Clara Luper

“I told them about my father, Ezell Shepard, who had gone into a Jim Crow army and fought, and had been wounded in France. He had suffered all kinds of humiliations just because he was a fourth-class citizen at home. When I finished, I told those tired, hungry children who needed to go to the restroom that in the final analysis, this whole operation at Bishop's depended upon each one of us. "Do you feel that we should go or stay? I want to have you think about it and make up your own minds as to what you individually want to do. This must be your decision."

The waitresses, managers, policemen, and firemen had stopped and were watching the youth. My heart was pounding, and my eyes were heavy since we had been working on Operation Bishop's all night. "Let's vote," I said. "All in favor of leaving, say aye." Not one voice was heard. "All in favor of staying, say aye." Ayes range out all over the place.

"Why are you staying?" They answered in song. Because:

We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome someday.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
That we shall overcome someday.
God is on our side, God is on our side,
God is on our side today.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
That we shall overcome someday.”
― Clara Luper, Behold the Walls: Commemorative Edition