A weekend of recognition for Clara Luper, mother of the Oklahoma Civil Rights Movement, began with the unveiling of a new work of art in the Midtown neighborhood of Oklahoma City.
“Songs of Freedom,” painted by local artist Ebony Iman Dallas, was unveiled on Thursday during a small ceremony on the roof of Hall’s Pizza Kitchen.
Members of the Citizens Bank of Edmond, which commissioned the art, were in attendance, as were the Clara Luper Legacy Committee, NAACP representatives, Luper’s daughter and surviving Luper students who participated in anti-racial protests.
Dallas said she wanted to live up to the nonviolent protests the teacher and her students carried out in Oklahoma City in 1958, which effectively served as a blueprint for the nationwide civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Clara Luper:A celebration of OKC civil rights history and a realization that there is more to be done
“They were brave in the face of violence fueled by racism,” said Dallas. “They sang freedom songs, marched peacefully, and did sit-ins at local lunch tables … during an era of legalized segregation. Together, they broke down barriers and ushered in a new day in Oklahoma and our nation.”
“Songs of Freedom” shows Luper looking after a grinning black boy who sits in the foreground with his arms crossed respectfully and his hand in Luper’s hand, along with a young black girl who wears a smile of self-confidence and pride behind them.
The artwork is a multimedia mosaic of acrylic and Ghanaian textiles on birch wood, materials that were deliberately selected and handcrafted by Dallas as many black Americans are associated with West Africa.
“Just like (the artwork), life is a puzzle,” said Dallas. “We develop organically. Every situation we find ourselves in and every decision we make is a piece of our puzzle. It is only when we step back that our true story is revealed and how we deal with overwhelming tragedies and triumphs tells the true story of who we are. I hope that the great story of Mrs. Clara Luper and the young people who marched with her will be taught for many generations to come. “
The artwork will hang in the Citizens Bank of Edmond pending completion of the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center, a new historical museum under construction as part of Oklahoma City’s MAPS 4 project and then serving as a permanent home.
Jill Castilla, CEO and president of the bank, said she approached Dallas to see the art after reenacting Luper’s 60th sit-ins.
“It’s a very powerful moment, well beyond what you can learn in history books, to see living legends from those who were directly affected by their legacy,” Castilla said. “It’s just really humiliating to stand next to you.”
Citizens Bank of Edmond will offer a limited edition debit card with “Songs of Freedom” in the design. Every time the special card is ordered by a customer, Castilla says the bank will donate $ 5 to the Clara Luper Legacy Committee.
“We wanted to honor Mrs. Luper,” said Castilla. “To be able to speak to (Dallas) about how we can honor Mrs. Luper and her legacy, she just seemed like the perfect person.”
Marilyn Luper-Hildreth, who was eight when her mother ran the sit-ins, said she was thrilled with the artwork’s reveal.
“I know my mother and my mother’s family would be more than excited,” said Luper Hildreth. “I know it’s screaming in heaven now because I would never have imagined it. Who would have thought that a woman from Hoffman, Oklahoma, would have a bank in this country at this time, making an ATM card with her” face on it? “
The teacher and activist Luper was a key figure in the nonviolent resistance to segregation. Luper-Hildreth said seeing the artwork gave her hope that the world was getting better since the days when her mother’s family was banned from hotels, restaurants, and schools because of the color of their skin.
“We fought this battle with the people of this community,” said Luper-Hildreth. “We didn’t do it alone, and we are aware of that.”
“Songs of Freedom” comes amid resurgent interest in Luper’s legacy and the broader movement against racial injustice and police brutality. The unveiling kicked off a weekend of events in honor of Luper and the sit-ins.
The downtown post office at 305 NW 5 Street will be officially renamed in Luper’s honor at 9:00 am on Saturday, followed by a free art exhibit and screening of The Best of Enemies from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Oklahoma History Center. To round off the weekend, Fifth Street Baptist Church is holding their Freedom Fiesta program on Sunday at 6 p.m.
“America will see what contribution this small town has made to the civil rights movement, and I just wanted to say thank you,” said Luper-Hildreth.
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