African American Women (J-R)

	Clara Luper had a very important role in the Civil Rights movement. She was the first African American student in the University of Oklahoma history department. She became a sponsor for the Oklahoma City NAACP Youth Council, and in 1958 led her students in a protest. The Katz Drugstore “sit-in” gained national attention, and led to other successful demonstrations around the country. Luper served in many positions in the public school system and led the fight for public school integration. During her participation in demonstrations, marches and sit-ins, she was arrested 26 times. Clara Luper is known as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.”
	Vicki Miles-LaGrange was the first African American Female to serve in the Oklahoma State Senate. Miles-LaGrange also served as attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice and was the Assistant Oklahoma County District Attorney. In 1994 she was appointed a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, making her the first African American judge in the 10th Circuit. Miles-LaGrange has received many honors and awards, including induction into the Oklahoma African American Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame.
	Evelyn LaRue Pittman is celebrated for her contributions to music. Pittman attended Langston University, and taught in Oklahoma City public schools. She started the “Evelyn Pittman Choir,” and wrote for the theatre including “Freedom Child” and “Cousin Esther.”