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June 17, 2011

Langston endows chair, names program after civil rights leader

The Edmond Sun

EDMOND — Langston University announced Thursday that it will name a Social Justice Program and a math laboratory in honor of iconic LU alumna Clara Luper, a civil rights activist who died last Wednesday. In addition, plans are under way through the Langston University Foundation to create a Clara Luper endowed chair in mathematics in the School of Arts and Sciences.

“Mrs. Luper will be sorely missed by the Langston University family and our community of scholars,” LU President JoAnn W. Haysbert said. “Not only did she leave an indelible impression in American history but also in the hearts of all who were so blessed to meet her. We at Langston are proud of the legacy that Mrs. Luper leaves behind and feel this honor and more are befitting for such a positive leader of her magnitude.”

Luper attended Langston University from 1940-44 and earned a bachelor’s degree in math with a minor in history. Though known for leading Oklahoma’s first sit-in at Katz Drugstore in 1958, Luper shared with LU in 2009 that she was the first person in her family to graduate from college and considered that to be her greatest life achievement.

Haysbert said Luper was undoubtedly a trailblazer who was always ahead of her times. In the 1940s, there were few African-American females who were represented in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math — now known as the STEM fields. The same still holds true for today, as statistics show a disproportionate number of minorities, including women, who study and work in these areas.

Langston University currently gives a Clara Luper scholarship that is presented to the winner of the Miss Black Langston University Pageant. The Miss Black Langston University pageant is a constituent member of the Miss Black Oklahoma Pageant, a program started by Luper when African-American women were not permitted to participate in the statewide Miss Oklahoma pageant.   

The Clara Luper Social Justice Symposium will be hosted in the fall at LU-Tulsa. In addition to advocating for an awareness of social justice among various groups, the forum brings together more than 100 community leaders from across the state to discuss methods for implementing fair and equal practices/policies.

The math laboratory to be named in Luper’s honor is on LU’s main campus.

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