News

The Andrew Goodman Foundation (AGF) community mourns the immense loss of Clarence B. Jones, an outstanding and quiet force behind the civil rights movement and an AGF Advisory Board member. He passed away on Friday, May 22, 2026, at age 95 in California.

Mr. Jones was born in 1931 in Philadelphia, grew up in Pennsylvania, later receiving his BA from Columbia University in 1953 and his LLB from Boston University in 1959. He had a long and impressive career spanning litigation, academia, and writing, with the fight for civil rights and racial equity at its core every step of the way.

Mr. Jones was a key player in many of the activations, speeches, and court cases that shaped the civil rights movement, even when his name wasn’t listed at the forefront. Mr. Jones was a force behind several demonstrations in Birmingham, AL, at the height of segregation, highlighting the violence that police inflicted on Black protestors. We wouldn’t have Martin Luther King’s famously moving “Letter from Birmingham Jail” if not for Mr. Jones, who smuggled King’s notes and scraps of paper out of the jail. He worked with Dr. King, John Lewis, and others to plan the March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom, and helped write the final draft of what became Dr. King’s catalyzing “I Have a Dream” speech.

As a member of AGF’s Advisory Board, Mr. Jones found many opportunities to impart his wisdom to the next generation of leaders. In an interview with AGF in 2017, Mr. Jones urged today’s young advocates to be fierce in their advocacy, reminding us that “‘power’ concedes nothing without a demand.” He also spoke at AGF’s National Civic Leadership Training Summit multiple times, giving Andrew Goodman Ambassadors the rare opportunity to meet a civil rights hero.

David Goodman, Brother of Andrew Goodman, AGF Board Member, and dear friend of Mr. Jones, commented: “I have known Clarence B. Jones since I was 17 years old; we will have known each other for 63 years next month. Clarence was a model of what an American Citizen can be. What makes America truly great? People like Clarence B. Jones, Esq.”

Our nation is forever indebted to Mr. Jones’s leadership and staunch dedication to racial justice. We have been privileged to exist in a world with Mr. Jones, and are committed to continuing his work and uplifting his legacy alongside that of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and the many civil rights heroes who guide us. We wish peace and comfort for his family, friends, and all those who were blessed to know him.