Freedom Fiesta Celebration Marks 67th Anniversary of Katz Drug Store Sit-Ins

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Special events are being held this week to commemorate the 67th anniversary of

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the Katz Drug Store sit-ins — a turning point in Oklahoma’s desegregation movement led by educator Clara Luper and a group of young students. The Clara Luper Legacy Committee’s “Freedom Fiesta” lineup includes concerts, an art show, a sit-in march and a reenactment honoring the youth who sparked the protest in downtown Oklahoma City.

Remembering the August 1958 Sit-Ins

On August 19, 1958, Clara Luper and members of the NAACP Youth Council staged a peaceful sit-in at the Katz Drug Store lunch counter in downtown Oklahoma City. The original group included 13 children — among them Luper’s daughter, Marilyn — who had suggested the action that day. The sit-in continued over several days and helped push Katz and other local businesses to desegregate their lunch counters, sparking further local and regional protests.

Freedom Fiesta Events This Week

Organizers say the 2025 Freedom Fiesta events (running Aug. 14–17) are designed to keep the story alive through arts, testimony and public participation. Planned activities include:

• Freedom Story & Art Show at Oklahoma Contemporary and other venues

• Concerts and choir performances celebrating the movement’s music and message

• A sit-in march and reenactment through downtown to recall the original protest

• Panels, storytelling sessions and educational exhibits featuring sit-in participants and historians

Local coverage notes the variety of events aims to engage students, families and longtime residents so the story is passed to new generations.

Voices From the Movement

Marilyn Luper Hildreth — who was a child participant and later helped preserve her mother’s legacy — has recalled how Katz Drug Store served as an important hub for the Black community: people could buy essentials there, but they were not allowed to sit at the lunch counter and enjoy a Coke or a meal. That simplicity — and the injustice of it — helped spark the idea for direct action.

Why the Commemoration Still Matters

Historians and community leaders say the Katz sit-ins are a vital part of Oklahoma’s civil-rights history because they were youth-led, nonviolent and effective in prompting immediate change. The 1958 actions helped lead to broader desegregation across the city and predated other well-known sit-ins that followed nationally. Organizers stress that remembering the sit-ins is not just about honoring the past — it’s a chance to discuss ongoing issues of equity, schooling, and community memory.

What’s Next: A Downtown Memorial

Work is progressing on a long-planned Clara Luper Sit-In Plaza and bronze monument at the original Katz Drug Store site at Main and Robinson. The memorial will depict Luper, the 13 children who participated in the lunch-counter protest, and other key figures — and will serve as a permanent space for education and reflection in downtown Oklahoma City. Organizers say the plaza and the Freedom Fiesta events complement one another: the plaza preserves the history in bronze, while the festival keeps the story living and active.

Attend / Learn More

For a full schedule and ticket or RSVP information for Freedom Fiesta activities, visit the Clara Luper Legacy Committee and Freedom Center event pages. Radio Oklahoma News Network will continue to cover the commemorations and the plaza project as events unfold.