Adam Clayton Powell Jr.

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was a Baptist minister and major civil-rights politician who led Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church after succeeding his father in 1937. He represented Harlem in the U.S. House from 1945 to 1971 and chaired the House Education and Labor Committee, using national office to advocate for African American civil and political rights. His career made him one of the most prominent Black congressional leaders of the mid-20th century.