{"id":7266,"date":"2025-08-05T19:26:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T19:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=7266"},"modified":"2025-09-07T19:27:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T19:27:54","slug":"bill-clay-sr-congressional-black-caucus-founding-member-and-missouri-civil-rights-icon-dies-at-94","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=7266","title":{"rendered":"Bill Clay Sr., Congressional Black Caucus Founding Member and Missouri Civil Rights Icon, Dies at 94"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Stacy M. Brown<\/a><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Clay made history in 1968 when he became Missouri\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongressman Clay helped build the CBC into a force for equity and accountability in American Democracy,\u201d CBC Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said Thursday. \u201cAs a member of Congress, he was a fierce defender of labor rights, education, and social justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clay served for 32 years in the House, where he spent his entire tenure on the Education and Labor Committee. He pushed landmark legislation, including reforming the Hatch Act, which restricts political activities of federal employees, and helped usher in the Family and Medical Leave Act, which President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1993. In his final term, Clay was also a cosponsor of H.R. 40, the federal bill that calls for a commission to study reparations for slavery and racial discrimination.<\/p>\n

After his retirement in 2001, his son, William Lacy Clay Jr., succeeded him and continued representing Missouri\u2019s 1st District until 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cWilliam Lacy Clay Sr. was a giant\u2014not just for St. Louis, not just for Missouri, but for the entirety of our country,\u201d said Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell (D). \u201cI counted Mr. Clay as a grand mentor, as a trailblazer, and as a dear friend. But more than that, I carry his example with me every time I walk onto the House Floor. My heart is with his family, with Lacy, and with every person whose life was better because Bill Clay chose to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy Temple, a former chair of the Missouri Democratic Party, recalled working closely with Clay during Mel Carnahan\u2019s 1992 campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was probably one of the three most influential people in Mel\u2019s primary win,\u201d Temple said. \u201cLearned a ton in every single interaction. He was an icon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clarke emphasized Clay paved a path for future politicians.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis work laid the foundation for future generations of Black leadership in public service,\u201d Clarke wrote. \u201cMay he rest in power and everlasting peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source: Published without changes from Washington Informer Newspaper<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Stacy M. Brown William Lacy Clay Sr., a civil rights leader, legislative powerhouse, and one of the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-black-history"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t