Curtis Graves
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joanne Graves (divorced)
Curtis Graves | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 23-6 | |
| In office January 10, 1967 – January 9, 1973 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 26, 1938 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | July 26, 2023 (aged 84) Tucker, Georgia, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Kay Bryant Joanne Graves (divorced) |
| Children | 3, including Gizelle Bryant |
| Alma mater | Texas Southern University (B.A.) Princeton University(M.S.) |
Curtis M. Graves (August 26, 1938 – July 26, 2023) was an American civil rights activist and politician in the state of Texas. He was one of the first African Americans to serve in the Texas House of Representatives since the Reconstruction.
Curtis Matthew Graves was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 26, 1938, to Fregelio Joseph Graves and Mable Haydel Graves. He grew up in a creole family, his father and uncle owned Butsy and Buddy's, the only black-owned Esso stations in Louisiana at the time.[1][2]
Graves attended Xavier University, before transferring to Texas Southern University, where he joined Kappa Alpha Psi and graduated in 1963 with a degree in business administration. Graves participated in sit-ins, marches, and helped found the Progressive Youth Association which played a major role in the desegregation of Houston.[3]
