By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 24, 2022 – Mrs. Xernona Clayton, the renowned American Civil Rights Leader and Broadcasting Executive, paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation (MOTIA), in Nassau, Bahamas, on November 17, 2022.
In a post on Facebook, MOTIA noted that the Atlanta, Georgia-based civil rights leader was accompanied by Bishop Neil Ellis. Also present were Dr. Kenneth Romer, Deputy Director General of MOTIA, and Ian Ferguson, Executive Director, MOTIA.
Earlier this year, on August 30, Bahamas Consul General in Atlanta Anthony Moss, accompanied by Vice Consul for the Diaspora and Cultural Affairs Yasmine Miller and Vice Consul for Trade and Investments Edward Archer, paid a courtesy call on Ms. Clayton, who over the years has been a true friend of The Bahamas and has visited The Bahamas many times.
“We discussed future plans and commitments made on behalf of Mrs. Clayton to assist with the expansion and growth of The Bahamas and the diaspora-at-large,” Consul General Moss said after the visit.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Mrs. Clayton worked for the National Urban League and Southern Christian Leadership Conference, where she became involved in the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Later, Mrs. Clayton went into television, where she became the first African-American from the southern United States to host a daily prime time talk show. She became corporate vice president for urban affairs for Turner Broadcasting.
Mrs. Clayton created the Trumpet Foundation and was instrumental in the development of the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame that was developed by the foundation to honor the achievements of African-Americans and civil rights advocates. Clayton has been honored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the city of Atlanta for her work.
Mrs. Clayton began her career in the Civil Rights Movement with the National Urban League in Chicago, working undercover to investigate racial discrimination committed by employers against African-Americans. She moved to Atlanta in 1965, where she organized events for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), under the direction of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She also developed a deep friendship with Dr. King’s wife, Coretta Scott King.
In 1966, Mrs. Clayton coordinated the Doctors’ Committee for Implementation, a group of African-American physicians who worked for and achieved the desegregation of all Atlanta hospitals. The Doctors’ Committee served as a model for nationwide hospital desegregation, and Mrs. Clayton was honored by the National Medical Association. Mrs. Clayton subsequently headed the Atlanta Model Cities program, a federally funded group dedicated to improving the quality of desegregated neighborhoods.
In 1967, she became the first Southern African-American to host a daily prime time talk show. The show was broadcast on WAGA-TV in Atlanta and was renamed, The Xernona Clayton Show. Mrs. Clayton joined Turner Broadcasting in 1979 as a producer of documentary specials, and in the 1980s, she served as director of public relations for Turner Broadcasting. In 1988, Turner Broadcasting promoted Clayton to corporate vice president for urban affairs, assigning her to direct Turner projects and serve as a liaison between Turner Broadcasting and civic groups in Atlanta and throughout the country. Mrs. Clayton retired from Turner Broadcasting in 1997, choosing to call the retirement a “professional transition”.
Mrs. Clayton serves on the Board of Directors of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and on the Board of Review for the state of Georgia’s Department of Labor.
In 1993, Mrs. Clayton, while with Turner Broadcasting, created the Trumpet Awards to honor achievements of African Americans. She serves as the chair, President, and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation that was formed in late 2004. In early 2004, Clayton created the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.
NOTE: Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, was the source for the background information on Mrs. Xernona Clayton.
