William Lacy Clay Sr., a civil rights leader, legislative powerhouse, and one of the 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, has died. He was 94. “The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) extends heartfelt condolences to the family of Congressman William Clay Sr.,” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. stated. The NNPA is the trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the 198-year-old Black Press of America. “He was a freedom fighting member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a staunch supporter of the Black Press of America.”
Clay made history in 1968 when he became Missouri’s first Black congressman, representing St. Louis in the U.S. House of Representatives. His election marked a turning point for Black political representation in Missouri and nationally, as he joined the House alongside former Reps. Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.) and Louis Stokes (D-Ohio) laid the groundwork for the Congressional Black Caucus, which was formally established in 1971. “Congressman Clay helped build the CBC into a force for equity and accountability in American Democracy,” CBC Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said Thursday. “As a member of Congress, he was a fierce defender of labor rights, education, and social justice.”
Read the rest of the story by Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent, Stacy M. Brown, Here.
