Clarence B. Jones

Dr. Clarence B. Jones, a graduate of Columbia University and Boston University Law School, served as legal counsel, strategic advisor, and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He helped craft key speeches, including writing the first seven paragraphs of the iconic "I Have a Dream" address and smuggling out the notes for the "Letter from Birmingham Jail." After Dr. King's assassination, Dr. Jones continued to champion social justice, voting rights, and nonviolent activism. In 2015, President Obama honored him at the White House, and in 2021, he received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the American Bar Association. In 2024, President Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.