Civil Rights
Movement

In Texas

Early Struggles
for Civil Rights

•1912 – Texas’ first chapter of
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) formed in
Houston

•Lulu Belle Madison White –
leader of Houston’s NAACP
chapter

•Largest chapter in the state
•Became head of NAACP for the
entire state

Courts Rule to
Support Civil

Rights

•Smith v. Allright
(1944)– U.S. supreme
court ruled white only
primaries were illegal

• Lonnie Smith (Houston)

filed a supreme court case to end the unfair practice

•Sweatt v. Painter
(1950) – All law schools
and graduate schools
had to open their doors
to African Americans

• Heman Sweatt

(Houston) wanted to
attend law school and
was denied because of
his race

African

Americans

Win Elections

• 1966 – Joe Lockridge

(Dallas) & Curtis Graves
(Houston) win seats in the
Texas House of
Representatives

• 1st African Americans to hold

seats in the Texas house since
Reconstruction

elected to the Texas Senate

• 1972- Jordan became the 1st

African American woman in the
U.S. Congress from a southern
state

James Farmer

•Born in Marshall, Texas (1920)

•Leader of CORE – Congress of Racial Equality

•Participated in sit ins and Freedom Rides

•Helped plan the March on Washington (1963)

• 1969–70- served as Assistant Secretary of Health, Education and
Welfare under President Richard M. Nixon

• 1998 - received the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Dr. Hector P. Garcia

• World War II Veteran

• Dr. Hector P. Garcia (1948) – founded the American

G.I. Forum in Corpus Christi

"The body of Felix Longoria of Three Rivers, Texas,
who had been a private killed by a Japanese sniper in
the Philippines in 1945, was being returned to the
United States. The funeral director of his hometown
refused the use of the funeral home's chapel to
Longoria's family."
• Garcia drew attention to this issue!!!

been systematically excluded from juries in Texas

• Went on to fight for equality in education, farm labor,

jury selection, desegregation of schools, hospitals, and
public swimming pools, poll tax reform, and more

Oveta Culp Hobby

• Helped organize the

Democratic National
Convention in Houston (1928)

• 1st director of the U.S. Women’s

Army Corp

• 1st Secretary of the Department

of Health, Education, and
Welfare

Jane Y. McCallum

• Born in 1877 in LaVernia, Texas

• 1903- moved to Austin

• 1915- she was elected president of the Austin Woman Suffrage

Association

• Campaigned for women's voting rights

• Helped the Texas League of Women Voters fight for

education, health care, and child labor laws

• Executive secretary of the Women's Joint Legislative Council,

a powerful group sometimes known as the "Petticoat Lobby"

• Served as Texas Secretary of State under two different

governors

Share your score in Q&A!