Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change

Naomi King

Civil rights activist Naomi King was born in Dothan, Alabama, on November 17, 1931 to a single mother, Bessie Barber Bailey. Her mother, a cook in a prominent Atlanta home, taught her social graces. King, educated in Atlanta Public Schools, excelled in French and English. As a young woman, King was often selected by local clothing stores as a preferred fashion model, at times featured in shop windows. King and her mother belonged to the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King, Sr. served as senior pastor. At the church, King became acquainted with the pastor’s children, and she caught the eye of his youngest son, A.D.

In 1949, King entered Spelman College, where she spent a year studying French before marrying A.D. Williams King, Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and youngest son of Martin Luther King, Sr., in 1950. She later attended the University of Alabama and studied interior design. She would have five children: Alfred D.W. King III; Alveda King; Esther Darlene King; Reverend Vernon King of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Reverend Derek B. King of Indianapolis, Indiana. King lived most of her life as a mother and First Lady. She brought musical concerts, women’s enrichment programs, and tools for living to her husband’s congregations. Together, she and her husband supported Martin Luther King, Jr., when, in 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama; at the creation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957; when students in Greensboro, North Carolina, launch the sit-in movement in 1960; through the Birmingham campaign of 1963; during 1963’s “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”; and throughout 1965’s campaign to vote in Selma. Toward the end of the campaign in Birmingham, on May 11, 1963, a bomb destroyed the Gaston Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was staying, and another damaged the home of Naomi and A.D. King.

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. This tragedy was soon followed by the death of King’s husband, A.D., in 1969; on July 21, King and her children were vacationing in Nassau when A.D. drowned in their home swimming pool. On July 30, 1974, King’s mother-in-law, Alberta Christine Williams King, was murdered by deranged gunman Marcus Chenault as she played the Lord’s Prayer at Ebenezer Church. In 1976, King’s younger daughter, Darlene died while jogging from an apparent heart attack, and ten years later, her son Al died in the same manner. In 1984, King’s father-in-law, Martin Luther King, Sr., passed away from a heart attack, and in 2006, she lost her sister-in-law, Coretta Scott King, to advanced stage ovarian cancer. Despite these losses, King has kept her husband’s memory alive through her establishment of the A.D. King Foundation in 2008. She received the SCLC Rosa Parks Freedom Award in January 2008.

Naomi King was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on July 14, 2010.

Accession Number

A2010.071

Sex

Female

Interview Date

7/14/2010

Last Name

King

Maker Category

CivicMakers

Marital Status

Widow

Occupation

Civil Rights Activist

Organizations

Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Ebenezer Baptist Church

SCLC/WOMEN, Inc.

Schools

Walker Street Elementary School

Davis Street School

Booker T. Washington High School

Spelman College

First Name

Naomi

Birth City, State, Country

Dothan

HM ID

KIN14

Favorite Season

Fall

State

Alabama

THM DA Link

https://da.thehistorymakers.org/storiesForBio;ID=A2010.071

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/618083

Favorite Quote

This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made. We Will Rejoice And Be Glad In It.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

Georgia

Interview Description

A2010_071_EAD.pdf

A2010_071_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

11/17/1931

Birth Place Term

Dothan

Speakers Bureau Region City

Atlanta

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Greens (Collard)

Short Description

Civil rights activist Naomi King (1931 - ) was the wife of the late A.D. Williams King, brother to Martin Luther King, Jr. She and her husband supported the Civil Rights Movement. King received the SCLC Rosa Parks Freedom Award in January 2008.

