Staking a Claim

Staking a Claim explores the life of Jake Simmons, Jr., an extraordinary African American oil industry tycoon whose heritage and education inspired him to pursue economic and political independence. From brokering oil leases for Black landowners to negotiating in Africa and advocating for human dignity, Simmons’s achievements challenge conventional narratives of Black underrepresentation and offer a rare glimpse into what could have been for freed slaves in America.