Hundreds of statements from across the country have poured in paying homage to William L. Clay Sr., Missouri’s first Black congressman and a prominent civil rights leader who died last week.
A private funeral will be held for family and close friends, while a public memorial service will be planned for St. Louis, a family member said. A date for the memorial has not yet been announced.
“As we reflect on the life and work of Congressman Clay, we remember a man who carved a path where none existed and left behind a blueprint for generations to come,” says a statement from the U.S. Black Chambers. “He was a visionary, a fighter, and a beloved leader who never stopped pushing for progress.”
“The National Newspaper Publishers Association extends heartfelt condolences to the family of Congressman William Clay Sr.,” NNPA President and CEO Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. wrote in a news release. “He was a freedom fighting member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a staunch supporter of the Black Press of America.”
In 1968, Clay ran for an open seat in the First Congressional District and became the first African American to win it. Clay went on to serve 32 years and was succeeded by his son, William Lacy Clay Jr., who served for 20 years.
He also was one of 13 co-founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, formed in 1971 to represent the interests of African Americans and other marginalized citizens, and was the the last surviving co-founder at the time of his death.
“Congressman Clay was a principled leader and a tireless advocate for civil rights and economic justice,” Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke said in a statement. “Born in St. Louis in 1931, he brought the conscience of the movement with him to the halls of Congress, where he served honorably for more than three decades. As Missouri’s first Black member of Congress, he fought tirelessly to open doors of opportunity and to protect the rights of working people across our nation.”
Before his time in Congress, Clay made headlines in the early 1960s as a St. Louis Alderman and civil rights organizer. In 1963, he led the Jefferson Bank protests, standing up against discriminatory hiring practices that excluded Black tellers from newly integrated financial institutions.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer called him “one of St. Louis’ proud native sons.” He “dedicated his life to breaking down barriers by standing up for others,” said St. Louis Board of Alderman President Megan Green.
Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell defined Clay as “a giant — not just for St. Louis, not just for Missouri, but for the entirety of our country.”
“I 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,” Bell added. “My heart is with his family, with Lacy, and with every person whose life was better because Bill Clay chose to serve.”
Roy Temple, a former chair of the Missouri Democratic Party, recalled working closely with Clay during Mel Carnahan’s 1992 gubernatorial campaign.
“He was probably one of the three most influential people in Mel’s primary win,” Temple said. “Learned a ton in every single interaction. He was an icon.”
“His work laid the foundation for future generations of Black leadership in public service,” CDC Chair Clarke wrote. “May he rest in power and everlasting peace.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.