Celebrating Black History Month: Katz Drug Store sit-in 1958

On August 19, 1958, Clara Luper, a high school teacher, and thirteen of her students entered the Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and sat down at the lunch counter, refusing to leave until they were served. 

Luper and her students had recently traveled to New York City where they experienced an integrated environment.  Black people in New York City enjoyed freedoms such as integrated restaurants that Luper and her students were not accustomed to.  

Back in Oklahoma City, Luper decided to conduct a non-violent protest by staging a sit-in.  One of the students was Donda West, who would become the mother of Kanye West.  On the first day, the protesters remained at the counter for hours.  They were denied service, and white people kicked them, punched them, spat at them, poured things on them, and cursed at them.

They returned for two more days until the third day when one of the employees served them their food, which ended segregation in the restaurant.  Katz Drug Store ended their segregation policies.  Sit-ins occurred throughout Oklahoma City until 1964, when the city passed an ordinance forbidding restaurants from refusing service to anyone based on race, religion, color, sex, or national origin.