Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 22nd district
Born	November 29, 1908 New Haven, Connecticut
Died	April 4, 1972(age 63) Miami, Florida
Political party	Democratic
Religion	Baptist

Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (November 29, 1908 – April 4, 1972), American politician, was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Harlem in 1945, and he became chair of the Education and Labor Committee in 1961. His tenure as committee chairman saw the passage of important social legislation. Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... The 22nd Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives that includes all or parts of Broome, Delaware, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, and Ulster counties. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... New Haven redirects here. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Miami redirects here. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... For other uses, see Harlem (disambiguation). ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Committee on Education and the Workforce is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early years

Powell was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father, Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. was a Baptist minister and headed the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York. His paternal grandfather was white, as were several of his mother's ancestors. He was educated at public schools, the City College of New York and Colgate University. He received an MA degree in religious education from Columbia University in 1931. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... The Abyssinian Baptist Church is among the most famous of the many churches in Harlem, New York City. ... For other uses, see Harlem (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... “City College” redirects here. ... Colgate University is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in the Village of Hamilton in Madison County, New York, USA. It was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary, but has since become non-denominational. ... Alma Mater Columbia University is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the Depression years, Powell, a handsome and charismatic figure, became a prominent civil rights leader in the Harlem area of Manhattan and developed a formidable public following in the Harlem community through his crusades for jobs and housing. As chairman of the Coordinating Committee for Employment, he organized mass meetings, rent strikes and public campaigns, forcing companies and utilities, and the Harlem hospital to hire black workers. Powell organized a picket line and the 1939 New York World's Fair at the Fair's executive offices in the Empire State Building; as a result, the number of black employees was increased from about 200 to 732 ^[1]. A bus boycott in 1940 led to the hiring of 200 black workers by the transit authority. When Negro pharmacists were failing to get hired, Powell led a fight in 1941 to have drugstores in Harlem hire them all. ^[2] For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... Trylon, Perisphere and Helicline photo by Sam Gottscho The 1939-40 New York Worlds Fair, located on the current site of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (also the location of the 1964-1965 New York Worlds Fair), was one of the largest worlds fairs of all time. ...

In 1937 he succeeded his father as pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church. In 1941 he was elected to the New York City Council as the city's first Black council representative with the aid of New York City's use of the Single Transferable Vote.^[1] He received 65,736 votes, the third best total among the six successful council candidates ^[3] Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... New York City Hall The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. ... This STV ballot for the Australian Senate illustrates group voting tickets. ...

"Mass action is the most powerful force on earth," Mr. Powell once said, adding, "As long as it is within the law, it's not wrong; if the law is wrong, change the law." According to analysts, he landed in Washington as Congressman armed with a mandate from the grassroots to make a difference.

Congressman

In 1944 Powell was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives, representing the 22nd congressional district, which included Harlem. He was the first black Congressman from New York, and the first from any Northern state other than Illinois in the Post-Reconstruction Era. The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... For other uses, see Harlem (disambiguation). ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

Powell addressing a citizens' committee mass meeting

As one of only two black Congressmen, Powell challenged the informal ban on black representatives using Capitol facilities reserved for members only. He took black constituents to dine with him in the "whites only" House restaurant. He clashed with the many segregationists in his own party. Image File history File links Adam_Clayton_Powell_Jr_1942. ... Image File history File links Adam_Clayton_Powell_Jr_1942. ... Racial segregation characterised by separation of different races in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. ...

In 1956 Powell broke party ranks and supported Dwight D. Eisenhower for reelection, saying that the Democratic platform's civil rights plank was too weak. A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dwight David Eisenhower, born David Dwight Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969), nicknamed Ike, was a five-star General in the United States Army and U.S. politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953–1961). ...

In 1958 he survived a determined effort by the Tammany Hall machine to oust him in the Democratic primary election. Jan. ... Tammany Hall was the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City politics from the 1790s to the 1960s. ... For other uses, see Primary. ...

Powell's commitment to human rights was not universal. In 1960, Powell forced Bayard Rustin to resign from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) by threatening to discuss Rustin's "immoral" homosexuality in Congress. Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bayard Rustin at news briefing on the Civil Rights March on Washington, August 27, 1963 Bayard Rustin (March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987) was an African-American civil rights activist, important largely behind the scenes in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and earlier and principal organizer of the... The Southern Christian Leadership Conference Logo. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ...

In 1961, after 15 years in Congress, Powell became chairman of the powerful Education and Labor Committee. In this position he presided over federal programs for minimum wage increases, education and training for the deaf, vocational training and standards for wages and work hours, as well as aid to elementary and secondary education. He orchestrated passage of the backbone of President John Kennedy's "New Freedom" legislation. He would also become instrumental in the passage of President Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society" social programs. The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ...

Powell Jr.'s committee passed a record number of bills for a single session. That record still remains unbroken. As one of the great modern legislators, Powell Jr. would steer some 50 bills through Congress.

He passed legislation that made lynching a federal crime and bills that desegregated public schools and the U.S. military. He challenged the Southern practice of charging Blacks a poll tax to vote, and stopped racist congressmen from saying the word "nigger" in sessions of Congress. A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ...

