Oklahoma City honors life of civil rights leader Richard Brown at sit-in plaza

EMOTIONAL DAY FOR SO MANY ACROSS OKLAHOMA CITY. THAT’S RIGHT. THE MEMORIAL HAPPENING HERE AT THE CLARA LOOPER NATIONAL SIT IN PLAZA HERE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN OKC, WHERE THE LEGACY OF THE SENATORS, INCLUDING BROWN, IS SET IN STONE. BUT AS WE HEAR TODAY, THAT LEGACY, WHILE IT’S HERE, PRESERVED FOR YEARS TO COME, THE WORK IS STILL CONTINUING. THANK YOU RICHARD. THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR LIVES A LOT FULLER. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW THAT YOU LOVED US THROUGH MUSIC. AND REFLECTION. WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE. OUR BROTHER, A WARRIOR, A SOLDIER, A TROOPER IN THE MOVEMENT. THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF RICHARD BROWN TOOK CENTER STAGE IN DOWNTOWN OKC TUESDAY MORNING. BROWN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS WORK IN CIVIL RIGHTS AS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF THE KATZ DRUG STORE SIT INS IN OKLAHOMA CITY, LED BY HIS AUNT, CLARA LUPER. A SCULPTURE OF BROWN AS A BOY SITTING AT THE COUNTER NOW STANDS PROUDLY IN THE CLARA LUPER NATIONAL SIT IN PLAZA IN DOWNTOWN OKC. MY HEART IS SADDENED BECAUSE NOT ONLY HAVE I LOST A FRIEND, A COUSIN, A BROTHER, A CONFIDANT, BUT I LOST PART OF MY OWN SOUL. HIS COUSIN MARILYN SPOKE ABOUT THEIR WORK AND A LIFE FILLED WITH LAUGHTER. EVEN WHEN THE RAIN WOULD FALL. HE WOULD FIND JOY IN IT AND MAKE A JOKE OUT OF ANYTHING. WHILE REFLECTING ON THEIR WORK IN OKLAHOMA CITY. TODAY I STAND HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY ON THE SAME SPOT WHERE WE HAD TO GO BEHIND THE BUILDING AND EAT OUT OF BROWN PAPER SACK. BUT I’M STANDING HERE ANYWAY. HE WOULD TELL YOU, KEEP ON FIGHTING. IT’S NOT OVER. IT’S NEVER OVER. COMMUNITY LEADERS ECHOED THE CALL. IT’S LEFT UP TO US. US, JUST LIKE THEY DID. THEY CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY. WE GOTTA SHOW UP. WE GOTTA DEMAND SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THEY DID THAT. BROWN WAS 83 YEARS OLD. VISITATION IS SCHEDULED FOR Oklahoma City honors life of civil rights leader Richard Brown at sit-in plaza Family, friends, and community leaders gathered at the Clara Luper National Sit-In Plaza in Oklahoma City to honor Richard Brown, a civil rights pioneer and one of the original participants in the Katz Drug Store sit-ins. Updated: 6:52 PM CDT May 12, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Family, friends, and civil rights leaders gathered Tuesday morning at the Clara Luper National Sit-In Plaza in downtown Oklahoma City to honor the life and legacy of Richard Brown, a civil rights pioneer whose courage and impact are memorialized at the plaza.Brown was one of the original participants in the Katz Drug Store sit-ins in Oklahoma City, led by his aunt, Clara Luper. A sculpture of Brown as a boy sitting at the counter now stands at the plaza, symbolizing his role in the fight for equality. "Thank you, Richard. Thank you for making our lives a little bit fuller. Thank you for letting us know you loved us," said Marilyn Luper Hildreth, Brown’s cousin. The ceremony included music and reflections from community leaders, including Garland Pruitt, president of the Oklahoma City chapter of the NAACP. "We celebrate our brother — a warrior, a soldier, a trooper, and a movement," Pruitt said. >> Video Below: Civil rights leaders in Oklahoma react to Supreme Court ruling on voting districtsHildreth shared memories of their work together and the joy Brown brought to those around him. "Even when the rain would fall, he would find joy in it and make a joke out of anything," she said. Standing at the plaza, Hildreth reflected on the progress made and the challenges that remain. "Today, I stand in Oklahoma City in the same spot where we had to go behind the building and eat out of brown paper sacks — but I’m standing here," she said. >> Video Below: On his 80th birthday, Clara Luper's son sees Civil Rights sit-in monument for the first timeShe also emphasized Brown’s enduring message to continue the fight for equality. "He would tell you, keep on fighting. It’s not over. It’s never over," Hildreth said. Community leaders echoed her sentiments, urging attendees to carry forward the legacy of the sit-in participants. "It’s now up to us, like they did, to change the course of history," Pruitt said. "We’ve got to show up and demand something different. They did that.">> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning NewsletterBrown was 83 years old. Visitation is scheduled for Friday, and his funeral will be Saturday morning.Top Headlines Police and EMSA respond to damaging rollover crash at busy northwest Oklahoma City intersection Thunder sweep Lakers in Western Conference Semifinals despite nail-biting second half of Game 4 Video shows K-9 Boomer track down ‘missing and endangered’ 96-year-old man South Florida officers sue Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, claiming details in 'The Rip' are too real Driver dies after colliding with Cleveland County deputy, who was responding to call OKLAHOMA CITY — Family, friends, and civil rights leaders gathered Tuesday morning at the Clara Luper National Sit-In Plaza in downtown Oklahoma City to honor the life and legacy of Richard Brown, a civil rights pioneer whose courage and impact are memorialized at the plaza. Brown was one of the original participants in the Katz Drug Store sit-ins in Oklahoma City, led by his aunt, Clara Luper. A sculpture of Brown as a boy sitting at the counter now stands at the plaza, symbolizing his role in the fight for equality. "Thank you, Richard. Thank you for making our lives a little bit fuller. Thank you for letting us know you loved us," said Marilyn Luper Hildreth, Brown’s cousin. The ceremony included music and reflections from community leaders, including Garland Pruitt, president of the Oklahoma City chapter of the NAACP. "We celebrate our brother — a warrior, a soldier, a trooper, and a movement," Pruitt said. >> Video Below: Civil rights leaders in Oklahoma react to Supreme Court ruling on voting districts Hildreth shared memories of their work together and the joy Brown brought to those around him. "Even when the rain would fall, he would find joy in it and make a joke out of anything," she said. Standing at the plaza, Hildreth reflected on the progress made and the challenges that remain. "Today, I stand in Oklahoma City in the same spot where we had to go behind the building and eat out of brown paper sacks — but I’m standing here," she said. >> Video Below: On his 80th birthday, Clara Luper's son sees Civil Rights sit-in monument for the first time She also emphasized Brown’s enduring message to continue the fight for equality. "He would tell you, keep on fighting. It’s not over. It’s never over," Hildreth said. Community leaders echoed her sentiments, urging attendees to carry forward the legacy of the sit-in participants. "It’s now up to us, like they did, to change the course of history," Pruitt said. "We’ve got to show up and demand something different. They did that." >> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter Brown was 83 years old. Visitation is scheduled for Friday, and his funeral will be Saturday morning. Top Headlines