Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (1908-1972), American preacher and politician. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, to a middle-class family, Powell graduated from Colgate College in 1930 and received a master’s degree in religious education from Columbia University Teachers College in 1932. In 1930 he became assistant pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, where his father was pastor. In 1937 he became pastor, a post he held until 1970.

During the 1930s Powell led marches, seeking jobs and racial equality for blacks. In 1941 he became the first black to win election to the New York City Council. In 1944 he was elected to the United States Congress as a Democrat and became the second black in the House of Representatives. Powell represented the Harlem congressional district of New York City from 1945 to 1971.

In Washington, D.C., racial segregation of blacks and whites was widespread when Powell served in Congress. He battled racial discrimination by insisting on service in businesses reserved for whites. In Congress, he regularly introduced the “Powell Amendment,” a proposed ban on federal aid to organizations practicing racial discrimination. In 1961 he became chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. In that post he influenced much legislation on antipoverty and education programs.

Powell made many enemies because of his fight against racism. In the early 1960s a woman sued Powell in a libel suit in New York City. He claimed congressional immunity, and in 1966 he was cited for contempt of court for refusing to pay damages. In March 1967 the House denied him his seat in Congress because of claims that he had misused government money. He easily won a 1967 special election and won election again in 1968. In 1969 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that he had been removed from Congress illegally. He returned to the House but without his seniority or his committee chairmanship. In 1970 he lost the Democratic primary election and retired.