By james art
By Barnett Wright
Birmingham Times
The City of Birmingham on Friday honored retired UW Judge Clemon during its annual “WAKE 2024” at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
“It is a deep honor for me. I feel like the proverbial prophet who is honored in his hometown, that rarely happens,” Clemon told The Birmingham Times. “I am eternally grateful to the mayor and the city for this great honor.
The honor comes less than two weeks before one of the most significant US presidential elections in recent memory. Clemons has always been a proponent of the importance of voting.
“The AWAKEN program rightly recognizes that voting is the crown jewel of democracy,” Clemon said. “Without voting, we have no voice. It’s been a struggle throughout our existence… it’s been a struggle to win the votes and protect them. But these are fights worth fighting because without the vote we have no hope.”
Clemons also took part in a panel discussion that included Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin; US Representative Terry Sewell; Wake Vote Alabama State Director, Ja’Nise Gentry and Moderator, CBS 42 Anchor, Sherri Jackson
“Judge UW Clemon has dedicated his life to justice. Not only does he have a brilliant legal mind, but he has a heart for the disenfranchised,” Woodfin said in a statement. “Our community is better because of the battles he bravely fought. We are proud to honor him.”
Clemons represented black plaintiffs in major civil rights litigation and was one of two African Americans elected to the Alabama State Senate after Reconstruction. In 1980, he was appointed by then-President Jimmy Carter as the first black federal judge in the state’s history with unanimous approval by the US Senate.