By the mid-1960s Powell was being increasingly criticized for mismanagement of the committee budget, taking trips abroad at public expense, including travel to his retreat on the Bahamian isle of Bimini, and missing sittings of his committee. He was also under fire in his district, where his refusal to pay a slander judgment made him subject to arrest. He spent increasing amounts of time in Florida and displayed his wealth more than was wise for a Congressman representing a poor district. Bimini Island from space, June 1998 Map of the Bahamas with the Biminis positioned center left (click to enlarge). ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ...

In January 1967, following allegations that Powell had misappropriated Committee funds for his personal use and other corruption allegations, the House Democratic Caucus stripped Powell of his committee chairmanship. The full House refused to seat him until completion of an investigation by the Judiciary Committee. In March the House voted 307 to 116 to exclude him. Powell won the special election in April to fill the vacancy caused by his exclusion, but did not take his seat. Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ...

Powell sued in Powell v. McCormack to retain his seat. In June 1969 the Supreme Court ruled that the House had acted unconstitutionally when it excluded Powell, a duly elected member, and he returned to the House, but without his seniority. Again his absenteeism was increasingly noted.^[4] It has been suggested that Powell v mccormack be merged into this article or section. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially referred to by the acronym SCOTUS[1]) is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. ...

In June 1970 he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Charles B. Rangel, who has represented the area ever since. Powell failed to get on the ballot for the November election as an independent. He resigned as minister at the Abyssinian Baptist Church and moved to Bimini. Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Bernard Charlie Rangel (born June 11, 1930) is an American politician. ... Bimini Island from space, June 1998 Map of the Bahamas with the Biminis positioned center left (click to enlarge). ...

Death

In April 1972, Powell became gravely ill and was flown to a Miami hospital from his home in Bimini. He died there on April 4, 1972 at the age of 63, from acute prostatitis, according to contemporary newspaper accounts. A few days later, his ashes were carried aloft by a plane and scattered over his beloved Bimini. This article is about the city in Florida. ... Bimini Island from space, June 1998 Map of the Bahamas with the Biminis positioned center left (click to enlarge). ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Prostatitis is any form of inflammation of the prostate gland. ...

Personal

His first wife was nightclub entertainer Isabelle Washington (sister of actress Fredi Washington). Her son Preston, from a previous marriage, was adopted by Powell. Fredi Washington (Fredericka Carolyn Washington) (December 23, 1903 - June 28, 1994) was a black film actress of the 1930s. ...

Powell and his second wife, the singer Hazel Scott, had a son, Adam Clayton Powell III. Adam Clayton Powell III is Vice Provost for Globalization at the University of Southern California and one of the world's leading authorities on the use of the Internet for journalists. Hazel Dorothy Scott (1920 – 1981) was a jazz and classical pianist and singer. ... The Trojan Shrine, better known as Tommy Trojan located in the center of University of Southern California campus. ...

Powell and his third wife, Puerto Rican Yvette Diago Powell, had a son Adam Clayton Powell Diago. This son changed his name to Adam Clayton Powell IV (and started confusion because his nephew, who is only 8 years younger than he, already had the name of Adam Clayton Powell IV) when he became a member of the New York State Assembly. Adam Clayton Powell IV (born (1962) in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a member of the New York State Assembly. ...

Adam Clayton Powell Jr's second son, Adam Clayton Powell III, named his son Adam Clayton Powell IV. Adam, IV, the politician, has a son Adam V, who is currently a champion swimmer at Columbia University in New York.

Powell was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans. Alpha Phi Alpha (ΑΦΑ) is the first intercollegiate fraternity established by African Americans. ... This page contains special characters. ... The terms fraternity and sorority (from the Latin words and , meaning brother and sister respectively) may be used to describe many social and charitable organizations, for example the Lions Club, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Rotary International, Optimist International, or the Shriners. ...

Powell was the subject of the 2002 cable television film Keep the Faith, Baby, starring Harry Lennix as Powell and Vanessa L. Williams as his second wife, jazz pianist, Hazel Scott. The film debuted on February 17, 2002 on premium cable network Showtime and was a production of Showtime and Paramount Network Television. It garnered three NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Television Actor in a TV Movie (Lennix) and Outstanding Television Actress in a TV Movie (Williams). It won two NAMIC Vision Awards (cable executives) for Best Drama and Best Actor (Lennix). Williams also earned a Best Actress in a TV Movie Golden Satellite Award from the International Press Association. The film was the brainchild of the Hon. Adam Clayton Powell, IV (a former NYC Councilman and currently a NY state Assemblyman)and his campaign manager Geoffrey L. Garfield, who lead the team as Producer. Powell, IV and his half brother Adam, III, were credited as Co-Producers of the biopic.^[5] Harry J. Lennix (b. ... Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. ... Hazel Dorothy Scott (1920 – 1981) was a jazz and classical pianist and singer. ... This article is about the pay TV channel. ...

See also

• Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement

This is a timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement. ...

References

• Adam Clayton Powell, Jr (2002). Adam by Adam: The Autobiography of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Kensington Publishing. ISBN 0-7582-0195-8. 
• Charles V. Hamilton (2002). Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.: The Political Biography of an American Dilemma. Cooper Square Publishers. ISBN 0-8154-1184-7. 
• Andrée E. Reeves (1993). Congressional Committee Chairmen: Three Who Made an Evolution. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1816-6. 

External links

• Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress