hello and thank you for joining us I'm Wilson Stribling welcome to another
edition of @issue where we discuss and debate the issues facing the state of
mississippi and how these issues impact you tonight we take a look back at the
career and impact of former state representative Robert Clark this year
marks the 50th anniversary of Clark's momentous election becoming the first
African American voted to the Mississippi legislature since
reconstruction his election paved a trail for other African Americans in the
state to hold public office mr. Clark is here with us and we will speak with him
in a moment but first here's Mpbs Desiro Frasier the method in which I'm taken
now yet in various positions where you will be able to do things political
power and economic power Robert George Clark jr. was born in Holmes County in
1928 he was a graduate of Michigan State and Jackson State he was a public school
educator from holding office by the constitution of this state in 1967 Clark
won election to the Mississippi House of Representatives becoming the first
African American to be elected since reconstruction I think that the
governor's wishes at this time are very inappropriate for the best interests of
the state of Mississippi I feel that this time that leaders should be trying
to lead in the correct direction rather than trying to see what the sentiment of
the people of the state of Mississippi are may it be right or wrong and going
up the road and getting ahead of the people and leading them in that
direction even if it is wrong and I saw in the field that this recommendation
was a step in the wrong direction and I feel that this is unconstitutional
it violates the Fourteenth Amendment and it should not even be considered by the
legislature as House Education Committee Chairman he helped pass the Education
Reform Act in 1982 Clark became the first african-american elected by his
peers to House Speaker pro-tem he held the position until his retirement in
2003 today there are more african-american elected
officials in Mississippi than any other state Clark son Brian Clark carries the
family name at the State Capitol representing the same district in the
house as his father first did 50 years ago this summer a ceremony was held at
the old State Capitol to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Robert Clark's
historic election several state dignitaries were on hand past and
present I was proud in 1982 to cast my vote as a member of the House of
Representatives for Speaker pro-tem Robert Clark it is somewhat understood
that the speaker helps us small members of the house make our mind Mr Speaker
when it comes to the selection of the Speaker pro-tem
but it didn't take much for then great speaker Tim forward my dear friend to
convince us that Robert Clark was indeed the man for the job the man that could
take the podium of the House of Representatives and help Lee the man
that could bring coalition's together with its warm enthusiastic personality
and its knowledge of the issues that affect all Mississippians so Robert
Clark is an icon to be honored to be held up to be an example to all of
Mississippi's children and leaders and both elected and appointed positions
throughout this state it it is so important for us to now realize the
sacrifice made of the civil rights leaders and veterans that are among
Robert Clark's peers it is hard for my children to understand or those of the
younger age to believe what took place during those challenging times but
Robert Clark can and has and us offer the example of what true
courage and determination I'm sure sacrifice but I think Christian
love as well can do and how it can change people and attitudes in place
admired his courage in the face of automotive time in Mississippi and in
mending the in our nation people were getting killed for exercising the rights
in Mississippi when Robert Clark was running for office running Damon was
killed the year before and my government Chaney and Schwerner killed two or three
years before and I'm making every was killed in 1963 this these were hard
times but with the passage of the Voting Rights Act and change a Robert step
forward and step forward at a time when when school teachers were getting fired
for involving themselves and in political activity but he stepped
forward and he got elected and that was an inspiration not only to myself but I
think to others Robert is a committed person he gave a lot to the state of
Mississippi I'm proud of him I think you're proud of him
and I'm proud to see this state the 50th anniversary of his being elected to the
state to the state House of Representatives I would like you to know
that when I got elected to the legislature I was so happy and my mom
was so happy if it was this good friend that I had gotten elected but what we
looked at was how in the world was I gonna be there and gonna do that wasn't
gonna be okay but Robert assured my mama and my husband don't worry about her
being up with all the boys I am here I'll take care because Robert is a man
of integrity he's a man of respectability and all of us knew that
they knew that and he made sure that the other part of the
family knew that that's the kind of person that he was so I'm excited to to
kind of be here to say to Robert Clark I thank you for your sacrifice I thank you
for the courage I thank you for the fact that you ran all over this state trying
to get people like me and others elected you did a very good job as they would
say in everything you done so we can look back and share the excitement that
you saw back then in the potential of this state and the fact that we now have
come a long way representative I appreciate what you stand for I
appreciate everything that you have encouraged others to try to be and so
this 50th celebration is in B Robert Clark's legacy I recently spoke with
State House member J Hughes of Oxford and State Senator John Horhn of Jackson
about Robert Clark senator Horne let me start with you don't be in your view the
significance of Robert Clark's election back in 1967 well it was a sea change
prior to that the last person had served who was african-american in the
legislature was in the 19th century during the Reconstruction period the
1890 Constitution wiped out all that so here you have 77 years later there
abouts Robert Clark comes along and it cannot
be overstated how he was able to be elected out of Holmes County the issue
was that there is a lot of land ownership in Holmes County so
people were a little bit more independent of the plantation system and
there was a lot of black land ownership and so it's it's I think pretty natural
that an election of a black man would occur in a place like home scanning
where they felt freer to register to vote as well because of the
circumstances you mentioned and and and there was there was better organization
in the in the community at that time and the staying power he had he didn't go to
the legislature for a short time he was there and got reelected and re-elected
and won the respect of his colleagues even some who didn't respect him or like
the way that he got there in the first well when Robert Clark was a little
first elected no one would sit with him and over time that of course changed and
he gained the respect and the admiration of everybody in that legislature
representative Hughes all these years later what's the impact of that election
and and Robert Clark's legacy there in the legislature it's palpable I never
had the privilege of knowing Robert and Clark personally I've met him but I
certainly know and serve with his son and I can say that who I see in his son
Brian Clark demonstrates a father that was deeply thoughtful knowing
intelligent calculated and the path that he paved for everyone in that to come
afterward is clearly known and I sense it every day and I see Bryant
representative Clark and I think of his father and what an amazing job he did a
representative Clark the son Clark is is now known as the master of the rules
because he would go with his father day every single day and sit in that chamber
and he would read rules and he would learn and he understands that procedure
senator horn representative Hughes thank you both very much thank you here's what
former governor William winter says about Robert Clark one of the great good
fortunes of my life was getting to be associated with Robert Clark I had known
him when he was a teacher in and the public schools in Holmes County
when he was nobody as far as leadership was concerned and in a segregated system
he would not let that hold him back and he realized that the contributions that
he could that he could make that would be most effective would be to use the
opportunities that he had as a teacher as a classroom teachers and
administrators late as a member of the legislature to inspire young people to
make their lives better by virtue of getting the best education they could it
was Robert Clark just just backcountry Holmes County segregationist product
using whatever opportunities he can to make young people understand that their
success in life would depend on the education they got and so he refused to
he refused to let anything hold him back he came along and it was overall
segregated days when he was subjected all kinds of abuse and never fully a
pretty ever fully appreciated the contributions that he was able to make
early on in his career and I don't know of anybody then I think Mississippi Oh
was more to and improving the improvement of his system of education
and we do - Robert club and joining us now is Robert Clark himself mr. Clark
were delighted to have you on at issue this evening it take me back to 1967 did
you decide on your own to run did a group of people recruit you to run for
the state legislature yes yes and the one I touched a cloud
McKenna C for student innovation education
the law was changed my discipline of Education appointed so I couldn't run a
super intuitive education then I decided to run against those who made it
impossible for me to run by introducing local and private and legislation and
making superior education appointed and I was a member of the freedom Democratic
Party of Holmes County which had a very strong organization at the time and I
ran in the general election in 1967 against the winner at a Democratic
primary and was successful and waited of course because you couldn't at that time
become the official Democratic candidate for that office so as a freedom Democrat
you couldn't that was not officially recognized either by the state political
system so you were forced to run as an independent but still got enough votes
to defeat the incumbent Democrat that's right and then you got reelected again
and again after that did you realize at the time that it was a big deal that you
were really going to win and that it was going to be such a big deal in in
Mississippi political history well I knew it would be but I really I really
wasn't thinking about that at the time I was just thinking about getting the job
done I wanted to improve education the education standards in Mississippi I
wanted to do that then 50 plus years ago and I still more to do that right now
and while you were in office education obviously but it was a hallmark of your
of your service and the Education Reform Act of 1982 was passed when you were
weren't you chair of the education education committee when when that
passed I was what was that like to be over that committee at that time which
another it turned out to be another watershed moment in Mississippi history
well it is one of the things that I wouldn't call I wouldn't call it bad
because one of the things tough issues that you just had to work with you just
had to work and and do things that may that's for you to get the legislation
pass let's go back back to the early days again tell me what it was like once
you were elected and it was for real and you were actually going to the state
capitol to represent your district there in the Capitol in the house what kind of
reception did you get from all the other members of the House all of whom were
white men at the time well my first day in the house first of
all I didn't know that I was going to be seated until maybe 15 minutes before
time to convene because they had gone we had gone to court and Marian Wright was
my attorney and the courts had ruled that I had won but my opponent appealed
to the Mississippi House of Representatives you know they had to
file say so or who was sit with them and we were standing on the balcony of the
south side of the Capitol oh that's the second floor and we didn't know until 15
minutes before time of convening on the first day that if I'd be seated as odd
so they came out and and told us some individuals that would be seated
and we went to the interests of the capitals of goal and as far as Marian
Wright to go and when I walked in to the door some reporters was there and those
reporters told me go to the back of a Capitol walk to the back and then come
back to the front we want to get a pitch of you and when we I did that I started
back to the front and low bottom hole here come a big fella may be worried
about 240 and maybe about six feet seven inches tall the guy came to me and a
half shot and me being a former football courts about time I got rid of dropped