Employment

Citizens Trust Bank

Bank of Louisville, KY

The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change

Favorite Color

Blue

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/618090

Timing Pairs

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DAStories

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640525">Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Naomi King's interview</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640526">Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Naomi King lists her favorites</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640527">Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Naomi King describes her mother's family background and personality</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640528">Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Naomi King remembers the Mechanicsville neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640529">Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Naomi King recalls her experiences at Walker Street Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640530">Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Naomi King describes her experiences during the Great Depression</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640531">Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Naomi King recalls her childhood activities</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640532">Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Naomi King describes her early education</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640533">Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Naomi King talks about the segregated movie theaters in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640534">Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Naomi King talks about her experiences of segregation in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640535">Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Naomi King remembers her friends at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640536">Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Naomi King describes her involvement at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640537">Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Naomi King describes her experiences at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640538">Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Naomi King remembers the segregated retail stores in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640539">Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Naomi King describes her experiences at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640540">Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Naomi King remembers her courtship and marriage to Alfred Daniel Williams King</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640541">Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Naomi King talks about her husband, Alfred Daniel Williams King</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640542">Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Naomi King talks about the early years of her marriage</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640543">Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Naomi King remembers the assassination of Alberta Williams King, pt. 1</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640544">Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Naomi King remembers the assassination of Alberta Williams King, pt. 2</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640545">Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Naomi King talks about her children</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640546">Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Naomi King describes her husband's pastoral career</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640547">Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Naomi King describes her husband's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640548">Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Naomi King recalls the bombing of her home in Birmingham, Alabama</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640549">Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Naomi King recalls the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, Alabama</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640550">Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Naomi King describes her relationship with Coretta Scott King and Christine King Farris</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640551">Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Naomi King remembers the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640552">Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Naomi King describes her husband's career at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640553">Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Naomi King talks about the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640554">Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Naomi King talks about the FBI's surveillance of her family</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640555">Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Naomi King recalls Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s commitment to nonviolence</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640556">Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Naomi King remembers the death of her husband, Alfred Daniel Williams King</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640557">Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Naomi King describes the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640558">Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Naomi King remembers the death of Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr.</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640559">Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Naomi King describes her work with Coretta Scott King</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640560">Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Naomi King remembers the death of Coretta Scott King</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640561">Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Naomi King reflects upon her life</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640562">Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Naomi King describes her concerns for the African American community</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640563">Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Naomi King shares a message to future generations</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640564">Tape: 5 Story: 9 - Naomi King reflects upon her legacy</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640565">Tape: 5 Story: 10 - Naomi King reflects upon her husbands' legacy, pt. 1</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640566">Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Naomi King reflects upon her husband's legacy, pt. 2</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640567">Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Naomi King narrates her photographs</a>

DASession

1$1

DATape

3$4

DAStory

7$7

DATitle

Naomi King recalls the bombing of her home in Birmingham, Alabama

Naomi King recalls Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s commitment to nonviolence

