Those wanting to keep Oklahoma County’s jail in downtown Oklahoma City were reminded Monday night to draw strength from past struggles to achieve equality.
Marilyn Luper Hildreth, Clara Luper’s daughter, and the Rev. John A. Reed told a standing-room-only crowd their past struggles are not unlike the ones Oklahoma County residents living within marginalized communities face today as county officials debate where to build the new jail.
About 300 people packed into Metro Tech’s Springlake campus conference center to hear Hildreth and Reed, who is president of the Concerned Clergy for Spiritual Renewal and longtime pastor of Fairview Baptist Church.
They also heard from local community activist Jess Eddy, Midwest City-Del City Schools Superintendent Rick Cobb, Del City Councilmember Claudia Browne, Oklahoma City Councilmembers Nikki Nice, JoBeth Hamon and James Cooper, Oklahoma County Commissioner Carrie Blumert and state Reps. Jason Lowe and Forrest Bennett, both Democrats who represent parts of Oklahoma City that could be impacted by a new jail’s location.