Bakersfield Black Magazine
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Black Media
  • Celebrity
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Fashion
  • Beauty & Hair
  • Events
  • Love
  • Recipe
  • Travel
Bakersfield Black Magazine
  • Home
  • Black Media
  • Celebrity
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Fashion
  • Beauty & Hair
  • Events
  • Love
  • Recipe
  • Travel
No Result
View All Result
Bakersfield Black Magazine
No Result
View All Result

William L. Clay Sr.: A Civil Rights Standard Amid Shifting Political, Social Tides

July 24, 2025
in Black Media
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
0
Home Black Media
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


By Sylvester Brown, Jr.

William L. Clay Sr., Missouri’s first Black congressman and a distinguished civil rights chief who died final week, was one of the consequential politicians within the state, rising to energy throughout a interval of entrenched racial discrimination that routinely relegated Black employees to low-paying, menial jobs.

Clay skillfully navigated the political and social local weather of the time, launching a distinguished public service profession that started with exceptional success as a St. Louis Metropolis alderman and led to a three-decade profession within the U.S. Home of Representatives.

“Invoice, by any stretch of creativeness, was actually a radical politician who operated contained in the system,” mentioned Mike Jones, a former St. Louis alderman with a long time of enterprise and authorities expertise. “His legacy shall be that he was a Black political chief who occupied the area of an actual political chief. He made a everlasting imprint on politics, St. Louis politics generally. He was a grasp within the artwork of politics.”

Clay, a St. Louis native, noticed alternative within the metropolis’s rising Black inhabitants and Black employees’ mounting frustration with enterprise insurance policies and practices that held them again economically.

He returned to St. Louis in 1955 after serving a stint within the Military. Town had reached its peak inhabitants of just about 900,000 residents at that time. Between 1955 and 1961, Clay labored as a metropolis bus driver, actual property dealer and supervisor of Industrial Life Insurance coverage Co. He unsuccessfully ran for alderman in 1959 whereas sustaining his roles as a union official and ward politician.

By 1960, St. Louis’ inhabitants had declined to about 750,000, with African Individuals making up almost 30% of residents. By 1968, that share had grown to only beneath 40%, based on U.S. Census information.

With its inhabitants development, Black voter participation elevated as effectively. Black St. Louisans had migrated west of downtown and have been a majority in some beforehand all-white wards. In 1963, Clay ran for alderman for the twenty sixth Ward, and this time he received.

He wasted no time shaking up the established order with a numbers-driven report that very same yr about discriminatory hiring practices of main firms that led to a number of months of protesting geared toward Jefferson Financial institution & Belief Co. A big precursor to the protest was a shrewd however efficient transfer by Clay that relied on unwitting help by then-Mayor Raymond Tucker. 

Clay described the transfer to the St. Louis American in 2008:

“I used to be a member of the board of aldermen, and I requested the employment info by saying that Mayor Tucker needed it to hopefully construction a chunk of laws to take care of (lack of range),” Clay mentioned.

He used the info to provide a report titled “Anatomy of an Financial Homicide,” which revealed that native corporations — together with Pevely Dairy, Anheuser-Busch, the Submit-Dispatch and Globe-Democrat newspapers and several other banks — employed few if any Black employees and had no Black staff in white-collar positions.

The report set off a firestorm in St. Louis’ Black group. The timing couldn’t have been worse for white employers who refused to rent Black staff. Clay, in a 2008 interview with Robert Joiner for St. Louis Public Radio and the St. Louis Beacon, defined how the protest grew to become a part of a nationwide phenomenon:

“The Jefferson Financial institution confrontation started two days after 1 / 4 of one million individuals took half within the historic March on Washington to demand passage of civil rights laws,” Clay mentioned. “So, what occurred in St. Louis was a part of a nationwide motion.”

In a 2010 St. Louis Public Radio interview, Norman Seay shared this picture of Jefferson Financial institution protesters being led to jail after their courtroom look. A younger William Clay is second from left. Seay is the person carrying a hat behind the person with a pocket handkerchief in his jacket. Credit score: Photograph offered by Mr. Seay

The 1963 March on Washington marked a pivotal second of Black solidarity, even in St. Louis. Clay mentioned most Black contributors within the civil rights motion “have been very cautious.”

“They weren’t cowards,” he mentioned. “However they knew the capability of white America with energy to inflict ache on those that acquired out of line. However younger blacks who weren’t conscious of this historical past and actually didn’t give a rattling simply determined that they weren’t going to take it anymore.”

“This was an entire change within the temper of black America,” Clay continued. “There additionally have been older Black individuals who have been ready for someone to offer a special form of management, a extra militant management, than what had existed.”

Clay, who had turn into pissed off with the standard conservative management of the native NAACP, joined the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE), a more moderen, youthful and bolder group. CORE led the Jefferson Financial institution protests. Black professionals risked their careers by collaborating. Clay was amongst them, and in consequence, he spent greater than three months in jail and was pressured to pay a hefty high-quality.