Transcript

Now talk to me a little bit about the incident of your house being bombed in, in Birmingham [Alabama], 'cause they were calling it Bombingham at that time (simultaneous).$$(Simultaneous) Bombingham, right, right.$$So let's first talk about the bombing at your home when it was in--and what happened? Give me the, the details of that incident?$$Okay, the--it was May the 11th, 1963, a Saturday before Mother's Day and I had set my dining room table with all of my finery on it because the next day was Mother's Day and so I wanted to have everything you know pretty and ready to go for Mother's Day. So it was exactly eleven o'clock, May the 11th, 1963, a Saturday night. My husband [Alfred Daniel Williams King] was in the bedroom working on his sermon. The children were all in bed and after I had finished setting the table and all I decided that I would just sit in my living room and just pray and reflect and just enjoy the peace and quiet of, of the evening. So I was sitting there just you know praying and reflecting when my husband got up and came to the front of, the front--opened the front door. No, he came up the hall and he said, he said, "It's too quiet in here." He said, "Let's, let's just get out of here." So I remember while I was sitting there the picture window began to crack but I didn't hear anything, I didn't see anything and I was just sitting there and at that time that's when he said, he said, "It's too quiet in here. Let's get out here." And opened the front door and he said, "Let's just get out of here," he said, "it's too quiet in here." So he came over and took me by my hand and by the time we got up from the sofa and headed down our hallway, our house was like an L, by the time we got like down by the hallway, the first--the cracking of the, of the windowpane was the first bomb that was hit and I'm told that it was tossed, that's what I'm told. It was tossed and then the second bomb was the one that brought all of the front of the house--oh, I'm sorry--we'll get this?$$Let's stop for a second. Okay.$$The second bomb was the one that brought the front of the house down so that is when the house was bombed and the time.$$And your children were in the house as well?$$Right.$$So you just got everybody out?$$What happened, when that happened then we got everybody up and we went out the back, out the back door because the front was all blown out and was gone and we went out.$$And so, did you, where did you go to stay until--did you fix that house or did you move from that house (simultaneous)?$$(Simultaneous) The house was eventually fixed and we stayed in it because the front was damaged you know, but we could stay in the back of it so it was, it was fixed.$$And did they ever find out who was responsible for this?$$Yes, there was a witness and his name was Roosevelt Tatum, I think that was his name I'm not sure, I'm told that he saw an officer toss something. There was a police car across the street. I'm told that Roosevelt saw that officer toss something and so I'm assuming that must've been the, the first bomb that was tossed over you know into, into the hedges of that and he supposedly went and, and got in a ditch you know 'cause he was afraid you know for his life and so he went and got in a ditch and it was the second bomb that was, that brought the front of the house down, so that's what I'm told.$Now, we know that the nonviolence philosophy was Martin Luther King's [Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.] thing, but how did your brother [sic.]--was he, I guess all the--did he buy into it all the way? I mean some people bought into it somewhat, some people bought into it all the way. Was he all the way in with nonviolence?$$I would think so, I can give you two--I'll tell you two stories that, that led me to believe that he bought in it and he lived just what he said, he lived it. I can remember in 1955 when I went to--let's see, to see him and Coretta [Coretta Scott King] because Yolanda [Yolanda King] was their first child and, and, and it was born. This was Montgomery [Alabama] and I went you know to, to see my--'cause she was born on my birthday like I told you, so I wanted to see my niece. So we went and I don't know what day it was but it was a night about eleven o'clock. I don't know what day it was and I was sitting in the darkened living room in there and Coretta was busy back with Yolanda, busy and all and Martin came in, and so when he came in--I told you my nickname is Nene and that's all he ever called me was Nene. I don't care where we were whether--he'd call me Nene. So when, and so he said, "Hi Nene [HistoryMaker Naomi King]." I said, "Hey, ML," so he walked over to his mantel and it was dark in there, all you saw was just the light from the street, you know from--through the window. And I'm sitting there and I glad he couldn't see my face you know. So he walked over to the mantel and he put his hands up on the, the mantel and he said, "You know what Nene?" I said, "What?" He said, and he put his hands up to his throat where his tie was and he said, "You know what Nene?" I said, "What?" He said, "You know what?" He said, and he was fingering, he said, "You know what they tried to choke me to death with my tie. They tried to choke me to death with my tie." So I was just quiet and didn't say anything, and he said--he just kept you know fingering with his tie and he said, "But you know what Nene," he said, "the more they do to me, the more I'm gonna love them 'cause that's what I'm supposed to do. God said that I'm supposed (unclear)." I just couldn't stand it, I just, I just, I just couldn't stand it. I'm glad he couldn't see my face 'cause it brought tears to my eyes. So that was one instance that, that I knew that he was like committed. The other time was when he was in New York [New York] after the stabbing, and I would call him and we would talk you know during the day just to see how he's doing and all that, and so when I talked to him on one occasion I said, I said, "Martin is there anything I can do for you?" He said, "Yeah." I said, "What is it?" I told you my mother [Bessie Barber Bailey] taught me how to cook and, and I didn't like to cook but I did it 'cause I had to. And he said, "Make me a sweet potato pie." I said, "Okay," I said, "I'll find out." I said--he called his wife Corrie, he said, "Find out when Corrie's going to take the flight up in here and if you can make me a sweet potato pie." And I said, "Okay, I'll do that." And so I went straight in, fixed the sweet--find out when she was gonna be leaving, made the sweet potato pie, put it in a plastic container and took it over there for her to take it to, you know to him. So make a long story short when I talked to him, I said, "You got your pie?" He said, "Yeah, Nene I got my pie." He said, "It's delicious as always." And I said, "Well, I'm so glad Martin." And he said, "Nene?" I said, "Yeah ML?" He said, "You know what?" I said, "What?" He said, "If I had sneezed I would've been dead." I just, I almost dropped the phone (makes sound), I couldn't stand it. So when he says if he had sneezed he would've been dead, and when I finally got to myself, I cam- I said, "Martin, ML," I said, "thank god you did not sneeze." I had to hang up the phone.

Read more about Naomi King

Xernona Clayton

Broadcast executive, foundation chief executive, nonprofit executive, television host, and television producer Xernona Clayton and her twin sister, Xenobia, were born August 30, 1930 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Clayton’s parents, Reverend James M. and Lillie Brewster, were actively engaged in the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Muskogee. In 1952, Clayton earned her B.A. degree from Tennessee State Agricultural and Industrial College, now Tennessee State University. She later earned a scholarship and pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago. In 1957, Clayton married noted journalist and civil rights activist Edward Clayton, who died in 1966. She later married jurist Paul L. Brady, the first African American appointed as a Federal Administrative Law judge.

