Curtis L. Lawson (1935–2008) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

state politician from

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

. In 1964 he was one of the first three

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

elected to the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

since

A. C. Hamlin Albert Comstock Hamlin (February 10, 1881 – August 29, 1912) was the first African American elected to the Oklahoma Legislature. He lost his re-election bid as a direct result of a constitutional amendment that prevented many black Oklahomans ...

in 1908. Lawson represented a district in Tulsa from 1965 to 1969. He was an advocate for

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

legislation, and also introduced a controversial

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

bill in 1967. After his legislative service he encountered legal difficulties, including serving a prison term for embezzlement (for which he was later pardoned)."Former Solon Claims Cruel Lockup"
''

Lawton Constitution The Lawton Constitution is a daily newspaper published in Lawton, Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of ...

'', February 8, 1973—via

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. He is featured in the Oklahoma History Center's One Man One Vote exhibit.

References

External links

"One_[of
/nowiki>_the_First_African-Americans_to_Re-enter_the_Oklahoma_Legislature,_Curtis_L._Lawson_Dies_at_Age_72".html" ;"title="f">"One [of
/nowiki> the First African-Americans to Re-enter the Oklahoma Legislature, Curtis L. Lawson Dies at Age 72"">f">"One [of
/nowiki> the First African-Americans to Re-enter the Oklahoma Legislature, Curtis L. Lawson Dies at Age 72" PRWeb, May 1, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawson, Curtis L. 1935 births 2008 deaths African-American state legislators in Oklahoma Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Politicians from Tulsa, Oklahoma 20th-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American people 20th-century members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives