers to the process of ending racial segregation and promoting equal participation of all racial groups in society. The video script discusses the struggle for integration in schools, public spaces, and neighborhoods. The speaker reflects on the pride they feel in being part of a movement that fought for integration, as indicated by the statement 'Fight on until Oklahoma will truly become the land of the free and the home of the brave.'

💡Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement was a struggle for social justice and equal rights for African Americans in the United States, which took place mainly during the 1950s and 1960s. The video script details the speaker's personal experiences and involvement in the movement, highlighting key events such as sit-ins and the influence of leaders like Clara Luper. The movement's goal was to end racial discrimination and achieve legal recognition and federal protection of the rights of all citizens.

💡Bigotry

Bigotry is the intolerance and prejudice towards those who belong to a different group, often characterized by a belief in the inherent superiority of one's own group. In the video, the term is used to describe the attitudes and behaviors that the speaker and other Black individuals faced due to their race. The script mentions, 'It was full of bigotry, and a lot of times hatred,' reflecting the deep-seated discrimination prevalent during that era.

💡First Amendment

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the rights to freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. The video script refers to the First Amendment as a legal basis for the right to protest, as the speaker recalls being asked whether their protests were illegal. The speaker's response, 'the First Amendment gives you the right to protest in a peaceful manner,' underscores the importance of constitutional rights in the fight for civil rights.

💡Racial Discrimination

Racial discrimination involves treating people or groups differently based on their race. The video script provides numerous examples of racial discrimination, such as being denied access to public facilities, schools, and housing based on skin color. The speaker's recounting of their experiences, like 'we could not go to any school that we wanted to,' illustrates the systemic nature of racial discrimination during the era of segregation.

💡Pride

Pride in this context refers to a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of others, or from qualities or possessions that are closely associated with oneself. The video script describes the speaker's sense of pride in participating in the Civil Rights Movement and contributing to the fight against segregation. The phrase 'gave me so much pride' captures the emotional significance of their involvement in the movement.

💡Community Wealth

Community wealth refers to the collective economic assets and resources within a community, which can be used to improve the well-being of all its members. The video script discusses the concept of community wealth in the context of minority entrepreneurship and the importance of investing in historically marginalized communities. The speaker's vision for Eastside Pizza House as a place of community ownership and a reflection of the community's history exemplifies the goal of creating and preserving community wealth.

Highlights

The desire for equal treatment in public spaces, such as downtown stores and restaurants, is expressed.

Experiences of racial segregation and its impact on daily life in Oklahoma City are shared.

The NAACP Youth Council's role in the Civil Rights Movement and the personal involvement of the speaker are discussed.

The sit-in movement's origins and its significance in the Civil Rights Movement are highlighted.

The importance of community engagement through churches and religious leaders in the fight against segregation is emphasized.

A personal account of participating in a sit-in at a young age and the impact it had on the speaker.

The challenges faced by African Americans in accessing education and public facilities due to segregation laws.

The transformative power of the sit-in movement and its ability to change societal norms.

The role of Clara Luper in organizing sit-ins and her influence on the Civil Rights Movement.

The pride and sense of community that came from being part of the sit-in movement.

The impact of segregation on social interactions and the importance of integration.

The significance of the March on Washington and the 'I Have a Dream' speech in the fight for civil rights.

The importance of remembering and commemorating the struggles and achievements of the Civil Rights Movement.

The legacy of Clara Luper and her scholarship's impact on future generations.

The role of community leaders in breaking racial barriers and the importance of continuing their work.

The desire to create a community space that reflects and honors the history and culture of the area.

The importance of entrepreneurship and wealth building within minority communities.

The advice for young people to develop resilience in the face of racial injustices.

Transcripts

I think that the Negro people,

uh, you know, accommodate those stores downtown.

And I think it would be fair for us to sit and eat, just like the white do.

We walk and shop and get tired and we have no place to eat

and we have to come to the east side to eat.

And a lot of people go to Brown's and Katz and those other stores down there.

Yes, I'm in favor of it.

When I was growing up in Oklahoma City,

there was Oklahoma

was one of the most segregated states in the union.

We had more segregation

laws than Mississippi.

We could not live across Seventh Street.

