The Rolling Thunder Book Bus paid a special visit last week to a school bearing the name of a true Oklahoma City trailblazer: Thelma Reece Parks, who passed away on Sept. 11 at the age of 96.
The school, nestled in the intersection between Northeast 30th Street and Prospect Avenue, serves as an appropriate testament to the educational leader whose longstanding mantra in life was to put children first.
“I believe in children,” Parks said in an interview in March of 2018. “My motto is children first and preparation is the key to success. I do believe that. I’ve always believed that.”
Parks was a longtime educator who was well known for her civil rights efforts in the public education system in Oklahoma City. She served on the school board for 22 years and was elected its president in 1993. Parks was also a recipient of the Oklahoma City NAACP Life-Time Achievement award and a member of the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.
“She worked so hard for equity for students and to make sure everybody had equal opportunities and to have the best education because she knew education would provide for opportunities and so it’s an honor to be the leader of the school that bears her name,” said Michelle Lewis, principal of Thelma R. Parks Elementary.
Park’s legacy lives on through the school’s hallways, which were lined with written tributes to the well-known trailblazer from the students:
“Thank you, Mrs. Parks for all you did for students and our neighborhood.”
“She loved all of the kids. Mrs. Parks was an innovative thinker. She believed in education and all of the kids loved her.”
These children, Park’s living legacy, beamed with excitement as the Rolling Thunder Book Bus, presented by American Fidelity, made a surprise appearance to the school. Inside the bus, two special passengers awaited the arrival of the third-grade students: Thunder players Hamidou Diallo and Justin Patton.
One by one, the kids were pleasantly surprised to find that they would be accompanied in their book-browsing by the Thunder duo. In one instance, a student paused in awe to see Diallo standing inside the book bus. It wasn’t his height or talent that caused his pause -- it was his hair. It looked just like his own.
“I think it was great for them just to see new faces and obviously Thunder players, they were super excited,” Patton said. “I think it will be a good impact on them as far as tying the two things together with Thunder players, basketball, NBA and reading.”
Back inside the school, within the newly upgraded library, there was a buzz of excitement as boxes upon boxes laid stacked on the floor. Inside were 1,000 new books donated by the Thunder to further honor Park’s legacy of education. Each book was outfitted with a commemorative sticker to remember the occasion.
“It’s just such a validation of the work that she started so many years ago and that she’s impacted the whole community,” Lewis said. “I love the 1,000 books have that commemorative sticker, because every time those students open up that book, and they see that sticker, they will be reminded of her and the work that she started that we’re trying to continue here at the school that bears her name. It’s amazing.”
In addition to the student tributes lining the hallway, the Thunder unveiled its own tribute to the school: a custom Thelma Parks jersey, donated in her honor.
“That’s the legacy that Mrs. Thelma R. Parks stood for of kids first, children first and we appreciate the Thunder and also the book donation of 1,000 books for our young people to continue to put their education forward especially within Northeast Oklahoma City,” said Oklahoma City Councilwoman Nikki Nice.
This is the lasting impact Mrs. Park’s had on the community and this school: treating students like the future leaders they will become by providing the resources necessary for success. It has become a rallying cry for the educators within the school’s walls and the motivator to continue in the work that Parks began.
“I think (Thelma) would think this was awesome,” Lewis said. “I think she would be very excited that we took something really fun and tied it to education, which would be a perfect combination of what she would try to do.”
WATCH: Honoring Thelma Parks