The Camden County Board of Commissioners and Camden County College are excited to welcome Dr. Clarence B. Jones, Speechwriter and Counsel to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to the Dennis Flyer Theater at our Blackwood Campus on Wednesday, September 13, for a free discussion on Civil Rights, the Constitution, and his new book, “Last of the Lions,” followed by a Q & A session with attendees. A book signing will be held at the conclusion of the event.
After joining Dr. King’s legal team in 1960, Dr. Jones became not only Dr. King’s counsel, but also his speechwriter, advisor, and close friend. When Dr. King was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, it was Dr. Jones who smuggled paper into his cell so that Dr. King could write “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Dr. Jones assisted Dr. King by drafting his “I Have a Dream” speech, which he delivered at the March on Washington on August, 28 1963. He also advised Dr. King to write to President John F. Kennedy regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Dr. Jones served as Dr. King’s lawyer and advisor until Dr. King was assassinated in 1968.
Dr. Jones has dedicated his life to the Civil Rights Movement, and has written several about Dr. Kings’ legacy. He founded the Clarence B. Jones Institute for Civil Advocacy in 2017, a non-profit organization which invokes community, empowerment, compassion and unity through civic service, research and education. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the College of Arts and Science, University of San Francisco, and Scholar in Residence, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford University.