‘It Takes Love Instead Of Hate’: Reenactment of OKC Sit-In Protests Planned For 63rd Anniversary

A group is planning to commemorate the anniversary of Oklahoma City protests for desegregation and civil rights with a reenactment of a sit-in next week. 

In 1958, Joyce Jackson was a student of Clara Luper, a teacher and civil rights leader. Luper led a group of students, including Jackson, in protesting segregation by sitting inside Katz Drug Store until they were served. 

“Adults would say such awful things to kids and try to pour coffee on them and pull their hair,” Jackson said. “What we wanted to do was to be treated fairly, to be treated like everyone else.” 

Jackson and other members of the Clara Luper Legacy Foundation plan to hold a reenactment of the sit-in on Saturday, Aug. 12 to celebrate the 63rd anniversary of the protest. 

“We want people to realize that people put their lives on the line to make sure that we were treated equally,” Jackson said. “It takes love instead of hate for us to come together and be supportive of each other and treat each other fairly.” 

The event starts at 9 a.m. at Frontline Church at 1104 N. Robinson Ave., where participants will meet before walking to Kaiser’s Grateful Bean Café.