Clayton's civic involvement and participation in the Civil Rights Movement was informed by the Chicago Urban League, in which she worked to investigate discrimination in employment. As an activist, Clayton was instrumental in coordinating activities for the Doctor's Committee for Implementation project, which culminated with the desegregation of hospital facilities in Atlanta, Georgia. Clayton also worked closely with Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr., helping to organize fundraising initiatives for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). By the mid-1960s, Clayton was writing for the Atlanta Voice, and in 1968, she became the first black woman in the South to host a regularly scheduled prime-time talk show, Variations, which became The Xernona Clayton Show on WAGA-TV in Atlanta. Her guests included Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne. Later that year, Clayton successfully convinced the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan to renounce the Klan. In 1982, Clayton began her long standing and impressive career with Turner Broadcasting System (TBS). At TBS, she assumed many roles throughout the years, including producing documentaries, hosting a public affairs program entitled Open Upand serving as director and vice-president of public affairs in the early 1980s. Ted Turner, founder of TBS, promoted Clayton to assistant corporate vice-president for urban affairs in 1988. In 1993, Clayton created the Trumpet Awards for Turner Broadcasting to honor African American achievements. The program is seen in over 185 countries.

As Governor of Georgia, former President Jimmy Carter appointed Clayton to the State Motion Picture and Television Commission. She is a member of the Academy for Television Arts and Sciences, the National Urban League, among other civic and professional organizations. Clayton is also a board member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and served as chairman of the Atlanta University Board of Trustees. The recipient of numerous accolades, Clayton received the Leadership and Dedication to Civil Rights Award and the Drum Major for Justice Award from SCLC in 2004. In her honor, the Atlanta Chapter of the Association of Black Journalists established the Xernona Clayton Scholarship. Clayton’s autobiography, I’ve Been Marching All the Time was published in 1991.

Xernona Clayton was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on June 22, 2005.

Accession Number

A2005.143

Sex

Female

Interview Date

6/22/2005

2/21/2014

Last Name

Clayton

Maker Category

CivicMakers

Marital Status

Married

Occupation

Foundation Chief Executive

Broadcast Executive

Television Host

Organizations

State Motion Picture and Television Commission

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

National Urban League (NUL)

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change

Sickle Cell Disease Association of America

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated

Student Government Association

Intramural Student Association

Student Religious Academy

South Side Community Art Center, Chicago

Schools

Dunbar Elementary School

University of Chicago

Manual Training High School

Tennessee State University

Search Occupation Category

MediaMakers:Radio

First Name

Xernona

Birth City, State, Country

Muskogee

HM ID

CLA10

Favorite Season

Spring

State

Oklahoma

THM DA Link

https://da.thehistorymakers.org/storiesForBio;ID=A2005.143

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/315233

Favorite Vacation Destination

Las Vegas, Nevada, Bahamas, Caribbean

Favorite Quote

If You Can't Change People Around You, Change The People Around You.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

Georgia

Interview Description

A2005_143_EAD.pdf

A2005_143_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

8/30/1930

Birth Place Term

Muskogee

Speakers Bureau Region City

Atlanta

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Grapes

Short Description

Foundation chief executive, broadcast executive, and television host Xernona Clayton (1930 - ) was the founder of the Trumpet Awards, and the first black woman in the South to host a regularly scheduled prime-time talk show, Variations, which became The Xernona Clayton Show on WAGA-TV.

