CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — Clarence B. Jones died Friday at age 95 at an assisted living facility in Cupertino, California. He was a civil rights activist and lawyer who helped write part of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Jones was one of the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington and helped push for the passage of the Voting Rights Act two years later. He remained a keeper of Dr. King’s legacy until his death and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden in 2024.

During an appearance at the 69th San Francisco International Film Festival, Jones criticized former President Donald Trump’s efforts to redraw congressional maps, saying, “The problem is, Trump is living in a world that doesn’t exist anymore.” He added, “Sure you’re going to have some blips. But more powerful than the march of mighty armies is an idea whose time has come. More powerful than the march of many armies or that d--- head called President Trump.”

Jones was born on January 8, 1931, in Philadelphia to a chauffeur and a maid. He spent part of his childhood at a Roman Catholic boarding school before returning to his parents, graduated from Columbia College in 1953, and was drafted into the Army. He later refused to sign a loyalty oath, leading to conflict with military officials, and earned a law degree from Boston University in 1959.

After moving to California, Jones worked as an entertainment lawyer representing figures such as Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Frank Sinatra. In 1960, he joined the legal team defending Dr. King against tax evasion charges in Alabama—charges critics viewed as an attempt to cripple the civil rights movement. Jones became one of King’s top confidantes, smuggled out the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and served as a top fundraiser for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

He was on the winning side of the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court case New York Times v. Sullivan, which established the “actual malice” standard for defamation cases involving public figures. After King’s 1968 assassination, Jones continued his legal career, eventually becoming the first Black partner at a Wall Street brokerage on the New York Stock Exchange and later the principal owner and publisher of The New York Amsterdam News.

Jones taught at Stanford University and the University of San Francisco and co-founded USF’s Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice. “Through his teaching, he inspired generations of students to engage deeply with Dr. King’s legacy and the enduring power of peaceful protest,” University of San Francisco President Salvador Aceves said. “A man who stood at the center of history, Clarence generously shared his wisdom, courage, and moral vision with our university community.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton said online, “He was a brilliant strategist, lawyer, author, and philanthropist. So many of us owe a great debt to Clarence Jones.” Jones is survived by five children and his longtime partner, Lin Walters.