my hand dropped my shoulder what as a football blocker would be he stuck his
hand out and called his name and told me where he from called his name
and said I welcome you to the floor of this house who was that that was
representative Marvin Hindley a Philadelphia Mississippi
did that surprise you it did surprise me did surprise me and I will tell you what
I've said sustained and when I felt God in heaven those if I had known he was
from Philadelphia Mississippi I never would let him get that close to me in
touch ah because this was still just what three years after the Civil Rights
works right and Philadelphia had been murdered about 30 years fla who are many
all the people around in my area what people call us I said I didn't nobody to
do that from my mr. cake yeah and but that's what rather than he Lydia
a nice reception from him was that not the exception because once you've got to
your desk tell me the story about what happened
with your desk and your desk mate well I we were seated we was being seated at
that time according to yo the we had districts and the senior person in your
district would select the seats and that was three of us selected from homes in
Yazoo County me from Holmes County and two from Yazoo County was elected and
the senior individual that did the selection the Isles was running the owl
he selected a seat for himself to the right of me across the aisle and the
other enemy he said selected a seat for the other individual to the right of him
that he selected my seat across the aisle from him and that meant that there
were two other seats next to me to the left of me but no one selected those
seats next to me so essentially no one wanted to sit next to you
presumably because you were the first african-american or the only
african-american in the room at the time that was not african-americans that the
count was elected at the time but no Elena vigil selected to seek to sit next
to me and I said next to that for maybe two times before I finally got him in
the visitor set next to me change was slow to come because it was still what
almost ten years I believe was 1976 before there was another African
American elected to the legislature did that surprise you that it took that long
yeah it took about a year before I got another seat me he's from elected from
North Mississippi and he sat beside me we talked a little bit about education
and and the reforms that were made especially in 1982 and there were others
in the other years that you served until the early 2000s how do you feel about
the state of education today in Mississippi and if you were in the
legislature what would you be trying to change I would be trying to find out the
causes when you know every time we see using national statistics the last one I
saw as well Mississippi was ranked at the bottom of the levee and education
that dropout rate is higher a teenage pregnancy rate is high and what I think
of somebody the the state elected officials arson charge of education as
well as a local elected officials they need to assess that particular
situations and whatever we are coming up shortly and that's what we need to look
at and that's what we need to do we are still back to the point for the
education level in the state of Mississippi needs improvement and it's
not going to just improve itself if people do not have the proper human
values to see the value of an education and this needs to be looked at what we
need to do now when I was in the classroom when I went to a particular
school to each one school I taught and one section of Mississippi to Delta
section the students was fair but they had to be out of school half days in the
fall a year for the pick cotton get out of school early and it's rain to go home
to chop and those students was you know average and I after getting fired from
there about seven years I went to school in Lee County and practically every one
of those schools was students was on their level and after staying there for
several years I decided to come back closer to home and law on hold I get
back into this particular system students will just you know they you
know there was maybe on the night on a ninth grade level night great outfit
like grade my I think couldn't do fractions or decimals of whatever you
but use of what I did with students like what I did with students like that
I had to go back start with them where where they are and bring them up and my
prosper at that time somebody and the math apartment summon him and told him I
was teaching I want me on that level and he summoned me to his office and I tell
him you are correct some instances teaching on my levels other instances
I'm not alright and he just said I urge you go but your classroom means that
keeps on level after mr. mcclain is nowhere in the world I can do that and I
explained to him well I had to work with them to bring them up so that they would
be able to know what I was talking about if I was dealing with gel math there's a
like read a first-year algebra and and that's what's gonna have to be done we
are going to have to close it here you can't
first of all students should not get behind
you know if you had proper leadership in the classroom you know your possible in
the classroom or whoever's a leader should know what's going on in the
classroom but you get students who is four and five are grades behind the
great level that they're only just being passed on what do you think the next
fifty years are going to be like in Mississippi and the legislature in
particular I really can't predict now what the next 50 years what it's going
to look like but I wish that could be a tone in the philosophy all the
legislature the president legislature loving going to the legislature working
against somebody go to the legislature working for Mississippi now I can solve
that because I spent 36 years in the legislature and my main interests in in
the legislature was looking out for the welfare of Mississippi and whatever the
weakness of Mississippi was I looked at that time trying to strengthen that I
didn't look at if there was an appellant Democrat or Republican I just looked at
the knee and naturally those needs are sung there's gonna need more than others
and I wish the legislature would do that look at trying to build a stronger
Mississippi we all Mississippi former longtime state representative Robert
Clark we thank you for spending some time with us on at issue
thank you we are out of time don't forget you can watch the program on our
website mpbonline.org slash issue and we invite you to join us again next Friday
night here on MPB for another edition of @issue have a good night