We could not go to any school that we wanted to.

We could not

ride the bus

any place.

When we go downtown to shop.

We could go down there and spend all our money,

but we could not go to a bathroom.

Except if you said Colored,

we could not eat in any

restaurant in Oklahoma City

is so many things as a Black person

that we could not do that I did not understand.

It was full of bigotry

and a lot of times hatred.

And as a kid, you never

I my problem was I could never understand

how you could hate me and not know me.

And being a part of the NAACP

Youth Council at least gave me the opportunity to help change some things

and not knowing what impact that was going to have.

But it doesn't take a rocket scientist for you to know

what you can't do

because of one reason and one reason only, and that

was because of the color of my skin.

And I think anybody would say something is wrong with that picture.

It was during my

that that period between 1954 and 19,

I guess maybe 1958, 59, 60,

I think it was around 1958 when Clara Luper became involved

and became many of her sit-ins during that period.

And it was through the NAACP

that I became involved in the Civil Rights Movement.

Be mindful.

I was just a 12 or 13-year-old student,

but the leaders and

they were ministers.

I history will record that many of those

who led the Civil Rights Movements were a ministerial background

and there was a belief

that it was through the churches that we could engage

more people and correct a wrong.

And I was

directed by my aunt

and allowed by my parents

to do the sit-in our first sit in Altus, Oklahoma.

And it was at the bus station

prior to sit-ins

We were allowed we as African-American Black people,

we were allowed to go into the bus station,

but we could not sit where others could sit.

There was a draped area

where we would have to sit in the very back.

In a draped area

as a child.

I didn't necessarily understand that.

But I also was

being made aware of some of the injustices

that had occurred throughout the years

and that there was a time that we needed to stop it.

In Altus, Oklahoma, we did the the bus, the bus sit-in

and as I recall, we did it two or three different times.

I remember sitting on the stool

and eventually

don't know what you know, what the powers that be, the

the negotiation that took place, we were allowed to sit elsewhere.

You know, anywhere in the bus station, the curtain fell down, I should say.

I was kind of raised out here and

but because of segregation,

couldn't go to school out here.

So I had, that was one of the reasons

that Dad stayed in Oklahoma City so I could go to school.

Otherwise, if you were Black living out here,

you had to go to Shawnee to go to school.

Norman was a red-line district

or, you know, sundown town.

So you had to be out of town by sundown.

So there was no school or anything

then, uh, until 1958, I think.

Uh, and some of my cousins were the first ones to go to Norman High.

Uh, because they had to open it up for integration.

So my cousins had to go through that.

And I'll never forget they were on, on the news

with the people throwing stuff, eggs and stuff at them

as they go on, just like it happened in the South.

And Norman High

We thought

I thought

that every place was like

Oklahoma segregated,

full of bigotry and hatred because of the fact that I was Black.

As a matter of fact, my mother was a schoolteacher

and she used to tutor all types of students.

And I remember as a child

one of her white students came over to the house

and she looked at me and asked me, Why does your mother

hate you so much?

I said why does my mother hate me?

she said, yeah why does your mother hate you so much?

My mother doesnít hate me.

Yes, she does.

She would.

if She didn't hate you.

She never would have left you in the oven that long.

So that's. That's the.

Type of society

The people believed it and were taught

I started participating in the sit-in

in junior high school and of course, in high school

you learned

a lot of things about what was going on

that you could consider

wrong.

And I'm just going to use the word wrong,

not because of my character, but because of the color of my skin.

So when you learn these things

and you were able to participate

in an organization like the NAACP Youth

Council to protest

and people would say,

ask you whether that was illegal, and I'd like to show them

the Constitution, to show that the First Amendment

gives you the right to protest in a peaceful manner.

But if you are a citizen of the United States, you had a right to protest.

So to participate in the sit-in and under the leadership

of Clara Luper, I wasn't thinking about history.

I was just thinking about we need to change laws

that segregated you, that excluded you.

And when they exclude

you and you were segregated because of the color of your skin,

you didn't have a problem with being a part of changing that.

So being a part of that gave me pride,

but I never thought about it in terms of I was making history

as we were kids, we were students,

we were obedient and we knew that

we had

other problems, not just where to go eat,

but like you say in education, you couldn't go to the schools

that you wanted to attend.

