Arizona Fleming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arizona Fleming
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| Born | March 23, 1884 |
| Died | January 18, 1976 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Business owner |
| Known for | Litigant in US Supreme Court civil rights case |
Arizona Fleming (March 23, 1884 – January 18, 1976) was an African-American business owner from Richmond, Texas. She became a key part of the Civil Rights Movement. She joined a lawsuit against a political group that stopped Black voters from taking part in elections in Fort Bend County.
The lawsuit was led by John Terry. But Arizona Fleming and Willie Melton gave a lot of money and effort to the case. They won the case in a federal court in 1950. However, the decision was overturned in 1952. The case then went to the highest court in the United States in 1953. There, African-Americans finally won full voting rights in the county. In 1994, the Arizona Fleming Elementary School was opened in her honor.
Early Life and Work
Arizona Fleming was born on March 23, 1884, in Richmond, Texas. Her parents were Beauregard and Laura Fleming. She went to schools that were segregated. This meant Black students and white students went to separate schools. She finished 12th grade.
After high school, she attended Guadalupe College, which was an all-Black college. Then, she worked as a bookkeeper in Houston. After four years, she returned to Richmond. There, she became a skilled seamstress. She married F.A. Hicks in 1903 and Robb Simmons in 1912.
In 1927, Arizona Fleming helped start a funeral home business. She worked as the secretary and manager for a few years. Later, she became the only owner of the business. Her business survived the Great Depression. This was a very hard time when many businesses failed. She got financial help from an uncle. After some time, she also became a homeowner.
Fighting for Voting Rights
In 1889, a white political group called the Jaybirds took control of the Fort Bend County government. They did this through violence in what was known as the Jaybird-Woodpecker War. Before this, Black people and their white allies often won local elections. Black people also held political jobs.
After 1889, the Jaybirds created Jim Crow laws. These laws made sure that Black people, Hispanic people, and Jewish people could not vote in local elections. They could not help choose who would run for office in the Democratic Party.
In 1950, Willie Melton, a wealthy African-American farmer from Kendleton, decided to challenge these rules. He wanted to vote in the Democratic primary election. Melton asked NAACP lawyer William J. Durham for help. They told the Jay Bird Democratic Association that their rules broke the law. They said Black people wanted to vote. The Jay Bird Association argued they were a private club. They said they had the right to choose their members.
Arizona Fleming and others soon joined Melton in this fight. She worked very hard to end this unfair treatment. They tried to get the Texas Attorney General to help, but he would not. So, Melton contacted a law firm in Houston. They were told to find people to join the lawsuit against the Jay Bird Association. This was hard because many African-Americans feared they would be punished.
Finally, several people over 60 years old agreed to join. One was 77-year-old John Terry of Beasley. His name was put at the top of the lawsuit. In the end, Melton and Fleming paid most of the legal costs. They also got help from the NAACP, Black churches, and wealthy Black people in Houston.
The Court Cases
On May 1, 1950, the federal court ruled in their favor. The court said the Jay Bird Association acted like a political party. This meant they had to follow federal laws that protect voting rights.
Melton became president and Fleming became secretary of a new group called the Fort Bend Civic Club. This club worked to get Black people to vote. In the next election, 400 out of 550 eligible African-American voters cast their ballots. There were no reports of violence.
However, on January 11, 1952, the Jay Bird Association got the decision overturned. This happened in a higher court called the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The Fort Bend Civic Club raised more money, about $6,000. They wanted to take the case to the highest court in the country.
On May 4, 1953, the United States Supreme Court agreed with the first court's decision in the case known as Terry v. Adams. Only Melton and Fleming were there for this important court session. The case made sure that African-Americans in Fort Bend County had the right to vote.
The lawsuit cost Arizona Fleming a lot of money. But she said, "I'd do it all over again." She passed away in Richmond on January 18, 1976. She is buried in the Mount Carmel Baptist Church cemetery. In 1994, an elementary school in the Fort Bend Independent School District was named after her.
See also
