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July 18, 2025
Former Rep. William “Bill” Clay Sr., D-Mo., a trailblazing civil rights leader, Missouri’s first Black legislator, and one of the 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, has died. He was 94.
Politico reported that the CBC confirmed Clay’s death, and Chairwoman Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., spoke out about the beloved politician and the critical issues he fought for during his time in Congress.
“A founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971, Congressman Clay helped build the CBC into a force for equity and accountability in American Democracy,” Clarke said Thursday in a press statement. “As a member of Congress, he was a fierce defender of labor rights, education and social justice.”
It is with deep respect and profound sadness that we mourn the passing of former Congressman Bill Clay Sr. — a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/s2rDciJnwn
Clay made history in 1968 as Missouri’s first Black congressman and later co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971 alongside former Black lawmakers Louis Stokes, D-Ohio, and Shirley Chisholm, D-N.Y., per Politico. During his 32-year tenure, he served on the Education and Labor Committee, advocating for reforms like the Hatch Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, which former President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1993.
After retiring, Clay was succeeded by his son, William Lacy Clay Jr., who represented Missouri’s 1st District until 2021, according to the Black Press USA.
“William Lacy Clay Sr. was a giant—not just for St. Louis, not just for Missouri, but for the entirety of our country,” Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell said, per the Black Press USA. “I counted Mr. Clay as a grand mentor, as a trailblazer, and as a dear friend. But more than that, I carry his example with me every time I walk onto the House Floor. My heart is with his family, with Lacy, and with every person whose life was better because Bill Clay chose to serve.”
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