Adam Clayton Powell Jr.

1908 – 1972

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was an American Baptist pastor and politician who represented Harlem in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1945 to 1971, becoming the first African American elected to Congress from New York. As chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, he played a central role in passing landmark legislation including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the federal minimum wage expansion, and the antipoverty programs of the Great Society. His decades of national leadership made him one of the most influential African American politicians of the 20th century.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM