Clarence B. Jones
Clarence B. Jones | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Jones in Geneva in 2013 | |
| Born | Clarence Benjamin Jones January 8, 1931 |
| Died | May 22, 2026 (aged 95) Cupertino, California, U.S. |
| Education | Palmyra High School |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, speechwriter, newspaper editor |
| Known for | Work and friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. |
| Movement | Civil Rights Movement |
| Relatives | Richard Schiff (stepson) |
Clarence Benjamin Jones (January 8, 1931 – May 22, 2026) was an American lawyer. He was the personal counsel, advisor, draft speech writer and close friend of Martin Luther King Jr. He was a scholar at Stanford University. He was the author of What Would Martin Say? and Behind the Dream: The Making of the Speech that Transformed a Nation.[1] He helped King Jr. write the first part of the 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech at Jones' house in The Bronx.[2]
Jones died at an assisted living cavity in Cupertino, California on May 22, 2026, at the age of 95.[3]
References
- ↑ "Behind the Dream". Archived from the original on 2010-12-21. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
- ↑ "On Martin Luther King Day, remembering the first draft of 'I Have a Dream'". The Washington Post. 2011-01-16. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
- ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (May 25, 2026). "Clarence B. Jones, Who Helped Shape 'I Have a Dream' Speech, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2026.