Clarence Jones Interview: On Being Martin Luther King Jr's Advisor & Speechwriter

Clarence Jones tells the story of meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1960 and his initial hesitancy to be a part of Dr. King’s legal counsel until he saw him speak at a church service. He discusses being a part of Dr. King’s inner circle of advisors, serving as a speechwriter, contributing to the “I Have a Dream” (1963), and “Beyond Vietnam” (1967) speeches, and explains why America owes a great debt to Dr. King.

Clarence Jones was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania On January 8, 1931. He graduated from Columbia University, and received his law degree from Boston University. Jones represented Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in the landmark libel case New York Times v. Sullivan (1964), among other cases. After Dr. King’s assassination, Jones acted as a negotiator during the 1971 Attica Prison riots. Jones was named a Scholar in Residence at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, during which time he wrote and published two books about his experiences with Dr. King. In addition, Jones was the first African-American partner in a Wall Street investment bank listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

From the HBO / Kunhardt Film Foundation (KFF) Documentary “King in the Wilderness” that follows Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the last years of his life: from the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to his assassination in 1968, through personal stories of the people who were around him.

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Clarence Jones, Advisor and Personal Lawyer to Dr. King
Interviewed By: Trey Ellis
Interview Date: July 26, 2017

Chapters:
00:00 Meeting Dr. King and becoming his Lawyer
22:30 Tax Evasion Case
35:53 Stanley Levison
48:28 Nonviolence
58:41 Friendship with Dr. King
01:13:15 FBI Wiretapping
01:25:07 After the Voting Rights Act
01:34:10 FBI and Informants
01:43:06 Vietnam
02:02:12 Commitment to Nonviolence
02:05:43 Redemption March
02:11:52 Dr. King’s Assassination and Funeral
02:19:20 Dr. King’s Message For Today
02:31:05 Meredith March Against Fear
02:35:19 Poor People’s Campaign
02:39:40 The Gospel and Songs

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