OU's Department of African and African American Studies has been named after Clara Luper, a civil rights leader and one of the university's first black students.
OU President David Boren announced the naming of the department at a March 7 meeting of the Board of Regents.
Luper, who the press release referred to as the "Mother of Oklahoma Civil Rights," graduated from OU in 1951. According to the press release, Luper was instrumental in fighting for an end to segregation in Oklahoma.
“We honor Clara Luper as a trailblazer for human rights and as a symbol of the university’s commitment to equal opportunity for all people,” said OU President David L. Boren at the meeting, according to the release.