You couldn't go to any church because of segregation.

You had so many segregated laws of water fountains,

restrooms, everything

determined because of the color of your skin.

Oklahoma City was the first we were the first ones to

to use the sit-in, as they call it, a sit-in now.

And so they say

South Carolina,

I think, had the first one on record.

But ours went a year before theirs.

Fight on until Oklahoma, will truly become the land of the free and the home of the brave.

For truly integration is democracy.

I look back now and I think that my mother was a genius

because what she did was she plotted

and planned the trip

to New York, where we would go the northern route

and come back to the South.

The we left Oklahoma City

and for the first time in our lives

in my life and I was with other kids, they were on a trip

because a lot of them had never leave Oklahoma.

We had an opportunity to go into a restaurant

and sit down and drink a Coke

and eat a hamburger.

You said, what we can sit down

like everybody else?

This is one of the highlights of my life.

So we went the northern route and those signs

it said Colored water fountain and Colored bathroom and

we didn't run into that.

Harriet Tubman once said that

a little bit of freedom is a dangerous thing.

Oh, and we were happy.

We were happy to be able to go just like anybody else

and sit down and drink coke in a restaurant.

The sit-in movement began here in August of 1958.

That was a year and a half before the sit

ins that happened in Greensboro, North Carolina, with SNCC

The fact that the sit-ins here

happened with Clara Luper was a school teacher

working with students as young as seven years old.

SNCC was primarily college students.

There's so much

for us to be proud of, as well as to share

with the rest of the country.

And it really is an opportunity

for everyone to learn more about what happened here.

But everything back then

was dictated because of segregation.

So to be a part of the sit-in movement and to see that

I had a little bit to do with that change

gives me so much pride.

And of course, I am thankful

that we had leaders who allowed us and

that I had parents who gave me permission

because if it hadn't been for that and for them,

I don't know where I would be.

One of the experiences I had was the opportunity to go hear Dr.

Martin Luther King deliver his I Have a Dream speech.

It's not that I can tell you.

I heard him on television. I heard it on radio.

But the fact that I had the opportunity to actually be there

gave me so much sense of pride to see

how many in the United States believed in

what we were doing here in Oklahoma City at that march.

And what is what was so uplifting for me.

It wasn't just with Blacks.

All races of people believed in integration.

All races of people believed in equality.

And so that was an eye-opener for me.

We started the sit-ins and then so Clara,

the sit-ins was what, 1963?

I think that's when the March on Washington was.

And so

Clara took two buses,

it was I think it was the first time I'd been out of town,

uh, and a whole bunch of us had never left

the state, uh,

the city, let alone the state.

And so for, for us to make that trip, it was monumental

And talking millions of people?

It was.

It was so many people.

You could you couldnít move, good thing

they had speakers where you could hear the speeches,

and we were in a spot where it was just

we couldn't even see the pool. And

that was a significant thing

in terms of my becoming involved and becoming aware

that we can't we must become

engaged in our communities to make a difference.

One, two, three.

One, two, three,

one, two, three,

All right.

This day

and all of the events in particular, this event,

when we have the bell ringing in the remembrance of what the bell

ringing really means is significant and important to me.

I like to tell folk I'll be 69 in a couple of months.

I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee.

I was there 13 years old when Dr.

King was assassinated.

My mother came out the back door with tears running down her face

and reported to me that Dr.

King had been assassinated not too far from where we had lived.

I knew enough then that that was something significant.

And he was someone special, not only to us but to the world.

And so to have that remembrance, to have this this,

this annual event is something I think we ought to do daily.

If you don't do anything but remember it,

because it is the most significant thing to impact this nation.

For me, it means the fact that I can be here.

It also means the fact that I have the freedom

to wear my hair in a certain way with the crown.

This is my crown.

So for me, just being here alone in this atmosphere is just rewarding.

Black women of color weren't able to participate in pageantry

in Oklahoma in the past, which is where Miss Clara Luper came in.

In fact, I was the first recipient of the Clara Luper Scholarship

at Langston University when I was crowned Miss Black Langston University in 2008.

And so this is very important for me.

It has lots of history.

It is rich in history for Oklahoma.

