Clarence B. Jones, who helped MLK write ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, dies at 95

Clarence B. Jones, a former speechwriter and confidante of Martin Luther King Jr., has died at 95 in Cupertino, California. Jones played a pivotal role in drafting King’s iconic 'I Have A Dream' speech and the 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' which he smuggled out of King’s cell. He also contributed to King’s 1967 'Beyond Vietnam' speech, critiquing U.S. militarism and its impact on domestic poverty. Born in Philadelphia on January 8, 1931, Jones was raised by domestic workers in a wealthy Quaker household in New Jersey. He excelled academically, becoming valedictorian of his integrated high school and later graduating from Columbia University. After serving in the U.S. Army, he earned a law degree from Boston University. Jones joined King’s legal team in 1960, leaving his entertainment law career in California to work full-time in New York. He helped defend the *New York Times* in *New York Times v. Sullivan*, a landmark case protecting free speech. After King’s assassination in 1968, Jones transitioned to Wall Street, becoming the first Black American with the designation of allied member of the New York Stock Exchange. In his later years, Jones taught at the University of San Francisco, where he co-founded the Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice. He also served as a scholar-in-residence at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute. In 2023, he published *Last of the Lions: An African American Journey in Memoir*, and in 2024, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden. Jones is survived by five children and his longtime partner, Lin Walters. A documentary about his life, *The Baddest Speechwriter of All*, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will stream on Netflix later this year.