An art alumnus has completed a canvas painting of civil rights activist Clara Luper.
Leondre Lattimore, Oklahoma City University alumnus, has painted a portrait canvas in honor of Clara Luper & will be displayed in a multicultural room on campus.
Clara Luper was a civil rights activist, teacher and active member in the Oklahoma City area.
At a local convenience store, Luper conducted and hosted one of the first sit-in protests of the 1960s. Luper and her students walked into Katz drugstore and ordered Coca Cola, making a statement against segregation by sitting down together and remaining silent.
Later in life, Luper hosted her own radio show, where she discussed and talked about her fight for civil rights and her love for the Oklahoma City area, including Oklahoma City University.
Clara Luper died June 8, 2011.
Because of Luper’s deep love for Oklahoma City and OCU, Oklahoma City University decided to name a scholarship in her honor. This scholarship is awarded to individuals who display strong ethics and leadership in the academic world, as well as in the local community.
In remembrance of Clara Luper and her time, Oklahoma City University sponsored the creation of an art piece in honor of Luper. Initially planned as a mural worked on by multiple students last year, the project changed to a canvas portrait painted by a single student due to the closure of campus during spring semester of 2020.
Leondre Lattimore, alumnus, graduated in 2020. As an arts major and former Clara Luper Scholar, he was chosen to paint the mural.
“This portrait is to simply just honor her legacy. Obviously, we have the Clara Luper Scholarship, and Clara Luper is just someone who is very dear to me and dear to my family as well,” Lattimore said. “I just wanted to make sure she was shown in a way that showed a lot of strength and courage.”
Lattimore chose to use oil paints to create the portrait of Luper. Lattimore said he chose to use colors and tones to portray Luper in a warm way.
“The style I chose is definitely more contemporary. The color palette I used mainly consists of colors that show more of a warm feeling. I wanted it to translate peace, harmony,” Lattimore said.
Lattimore said he wants people to feel comfort the same way Luper brought and gave comfort to others. Lattimore said he wanted to instill the portrait with the importance of her legacy because he felt Luper was very much a giant motherly figure for many people in her community.
“I want people to visualize her as a mother of the community,” he said. “She cared very deeply for the people she took care of and the people she educated. I want people to see that when they look at the painting.”
Lily Tucker, film freshman, said she believes this portrait will be a great addition to the school.
“I think it’s a really amazing idea because she was so dedicated to civil rights and equality. To see Oklahoma City University recognizing that and acknowledging her accomplishments, I think it’ll be an amazing addition and reminder,” Tucker said.
The dedication and unveiling of the portrait were 6 p.m. April 22 in the Atrium of the Wanda L. Bass Music Center. The dedication was led by Dr. Talia Carroll, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, several campus community members spoke at the event, including Patricia Ashford, former SGA secretary of diversity and inclusion, Destini Carrington, OCU alumna, Lattimore and Marilyn Hildreth, Clara Luper’s daughter.
During the dedication, Hildreth said she is grateful for the dedication and that the youth will bring a better day for BIPOC in America.
“I’m here today because a better day coming in America. A better day is coming because of you, the young people that are coming behind us. We tried the best that we could. We passed the torch to another generation, and you represent that generation,” Hildreth said. “And another thing that she taught, to believe in the sun, when the sun do not shine, and to believe in the rain, when the rain do not fall, and believe in a God, if you’ve never seen him.”
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