City Council selects operator for MAPS 4 Clara Luper Civil Rights Center
Rev. John Reed, Councilwoman Nikki Nice, Christina Beatty, Joyce Jackson, Marilyn Luper Hildreth, Mayor David Holt, and Leonard Benton. Image credit: Greg Singleton, City of Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma City Council voted Tuesday to select, The Freedom Center of Oklahoma City, LLC., as the operating partner for the MAPS 4 Clara Luper Civil Rights Center.
The new facility will include interpretative civil rights exhibitions, community gathering spaces and educational programming. The $26.8 million project also includes funds for operations and long-term maintenance. The facility will enhance the public’s understanding of Oklahoma City’s civil rights history and the significant role local efforts played in ending segregationist policies nationally.
The Freedom Center of Oklahoma City, LLC., is a 501c3 nonprofit organization established to educate, empower and enlighten the community to reflect on the past, present and future of the Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma.
“The Clara Luper Civil Rights Center will not only preserve history, housing an archive for historic documents and artifacts, but will also be a relevant contemporary resource for youth and adults serving as a community gathering place where all are welcome,” said Christina Beatty, Project Director for the Freedom Center of Oklahoma City. “The purpose of this significant center is to encourage continuous learning, foster civic engagement, build community and cultivate a sense of belonging.”
The Clara Luper Civil Rights Center will be built at NE 25th Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard and is scheduled to begin construction in fall 2024.
About MAPS 4
MAPS 4 is a debt-free public improvement program funded by a temporary penny sales tax that will raise a projected $1.07 billion over eight years. Oklahoma City voters approved the sales tax to fund MAPS 4 in a special election on Dec. 10, 2019, moving forward with a unique and ambitious plan to transform our community. The temporary penny sales tax funding MAPS 4 began April 1, 2020, and ends in 2028. More than 70 percent of MAPS 4 funding is dedicated to neighborhood and human needs. The rest is for quality of life and job-creating initiatives. The MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board and its six subcommittees will guide MAPS 4 planning and implementation, making recommendations to the City Council. The Council has final authority on MAPS 4. The MAPS Investment and Operating Trust developed a strategic investment plan to support long-term sustainable funding for MAPS 4 projects' operational expenses and maintenance. Visit okc.gov/maps4 for more.
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Source: City of Oklahoma City