Employment

WAGA TV

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

Chicago Urban League

Favorite Color

Yellow

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/315259

Timing Pairs

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DAStories

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315221">Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Xernona Clayton's interview, session 1</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315222">Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Xernona Clayton lists her favorites</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315223">Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Xernona Clayton describes her mother's family background, pt. 1</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315224">Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Xernona Clayton describes her mother's family background, pt. 2</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315225">Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Xernona Clayton describes her childhood home</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315226">Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Xernona Clayton talks about her mother's paternal background</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315227">Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Xernona Clayton relates lessons from her father</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315228">Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Xernona Clayton describes her father's family background</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315229">Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Xernona Clayton recounts how her parents met in Muskogee, Oklahoma</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315230">Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Xernona Clayton recalls her father's leadership in the Baptist church</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315231">Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Xernona Clayton remembers her father's work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Muskogee, Oklahoma</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315232">Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Xernona Clayton recalls her father's humbling response to public praise of Clayton and her twin sister</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315233">Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Xernona Clayton recalls growing up as an identical twin, pt. 1</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315234">Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Xernona Clayton recalls growing up as an identical twin, pt. 2</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315235">Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Xernona Clayton describes her earliest childhood memory</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315236">Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Xernona Clayton describes the sights, sounds and smells of her childhood</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315237">Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Xernona Clayton describes Dunbar Elementary School in Muskogee, Oklahoma</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315238">Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Xernona Clayton recalls her favorite teachers and classes</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315239">Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Slating of Xernona Clayton's interview, session 2</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315240">Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Xernona Clayton talks about her educational foundation</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315241">Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Xernona Clayton remembers Manual Training High School in Muskogee, Oklahoma</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315242">Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Xernona Clayton talks about being a twin</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315243">Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Xernona Clayton describes her father's role in Muskogee, Oklahoma</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315244">Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Xernona Clayton describes her adolescent career aspirations</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315245">Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Xernona Clayton recalls her decision to attend Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State College</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315246">Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Xernona Clayton recalls being named the smartest girl in her class at Manual Training High School</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315247">Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Xernona Clayton recalls matriculating at Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State College</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315248">Tape: 3 Story: 10 - Xernona Clayton considers how her childhood influenced her activism, pt. 1</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315249">Tape: 3 Story: 11 - Xernona Clayton considers how her childhood influenced her activism, pt. 2</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315250">Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Xernona Clayton recalls her collegiate extracurricular activities, pt. 1</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315251">Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Xernona Clayton recalls her collegiate extracurricular activities, pt. 2</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315252">Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Xernona Clayton recalls being sheltered from discrimination during college</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315253">Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Xernona Clayton recalls participating in a University of Wisconsin twin study</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315254">Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Xernona Clayton recalls studying with her twin at Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State College</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315255">Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Xernona Clayton describes her approach to learning</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315256">Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Xernona Clayton explains her decision to attend the University of Chicago</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315257">Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Xernona Clayton reflects upon the impact of her father's lessons on humility</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315258">Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Xernona Clayton recalls how she became involved with the Chicago Urban League</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315259">Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Xernona Clayton describes her initial work with the Chicago Urban League in Chicago, Illinois</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315260">Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Xernona Clayton talks about the Chicago Urban League's position on labor integration</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315261">Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Xernona Clayton recalls chairing the most successful Chicago Urban League charity dinner</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315262">Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Xernona Clayton remembers deciding to leave graduate school</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315263">Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Xernona Clayton talks about meeting her husband, Edward Clayton</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315264">Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Xernona Clayton recalls her involvement in Chicago's South Side society</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/315265">Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Xernona Clayton recalls teaching a prominent Chicago businessman to read and write</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/313674">Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Xernona Clayton reflects upon her legacy as an elementary school teacher in Chicago, Illinois</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/313675">Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Xernona Clayton recalls meeting Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.</a>

<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/313676">Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Xernona Clayton explains how she began working for Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.</a>

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Xernona Clayton recalls growing up as an identical twin, pt. 1

Xernona Clayton describes her initial work with the Chicago Urban League in Chicago, Illinois