“Invoice was a product of the civil rights and Black energy youth generations of the Nineteen Sixties,” mentioned Jones, who serves on The St. Louis American’s editorial board.

The financial institution sought a courtroom order to cease the protests. As a result of police and the courts have been focusing on grownup protesters, CORE leaders recruited highschool college students to affix the campaign.

Former St Louis Comptroller Virvus Jones was a type of younger protesters. The junior highschool pupil on the time had already been recruited by Clay, who organized the NAACP’s Youth Membership.

“In the event you have been arrested as a juvenile, you didn’t keep in jail; your mother or dad would simply come and decide you up,” Virvus Jones recalled. “So, Clay and the opposite CORE leaders despatched buses and cabs to select us up after faculty.”

Whereas the Jefferson Financial institution protests have been unfolding, one other native group — youthful and extra vocal — was additionally staging public demonstrations: the Motion Committee to Enhance Alternatives for Negroes (ACTION), co-founded by activist Percy Inexperienced.

In July 1964, virtually a yr after the Jefferson Financial institution demonstrations, Inexperienced and fellow ACTION member Richard Daly scaled a 125-foot building ladder on the unfinished north leg of the Gateway Arch to protest the shortage of African American inclusion within the challenge. The six-hour climb drew nationwide media consideration.

By 1968, St. Louis was one in all many cities throughout the nation the place Black revolution was simmering. That rage erupted nationwide after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Race riots broke out in additional than 100 cities, fueled by social unrest, segregation, poverty and an absence of alternative for Black Individuals. St. Louis, with its sturdy base of Black activism, someway averted a riot.

Black frustration was not solely felt within the streets — it was expressed in voter cubicles.

A 1963 U.S. Supreme Courtroom ruling mandating equal populations in congressional districts paved the way in which for Clay, in late 1968, to run for an open seat in Missouri’s First Congressional District, which included a lot of majority-Black north St. Louis. His message of equal employment alternative resonated with fed-up Black voters, who have been pivotal in electing him the primary Black Missouri congressman.

Virvus Jones, recent from the Vietnam Conflict, joined Clay’s marketing campaign.

Clay received and joined 5 different Black politicians in Congress: Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (New York), William Dawson (Illinois), Charles Diggs and John Conyers (each from Michigan) and Shirley Chisholm — the primary Black lady ever elected to Congress.

Clay went on to serve 32 years within the U.S. Home of Representatives and was succeeded by his son, William Lacy Clay Jr., who served for 20 years. The elder Clay was one in all 13 co-founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, established in 1971 to advocate for African Individuals and different marginalized residents. On the time of his loss of life, he was the final surviving founding member.

Reflecting on Clay’s early years within the U.S. Home, Virvus Jones mentioned, “From 1968 to in all probability 1973, Invoice Clay was the preeminent voice of Congress. He was the Malcolm X of Congress, who needed to combat each two years to remain in workplace.”

William Clay, Sr. stands behind his spouse, Carol Ann Johnson Clay (middle), who holds the bible for her son Willam Lacy Clay Jr.’s swearing in to the one hundred and tenth Congress, January 2007. Then U.S. Speaker of the Home Nancy Pelosi is on the left and William Lacy Clay Jr.’s sister Michelle is subsequent to her.

St. Louis American Writer Donald M. Suggs mentioned Clay’s private attributes contributed to his political rise throughout a time of inflexible segregation in St. Louis.

“They included a daring fearlessness, a capability to prepare, charisma and a pointy tongue.” Suggs mentioned. “His sensibilities have been well-suited for the activism of the Civil Rights Motion that he bravely embraced with out hesitation. He

belongs within the pantheon of consequential Black leaders.”

This submit appeared first on The St. Louis American.



Source link

Tags: CivilClaypoliticalRightsShiftingSocialStandardTidesWilliam
Previous Post

What Does Intimacy Really Look Like in Black Relationships?

Next Post

7 controversies that haunted Hulk Hogan’s final years

Related Posts

White Woman Demands Security Guards Check Man’s Backpack Because She Feels Uncomfortable. Their Unexpected Response Leaves Her Frustrated, Video Shows
Black Media

White Woman Demands Security Guards Check Man’s Backpack Because She Feels Uncomfortable. Their Unexpected Response Leaves Her Frustrated, Video Shows

July 25, 2025
Trump Officials Desperately Try to Spin Humiliating Fed Confrontation with Powell In Tense Clash with CNN Reporter, But Viewers Aren’t Buying It
Black Media

Trump Officials Desperately Try to Spin Humiliating Fed Confrontation with Powell In Tense Clash with CNN Reporter, But Viewers Aren’t Buying It

July 26, 2025
Janice Turner Was Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison
Black Media

Janice Turner Was Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison

July 25, 2025
CAR Football Chief sentenced to 12 years for war crimes
Black Media

CAR Football Chief sentenced to 12 years for war crimes

July 25, 2025
YouTube retires trending tab for AI-driven explore feed
Black Media

YouTube retires trending tab for AI-driven explore feed

July 25, 2025
Flash floods surge across Georgia amid worsening climate
Black Media

Flash floods surge across Georgia amid worsening climate

July 25, 2025
Next Post
7 controversies that haunted Hulk Hogan’s final years

7 controversies that haunted Hulk Hogan’s final years

A look at details of the settlement between Columbia University and the Trump administration

A look at details of the settlement between Columbia University and the Trump administration

Unhinged White Woman Goes On Racist Tirade After Being Asked to Leave San Francisco Grocery Store, Video Shows

Unhinged White Woman Goes On Racist Tirade After Being Asked to Leave San Francisco Grocery Store, Video Shows

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Forever 21 x Reebok Quilted Reebok Varsity Jacket -For the PERFECT Athleisure Look!

