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MLK Advisor Clarence Jones, 95, Dies
27 May
Summary
- Clarence B. Jones, key advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., has died at 95.
- He helped draft the 'I Have a Dream' speech and 'Letter from Birmingham Jail'.
- Jones was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.
Clarence B. Jones, a distinguished advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., passed away peacefully in Cupertino, California, at the age of 95. Jones was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement, providing critical legal and strategic support to Dr. King.
His significant contributions include assisting in the drafting of the opening of the "I Have a Dream" speech and smuggling the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" out of a prison cell. Jones was also part of the legal team for the landmark New York Times v. Sullivan Supreme Court case.
In 2024, President Joe Biden awarded Jones the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. He also had a distinguished career in finance and academia, co-founding Stanford University's Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice.
