A Passion for Equality: The Life of Jimmy Stewart

By Vicki Miles-LaGrange and Bob Burke

Jimmy Stewart was at the forefront of the struggle for civil rights in Oklahoma for almost half a century. Among his many great qualities were integrity and a passion for equality. As a national leader of the NAACP, he played a major role in developing local, state, and national civil rights policies. He headed the NAACP in Oklahoma City during tumultuous times of school desegregation and integration.

As an official with Oklahoma Natural Gas Company, Stewart was highly respected for his valuable counsel on sensitive race relations issues and on matters concerning equal job opportunity.

Stewart was a disciple of Roscoe Dunjee, the Oklahoma City black newspaper editor who championed the early fight for equality. Following Dunjee’s tactics, Stewart negotiated huge gains for minorities in the Sooner State.