It was Aug. 19, 1958, and segregation was common in Oklahoma City, as it was across the South. High school history teacher Clara Luper was 35 and a mother of three. Active in the Civil Rights Movement, she served as an adviser to the Oklahoma City NAACP Youth Council.
Earlier that year, Luper visited New York for a conference with her 10-year-old daughter, Marilyn. While there, the simple joy of sitting at a restaurant and enjoying a hamburger and Coke alongside White patrons inspired young Marilyn. She suggested to her mother and her youth council that they do something about it.
On that hot summer day, Luper led 13 students, ages 7 to 17, into Katz Drug Store in downtown Oklahoma City. They sat quietly at the lunch counter. Marilyn and her brother, Calvin, were there with the other 11 students…