July 18, 2025
Civil rights trailblazer and Congressional Black Caucus co-founder Bill Clay Sr. leaves behind a powerful legacy of advocacy.
William “Bill” Clay Sr., founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and Missouri’s first Black congressman, died on the morning of July 17 at the age of 94.
Clay Sr., who resided in Silver Spring, Maryland, passed away at his daughter’s home in Virginia, STL Today reports. He is survived by his son, William Lacy Clay Jr., who followed in his political footsteps; daughters Vicki and Michelle Clay; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a lasting legacy of groundbreaking civil rights advocacy.
As Missouri’s first Black congressman, Clay served over three decades in Congress and earned a reputation for his unapologetic fight for social justice. A vocal leader in St. Louis street demonstrations challenging the city’s power structure and a fierce opponent of employment segregation, he co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus and became a political powerhouse in Missouri, where his support could make or break a mayoral candidate.
“You cannot talk about the history of St. Louis politics without starting with Bill Clay Sr.,” U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell told KSDK. “When we talk about standing on the shoulders of giants, I realize that I am, he’s that giant.”
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Clay’s civil rights activism began in 1953 when, at just 22, he was drafted into the Army. While stationed in Alabama, he organized demonstrations to protest the racial discrimination faced by him and other Black soldiers.
After returning to St. Louis, Clay continued his fight for justice alongside a rising political career, becoming an alderman in 1959. He went on to help lead the pivotal 1963 Jefferson Bank Protests, which demanded that the banks hire more Black employees. The demonstrations became one of the defining moments of the modern civil rights era. Clay was among more than 500 people arrested during the nonviolent protests, ultimately serving nearly four months in jail for his role.
A prominent figure in the labor movement, Clay championed the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, which mandates that companies with 50 or more employees provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for new parents or family members in the event of a medical emergency. He was instrumental in raising the minimum wage, pushed for Congress to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers (though unsuccessfully), and secured increased funding for historically Black colleges and universities.
“I represent those who are in need of representation,” he once said. “I have no intention of representing those powerful interests who walk over the powerless people.”
After Clay’s retirement, his son William Lacy Clay Jr. was elected to succeed him, making them only the second Black father-son duo to ever serve in Congress. The Clay family held the seat until 2021, when activist Cori Bush defeated Lacy Clay Jr. in the Democratic primary and later won the general election, becoming Missouri’s first Black woman in Congress.
The district is now represented by Wesley Bell, who shared that he recently spoke with Lacy Jr., noting how deeply he’s grieving, especially as his father’s passing comes just months after his mother’s death.
“First and foremost, I wanna send my prayers out to his family, Lacy, and his entire family. Mr. Clay lost his wife, Lacy Clay’s mother, earlier this year. I did a floor speech honoring her just a few months ago, and so it’s always tough, and our prayers are with them,” Bell said. “We want to give them space and grace to mourn and grieve, and as I told him, anything that he needs or they need, don’t hesitate to ask. We are here for them, and I speak for the entire region in that regard.”
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