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Clarence Jones to speak at Furman Jan. 27

Clarence Jones


Last updated January 26, 2014

By News administrator

Clarence Jones

Clarence Jones

Clarence B. Jones, who served as political advisor, counsel and draft speechwriter for Martin Luther King, Jr., will speak on the Furman University campus Monday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. in Shaw Hall of Younts Conference Center.

His talk, “King’s Legacy: Challenge for the 21st Century,” is free and open to the public.  Jones will also be signing books following the lecture.

In addition to coordinating the legal defense of King and other leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the Civil Rights era, Jones assisted King in drafting his celebrated “I Have a Dream” speech.  He also helped negotiate, at the request of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, an end to the historic Attica prison inmate rebellion in 1971.

Jones was the first African-American to serve as partner in a Wall Street investment banking firm, and was twice recognized as Fortune’s Business Man of the Month.  He is co-author of the books, What Would Martin Say? and Behind the Dream—The Making of the Speech That Transformed a Nation.  He also writes a regular column for the Huffington Post.

Jones currently serves as the Diversity Visiting Professor at the University of San Francisco, and as Scholar Writer-in-Residence at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute at Stanford University.

Jones’ visit to Furman is part of the university’s MLK celebration.  Furman is also sponsoring these MLK events:

Monday, Jan. 20, 8-11 a.m., TD Convention Center — “MLK Holiday: A Day of Service.” Hip Hop, Rap and Spoken Word”

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Watkins Room, Trone Student Center — “Day of Service Blood Drive”

Saturday, Feb. 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Burgiss Theater and Watkins Room, Trone Student Center — “Martin Luther King Youth Program and Rudolph Gordon College Fair”

Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Burgiss Theater, Trone Student Center — “Joseph Vaughn Oratorical Contest”

For more information, contact Chandra Dillard at chandra.dillard@furman.edu or 864-294-2503, or visit the Furman website.

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