May Day celebration set for Michael J. Hunter Park

May 6—What was once an annual event at L'Ouverture School in McAlester is set to be celebrated again.

The May Day Memorial at Michael J.Hunter Park, which is adjacent to the former L'Ouverture School building, is set to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15.

Organizers plan to offer food, games and music designed to recreate the fun former L'Ouverture students had during their annual May Day celebrations, with everyone in the community welcome to attend the event, with some featured speakers in the works as well.

In addition to the celebration, organizers trying to save the former L'Ouverture School Building at 1401 E. Cherokee Ave. hope get more individuals involved in the effort.

It will be the first major public event at Michael J. Hunter Park since major efforts have been underway to clean it up and restore it. Those organizing the event say a protective face mask will be required.

McAlester resident Harry Ellis is among those helping organize the May Day celebration. He said May Day had traditionally been celebrated by students and faculty at the school. May Day is traditionally held to mark the arrival of warmer weather in the spring and the approach of summer.

"It was an annual event. We had it on May 1 back in the day," said Ellis, who was recently spreading word about the event, along with his son, Sirr Ellis.

McAlester resident Primus Moore, a retired educator and principal with McAlester Public Schools, said May Day had been a major event when he attended L'Ouverture.

"It used to be a big fun-day celebration when we were getting close to the end of school," he said.

Along with the other activities, the May 15 event will also be used to spotlight recent efforts at restoring L'Ouverture, Moore said. He plans to deliver an address regarding the history of L'Ouverture.

Herbert Keith, the valedictorian of the L'Ouverture Class of 1965, said activities are planned to recall the spirit of earlier May Day celebrations, such as three-legged races.

"The menu will be hamburgers, baked beans, potato salad, sodas and water," he said. Keith said he also plans to cook up a spicy hot-link dish himself.

"This is open to the community at no charge," he said, adding that any donations to help with the L'Ouverture restoration project will be appreciated.

Keith noted that progress has been made on cleaning up the former school building, thanks to volunteers, including members of the McAlester High School football team last weekend, he said.

L'Ouverture School was the public school attended by African American students in McAlester for a 60-year period, from 1908 to 1968 — when 115 L'Ouverture High School students integrated with McAlester Public Schools, followed later by students in the elementary through eighth grades.

Moore and Keith joined together as the L'Ouverture Class of 1965 to purchase the building from McAlester Public Schools in 2014.

MPS had last used the building as the Key Academy Alternative School before moving the alternative school to the McAlester High School campus.

Keith said those supporting the effort are getting close to obtaining a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit designation for the L'Ouverture restoration project.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.