Forever 21 x Reebok Quilted Reebok Varsity Jacket -For the PERFECT Athleisure Look!

January 6, 2024
LeBron James uses s-words in defending teammate Anthony Davis after victory over Suns

LeBron James uses s-words in defending teammate Anthony Davis after victory over Suns

October 30, 2023
Soup joumou is a symbol of Haitian triumph and freedom

Soup joumou is a symbol of Haitian triumph and freedom

January 1, 2024
Pamela Anderson The Latest Cover Girl For Elle Magazine

Pamela Anderson The Latest Cover Girl For Elle Magazine

January 26, 2025
Brooklyn Frost’s cover event was a celebration of influence

Brooklyn Frost’s cover event was a celebration of influence

April 12, 2025
Black Health And The Subtle Racism Of Medical Journals

Black Health And The Subtle Racism Of Medical Journals

May 10, 2023
Coldplay Kiss Cam Woman Seen for the First Time Since Cheating Scandal with No Wedding Ring, and That Somber Look Says It All

Coldplay Kiss Cam Woman Seen for the First Time Since Cheating Scandal with No Wedding Ring, and That Somber Look Says It All

July 26, 2025
White Woman Demands Security Guards Check Man’s Backpack Because She Feels Uncomfortable. Their Unexpected Response Leaves Her Frustrated, Video Shows

White Woman Demands Security Guards Check Man’s Backpack Because She Feels Uncomfortable. Their Unexpected Response Leaves Her Frustrated, Video Shows

July 25, 2025
Victoria Monét recalls being encouraged to have an abortion after her unexpected pregnancy announcement

Victoria Monét recalls being encouraged to have an abortion after her unexpected pregnancy announcement

July 26, 2025
Sue Duminy parties in Ibiza with new man

Sue Duminy parties in Ibiza with new man

July 25, 2025
Trump Officials Desperately Try to Spin Humiliating Fed Confrontation with Powell In Tense Clash with CNN Reporter, But Viewers Aren’t Buying It

Trump Officials Desperately Try to Spin Humiliating Fed Confrontation with Powell In Tense Clash with CNN Reporter, But Viewers Aren’t Buying It

July 26, 2025
3-Year-Old Black Boy Died. He Was Left in Hot Car By Social Worker Who Took Him From His Dad

3-Year-Old Black Boy Died. He Was Left in Hot Car By Social Worker Who Took Him From His Dad

July 25, 2025

Popular Story

  • Suki & Rollie Get Into Heated Fight In ‘Baddies East’ Teaser

    Suki & Rollie Get Into Heated Fight In ‘Baddies East’ Teaser

    593 shares
    Share 237 Tweet 148
  • Scents of Power: The Best Fragrances for Black Men and Women This National Fragrance Day

    592 shares
    Share 237 Tweet 148
  • PulteGroup’s Jim Zeumer Responds to Black Employees’ Lawsuit and “Noose Meeting”

    592 shares
    Share 237 Tweet 148
  • Pamela Anderson The Latest Cover Girl For Elle Magazine

    591 shares
    Share 236 Tweet 148
  • Angela Rye and Jalen Rose Step Out As A Verified Couple

    591 shares
    Share 236 Tweet 148
Bakersfield Black Magazine

Brows the Latest Black News on Bakersfield Black Magazine. Beauty & Hair, Black Media, Celebrity, Events, Fashion, Health, Lifestyle and More News.

Categories

  • Beauty & Hair
  • Black Media
  • Celebrity
  • Events
  • Fashion
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Love
  • Recipe
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Recent News

  • Coldplay Kiss Cam Woman Seen for the First Time Since Cheating Scandal with No Wedding Ring, and That Somber Look Says It All
  • White Woman Demands Security Guards Check Man’s Backpack Because She Feels Uncomfortable. Their Unexpected Response Leaves Her Frustrated, Video Shows
  • Victoria Monét recalls being encouraged to have an abortion after her unexpected pregnancy announcement
  • DMCA
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us

Copyright © 2023 Bakersfield Black Magazine.
Bakersfield Black Magazine is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Black Media
  • Celebrity
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Fashion
  • Beauty & Hair
  • Events
  • Love
  • Recipe
  • Travel

Copyright © 2023 Bakersfield Black Magazine.
Bakersfield Black Magazine is not responsible for the content of external sites.