Louisiana’s ‘Bridge Builder’ and civil rights hero: Dr. Jesse Stone Jr.

The illustrious Dr. Jesse Nealand Stone Jr. is among numerous brave figures who changed the course of civil rights in Caddo Parish.

Stone, a native of Gibsland, La., was a major advocate for desegregation and fought against the disenfranchisement of Black voters. He deeply valued education and also served as the first Black member of the Louisiana Supreme Court. His tireless work toward education and civil rights earned him the name “Louisiana’s Bridge Builder.”

Dr. Jesse Stone Jr. (Source: Louisiana Record)

He began his trailblazing career as part of the first graduating class of Southern University Law Center. Stone opened a joint firm at 854 ½ Texas Ave. with Vanue LaCour, becoming Shreveport’s first Black attorney since 1932. He went on to become the first Black lawyer to practice in a Bossier courtroom in 1952.

His career started with a bang when he won Bryce v. Byrd et al., in which the Registrar of Voters of Bossier Parish refused to allow Black voters to register. The ruling marked the first time in 31 years that Black voters were able to register in Bossier Parish.

Stone became a champion of civil rights and collaborated with the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), and freedom riders to challenge segregation and institutionalized racism.

He successfully defended Frances Sullivan, Shreveport activist Dorothy Simpkins and others facing charges for resisting discrimination and segregation on public transport.

Ask Charges Against Six Be Quashed, The Shreveport Journal, Nov. 7, 1961 (Source: Newspapers.com, public domain)

Stone also defended five students arrested while requesting library cards at the Shreve Memorial Library in downtown Shreveport.

With the assistance of CORE Stone won a landmark case in 1961 when he defended the first freedom riders arrested in Louisiana. The riders refused to leave the whites-only area of Shreveport’s Continental Trailways bus terminal.

The case went to the United States District Court, where it was ruled that segregating the bus terminal was unconstitutional.

Racial tensions came to a head in 1963 when several Black officials wanted to hold a memorial for four children murdered in the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham. Hundreds of Black participants were met with extreme violence at the hands of Shreveport police led by Public Safety Commissioner George D’Artois.

Stone tried to ease the tension with D’Artois at Little Union Baptist Church, who agreed to let people leave the church two at a time. Despite this, officers pulled pastor Harry Blake from the church and savagely beat him.

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The following Monday, students at Booker T. Washington High School and J.S. Clark Junior High School marched in protest. They were met with tear gas and brute force by Shreveport Police, who clubbed several students and teachers.

Eight students were arrested in the aftermath, four of whom were legally represented by Stone.

Little Union Mounted Patrol

Stone played a major role in desegregating Bossier Schools when he and three other lawyers 

represented four Black couples in their efforts to integrate schools in the parish. This suit became the first school integration suit filed in Northwest Louisiana.

The U.S. District Court of Appeals decided that the students have a constitutional right to enter the school system because Bossier Parish received federal funding.

Stone’s legacy extended beyond the courtroom. He was a dedicated educator, administrator, and community leader who spearheaded initiatives to combat poverty and promote racial equality.

He continued to fight for civil rights in numerous public service and leadership roles, including the associate director of Governor John McKeithen’s biracial commission, the state assistant superintendent for community affairs and the acting chairman and vice chairman of the Louisiana Advisory Committee to former president Richard Nixon’s Cabinet Committee on Education.

A massive crowd of over 1,000 people honored Stone at the Shreveport Convention Hall when he was named Associate Director of the Louisiana Commission on Human Relations.

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He returned to his alma mater in 1971 to serve as Dean of Southern University Law School and later as President of the Southern University Center in 1974. His continuing work in education earned him the position of Assistant Superintendent of Education for the Louisiana State Department of Education.

Members of the first graduating class of Southern University Law Center (from left) Alex L. Pitcher, Leroy White …

In 1974, he became the first African American appointed to the Louisiana Supreme Court, serving as an Associate Justice Pro Tempore. Southern University at Shreveport honored Stone’s legacy by naming their lecture hall after him.

Even after his passing in 2001, his legacy remains strong. Southern University professor Winston Riddick shared the immense impact Stone had on future generations as he, Chancellor Emeritus B.K. Agnihotri and Vice Chancellor Russell L. Jones presented a portrait of Stone to the university in 2016.

“He inspired thousands of African Americans to the legal profession. Indeed, Stone told generations of African-American students how the law could open doors for them, both socially and economically.”

Stone helped numerous law students launch their careers. His daughter, Shonda Deann Stone, is serving as a judge on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal.

June 21st, 2017, saw the creation of the Jesse Stone Foundation to continue the legacy of “Louisiana’s Bridge Builder.” This foundation represents the legacy of one of the most influential civil rights figures in Shreveport and Louisiana as a whole.