Stillwater, OSU observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan. 16—A few people who joined Oklahoma State University's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration said they grew up in segregated America.

And many of those who didn't said they're still not fully aware of the history or symbols of the long struggle for racial equality that the holiday's namesake fought and died for.

Take, for example, the song junior Brittanie Cannon sang to begin Monday's celebration in front of the Spears School of Business; "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

The song, known as the Black National Anthem, was resurrected nationally during the police brutality protests that followed George Floyd's murder in 2020 — more than 100 years after its composition.

Yet, one student was heard telling a friend it was her first time ever hearing the song during the school's march.

Similarly, Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce said a significant moment in the city's history has been washed away through time.

Joyce said he just learned on Sunday that while 1956 was the final year of segregated schools in Stillwater, it was also the first year when black schools were allowed to compete against white schools in Oklahoma's state basketball tournament.

That same year, Booker T. Washington School, Stillwater's all-black school, won the Oklahoma Class-C state high school basketball championship.

"I grew up in Stillwater . . . and I had no idea," Joyce said. "There (is no photo) of the team in Stillwater's History Museum."

The City of Stillwater recently reacquired public ownership of the now-abandoned school.

Joyce said the city is working to refurbish the main building as a historical marker and functioning part of the community.

"It's uncomfortable . . . to think of maintaining and highlighting a symbol of the horrors of racial segregation and reminding ourselves everyday that injustice once flourished in our friendly little college town," Joyce said. "I've come to recognize the Washington School as much more than a reminder of our segregated past. It remains a shining beacon of a vibrant community."

OSU graduate and keynote speaker Tré Smith concluded the celebration at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts with a speech he called "Dare to Dream."

In it, Smith reminded the audience to learn about Oklahoma's history of racial injustice: the Tulsa Race Massacre, Clara Luper's Oklahoma City sit-ins, Nancy Randolph Davis' struggle as OSU's first black student, many of which, he said, have been lost in classrooms.

"Always strive to be a lifelong learner," Smith said. "Are you willing to sacrifice your comfort?"