Arizona Fleming (March 23, 1884 – January 18, 1976) was an African-American small business owner from Richmond, Texas, who became part of the Civil Rights Movement by joining a lawsuit against an all-white political club that prevented black voters from participating in the Democratic Party Primary in Fort Bend County.

While John Terry's name headed the legal petition, Fleming and Willie Melton provided much of the financial support and work behind the lawsuit.

[1] In 1889 a white political faction called the Jaybirds seized control of the Fort Bend County government by violence in the Jaybird-Woodpecker War.

After 1889, the Jaybirds passed Jim Crow laws to ensure that no blacks, Hispanics or Jews were allowed to participate in the nomination of local Democratic Party candidates.

Melton enlisted NAACP attorney William J. Durham to notify the Jay Bird Democratic Association that they were violating the laws and that blacks wanted to vote in the primary.

After unsuccessfully trying to interest Texas Attorney General Price Daniel in the case, Melton approached J. Edwin Smith of a Houston law firm.

Finally a number of persons over 60 years old agreed to join the case, including 77-year-old John Terry of Beasley, whose name appeared at the top of the petition.

[1] The court determined that the Jay Bird Association operated as a political party and therefore came under federal statutes that protected voting rights.