Oklahoma Enters Union in 1907 with Racial Segregation Written Into State Law

When Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907, its first legislature passed comprehensive Jim Crow legislation segregating schools, transportation, and public accommodations. Oklahoma's first law as a state segregated telephone booths. The state also moved quickly to disfranchise its Black population — which had enjoyed equal rights in Indian Territory — through a grandfather clause. The speed and comprehensiveness of Oklahoma's Jim Crow legislation demonstrated how completely white supremacy was the default political order in the early 20th century US.