At the age of 92, attorney and activist Clarence Jones reminds us of the life Martin Luther King Jr. might have enjoyed if he had been a simple church pastor or a seminary professor.
Jones, a top King lieutenant and a trusted friend of the slain civil rights leader, has been blessed with longevity and a perch from which to reflect on a great man and an even greater movement.
“I thought Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest geniuses of our time,” said Jones, a lawyer and adviser who helped craft many of King’s soul-stirring speeches. “An imperfect person and a perfect calling.”
Sixty years ago, Jones helped King craft his signature sermon, the “I Have a Dream” speech that is almost synonymous with King himself.
Jones remembers the days of preparation and exasperation at Washington D.C.’s Willard Hotel, where he and King and other advisers pored over the language of the speech, chasing away labor leaders and elected officials who all wanted to make a last-minute contribution.