Standing on the shoulders of great people

before me that opened that door for me to be able to walk

through the path, for me to walk down, to be able to make a change

within the communities where I live, within the community, out anywhere.

You know,

I'm humbled

and very grateful that I'm awarded that award.

And I'm going to continue to stand up for that award and continue my work.

That's what it means to me.

August 19th

It was 1958.

Oklahoma City was slow to integrate.

Black and white restrooms

could easily be found.

And the smell of segregation

was all over my town

Because had it not been for the John Reeds, had it not been

for the Kevin Coxes and, you know,

the Russell Perrys and and the W. K.

Jacksons and the Wade Watts and the Clara Lupers and the Martin Luther Kings,

I never could have played quarterback at the University of Oklahoma.

I was the second Black quarterback 20 years

prior to me walking on campus at the University of Oklahoma.

They had the first Black football player.

20 years is not a long time.

1956, 1976.

I served in Congress for eight years because of the sacrifices that that

the Reverend Reeds and the Wade Watts and the Reverend Kings and the W.K.

Jackson that my parents and grandparents, they sacrificed

so that I could stand on their shoulders and see

just a little bit further than than they did.

So the eight-year-old can look at a J.C.

Watts and look at a Reverend Reed and say, because of what you did

and what Reverend King did and Clara Luper, what they did, he can

look at me and say, I can benefit from their sacrifices, just like J.C.

Watts did.

Eastside Pizza House is really,

I want it to be is

something

that the people in this community felt like was theirs and they can take

ownership of when they come in and they see people that look like them

or they come in and they feel at home and they feel like they

you know, they were thought about when they when they walk in.

And also

with everything

that's going on on the east side, there's no telling what the street will look like

in five years, ten years or so.

You know, there are other places in the city and on the east side where,

you know, where were thriving

Black communities and thriving Black businesses.

And now you go there

and there's no trace that we were even we were never even there, you know.

So regardless of what the street looks like in the future, you walk

you walk in Eastside Pizza House, you know, this was ours.

You know, say, you know, we were here.

And not only that, it tells the story, you know,

the faces, you know, that's a map of the Eastside.

You know

the words.

And people might come in here and they might know the name Clara, Clara

Luper, but that might not ever seen her and know what she looks like.

They might know the name Ralph Ellison, but never seen him

Not know what he look like you know, E. Melvin Porter,

you know, people like that, people who

whenever I was growing up,

you know, I understood, you know, how important they were

and understood that it was because of them that, you know,

I was able to have the opportunities I had.

You know, Roscoe Dunjee people like that, so many more.

And so I just want, you know, people to come in

and also kind of be educated on that because it's important, you know, and

it's important that we continue to tell those stories

and not let anybody else tell them for us.

So as we look ahead, really the hope is that these these historic investments

in minority entrepreneurship across the country really transforms

what entrepreneurship looks like and really create a community wealth.

you know, we talk about wealth building quite a bit.

We really think about it in the individual sense

But really what it is, is we're trying to make efforts to create community wealth.

We want to go back to what weíre looking at in Greenwood and Deep Deuce

that's what existed.

It was a community wealth.

You know, because in the beginning, whenever

I got the space, I was thinking

I would do something with music in here like a record store,

you know, have a place people can perform and, you know, things like that.

And around that time

there was a grocery store on the corner of MLK that closed down

and, you know, just listen to the people in the community.

And everybody was like, you know, they shouldn't close and they need to reopen.

And they don't care about us.

And they did this and them and they and I was just like, man ainít no them and they

Itís us, you know.

And I was like, you know, I need to do something that involves food, you know, an

opportunity for the community,

something that people would be excited about and actually,

you know, could give a little bit more

and show people we don't have to you we don't need to be waiting for

somebody else to do it for us, you know, And depending on them and they we got us

When we were growing up in the Civil Rights Movement.

my mother would tell us that

you need to develop some tough skin

and if you don't have tough skin, you need to go and buy

some at the hardware store and thatís what I would tell young people.

Because in America,

when you if you born Black,

you gonna live Black and you gonna die Black and you going to suffer

the injustices of the system

only because of the color of your skin.

So get ready for it, but deal with it and deal with it with pride and stamina.