By james art City of Birmingham, Alabama Recognizes Retired UW Judge Clemon with Putting People First Award
The City of Birmingham honored retired UW Judge Clemon last week by presenting him with the Putting People First Award during its annual AWAKE 2024 program at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
“It is a deep honor for me. I feel like the proverbial prophet who is revered 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.
Judge UW Clemon was appointed by then-President Jimmy Carter as the first black federal judge in the state’s history with unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate. (Sim Posey, The Birmingham Times)
“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 CBS 42 Anchor Sherry 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.