US EditionWilliam 'Bill' Clay, Groundbreaking Congressman and Civil Rights Leader, Dies at 94
MISSOURI, JUL 17 – Missouri's first Black congressman served 32 years advocating labor rights and education, co-founding the Congressional Black Caucus and sponsoring key legislation like the Family and Medical Leave Act.
- William "Bill" Clay Sr., a trailblazing African American representative from Missouri and prominent activist for civil rights, passed away Thursday morning in Maryland at the age of 94.
- Clay entered Congress in 1969 after redistricting consolidated St. Louis' Black vote and he worked as a civil rights activist and union official.
- He served in Congress for 32 years, helped establish the Congressional Black Caucus, and played a key role in advancing legislation such as the federal law enacted in 1993 that provides job-protected leave for family and medical reasons.
- William Lacy Clay Jr., Clay's son, took over the congressional seat in 2001, served ten terms, and was eventually unseated in 2021 by activist Cori Bush, who became the first Black woman from Missouri to serve in Congress.
- Clay's legacy as a tireless advocate for civil rights and workers remains influential in St. Louis politics and beyond, as noted by Representative Wesley Bell and others.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Former Democrat Representative Dies
Former Democrat Representative of Missouri William (Bill) Lacy Clay Sr. has passed away. Rep. Clay died on Wednesday at the age of 94. Clay served 16 terms in the House and during his tenure he was one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Politico had more details to share on Rep. Clay: Former Rep. Bill Clay Sr. (D-Mo.), one of the 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus and an icon in Missouri’s civil rights …
JUST IN: Longtime Congressman Passes Away
Bill Clay Sr. (D-MO), the first black congressman from Missouri, died on Thursday after serving 32 years in the U.S. House. He was 94. Clay, a champion of civil and workers’ rights, represented the state’s 1st district from 1969 to 2001, where he was a force to be reckoned with in the rebuilding of St. Louis following “white flight” after the Civil Rights Act. He bartered with building trades and in corporate C-suites to see his childhood city r…
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