Awesome Modern Day Story About the Civil Rights Movement

"Be the change you want to see in the world", a quote by Gandhi. I can think of not better example than the African American children that sat at luncheon counters in the late 50's early 60's and asked to be served along side everyone else.

Gandhi inspired Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired Clara Luper. And Clara Luper inspired thousands throughout Oklahoma City and the nation.

Clara Luper is known as the mother of the civil rights movement. She was a high school teacher and leader of the Oklahoma City NAACP youth group. She taught thousands of kids (and adults) how to "be the change" they wanted to see in the world, including my father Bill Clifford (first white to join Oklahoma City demonstrations).

In our new documentary, "The Faces Of Change", co-producers Bob Ridgley and I interview these young demonstrators fifty years later. We call them "the kids" when we are editing (though their age range is 57 to 64). "The kids" talk about their activism in what becomes the longest peaceful demonstration in the history of America.

The demonstrations lasted five years 11 months ... imagine being a kid, going into a restaurant asking to be served only to be told no because of your skin color. AND, imagine being a kid and doing that for five years eleven months, visiting restaurant after restaurant with some restaurant owners finally saying yes, while other restaurant owners continually saying no. Imagine doing that year after year after year for nearly six years. Talk about tenacious! Talk about "being the change you want to see in the world"! Talk about giving the world such a gift, a gift called freedom!