Transcript

But as a twin, now, people say it's--did you feel special--I guess you'd have to feel special as a twin, and did you have a special relationship with your twin [Xenobia Brewster]?$$Yes, we did feel special because when we found out we were rare and people made such notice of it--$$When did you first kind of realize it that something unusual was going on?$$Well, since we heard it every day, we started saying, "Mm-mm, you know, we're pretty special." But then we were so close. I mean, my sister and I, it's so like you have a best friend all the time. Everybody else has to go and try to find one and chose one. But I had one, and she had one, and we had each other. And it's somebody you really trust. I mean, you can tell your innermost secrets to your twin sister, and she could tell me hers. As a matter of fact, when we started courting, she'd tell me, like, she's going to slip out tonight when we had the curfew on and we couldn't get out after eight o'clock, and she had this hot date that she was determined to keep. And she says, "I'm going to slip out of the window"--we shared a bedroom; we slept together all the years. She said, "I'm going to slip out because my boyfriend's going to rap on the window, then I'm going out of the window, and then when I come back, I'm going to rap on the window, you let me back in and Mother [Lillie Elliott Brewster] will never know." And, of course, I didn't want her to do it, but that was my sister and my closest friend. And so, she was determined to slip out, that I was going to help her and support her, rather. And I was the one who really was always Miss Goody Two-Shoes. You know, I'd say, "Oh, no you can't break the rules. No, no, no." But she'd say, "Oh, yes, yes, yes." And so, since she was determined, I was going to support her because I didn't want her to get a whipping. And so, like we had those little secrets that nobody knew but us. But one night it backfired because my mother, having her own leveled wisdom, kind of figured something was going on I guess by the behavior pattern or body language. And so, that night when my sister slipped out and I was to assist her to slip back in when she rapped on the window, my mother opened the window (laughter). And she said, "Help me in," and the voice said, "Okay," and she thought it was my voice; it was my mother's voice. And when she came up, you know, she wanted to run back then; of course, it was too late then. Then when my mother gave her that little spanking, then I cried, too, because I didn't want her to, you know, to get spanked. But we shared everything, just everything.$We were talking about the Urban League of Chicago [Chicago Urban League]. And--$$Yes.$$--they needed--$$Well, discrimination was a reality, but they couldn't get a handle on it. So what they decided to do was, let's see if we can, you know, catch come--let do our homework to see if it's really being practice like what we think. So the pattern then was to, or the process was to look in the want ad sections and see who's hiring, what jobs are open, and then apply; apply meaning--now, this was in '52 [1952], and requirements or skills were not all that involved. Like, if you were a clerk, you could apply for a clerk/typist job if you could type and you could spell. And so you didn't have to have, you know, a medical degree to get a job. Now, my sister [Xenobia Brewster] and I had graduated from college [Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State College; Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee], so you assume we knew something. We could spell, read, and write, and we could type, and, and we learned how to type in, in college. And I don't know if you remember a man name Cortez Peters, who was the fastest man in, in America.$$Right, Cortez Typing School [sic. Cortez W. Peters Business School].$$Yeah, he was a typist. And we had a chance to meet him. And he came to our college one year, and I got a chance to meet, and boy, I was so fascinated by him. And I said one of these days I'm gonna type like Cortez Peters. And I learned to be a pretty good typist, you know, of course nowadays it doesn't matter much. But I learned how to be a good typist, and so was my sister. So we were both good typists. And so the Urban League said well, let's do this: you be our front men. And we'll always like, position five minutes, ten minutes away from where we'd call. So we called, say Marshall Field's [Marshall Field & Company]. There would be an ad in the paper for a clerk typist. And we'd call and said, "I see you have an ad in the paper." "Yes." "Is the job still open?" "Yes." "It's okay to apply?" "Yes." Then we'd make a beeline over there, like ten minutes away. And we'd get there and, "We're here to apply. I understand you got a clerk/typist at"--we don't tell we're the ones that called. You said, "I came to apply for your clerk/typist job." "Oh, so sorry, but we just filled that." You know, (laughter), well, then you got them right there. Well, that happened with so many companies, Spiegel [Spiegel Inc.]--well, I don't wanna name all of the companies that were kind of guilty but major companies that looked like they were good guys. You know, Marshall Field's, everybody went to Marshall Field's. It was a joy to go to Marshall Field's. They looked like good guys. Spiegel was a good mail order place and oh, a lot of places. And my sister and I went to many of those places that did the same pattern, apply--I mean broadcast the--advertise an opening, and then when you got there, you're black, it's not for you. And we broke down a lot of that. And it was kind of, you know, fun job; job meaning, you know, it was assigned tasks. They were really very--and I was waiting for school to start anyways, then the summer, so it was before we went to col- before I went to school.$$So, so would the Urban League then confront the business in, in a (simultaneous)--$$(Simultaneous) And they would--$$--formal setting--$$Oh yeah, and then they, they would document it.$$(Unclear)--$$And so they put, I mean had very good documentation, which means--and then they called a press conference. And of course, then you embarrass the company. And then the, you know, the good guys say well, we gotta change our image. You know, we can't be out here looking this bad. So that's how the integration took place, is all I think just felt embarrassed.$$

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