Xernona Clayton

Xernona Clayton is an American broadcaster, civil rights activist, and civic leader whose career has been dedicated to fostering racial understanding and community cohesion. A pioneering figure in Southern television, she is best known for her work with Martin Luther King Jr., her leadership at The King Center, and her founding of the Atlanta Brotherhood Crusade, an annual awards ceremony promoting racial harmony. Her life's work exemplifies a commitment to advancing civil rights through dialogue, media, and institutional leadership within the framework of American tradition and national unity.

Early life and education

Xernona Clayton was born Xernona Brewster on August 30, 1930, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She was the youngest of eight children born to James and Lillie Brewster; her father was a Baptist minister and a railroad worker. The family later moved to Chicago, where she attended Wendell Phillips Academy High School. Clayton pursued higher education at Tennessee State University, a historically black university in Nashville, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her early experiences in the Midwest and the South during the era of Jim Crow laws shaped her perspective on racial issues and her dedication to public service.

Career in broadcasting

Clayton's broadcasting career began after she moved to Atlanta in 1965. She initially worked in public relations for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 1967, she made history by becoming the first Black person in the South to host a regularly scheduled prime-time television talk show, *The Xernona Clayton Show*, on WAGA-TV, the local CBS affiliate. The program featured interviews with prominent figures across politics, entertainment, and civil rights, including Ralph Abernathy, Coretta Scott King, and Maynard Jackson. Her groundbreaking role as a broadcaster helped to normalize the presence of African Americans in mainstream media and provided a platform for constructive dialogue on social issues during a turbulent period in American history.

Civil rights activism

Xernona Clayton's civil rights activism was deeply intertwined with her professional life. She worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. and his family, serving as a publicist and coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Following King's assassination in 1968, Clayton played a crucial supportive role for Coretta Scott King and assisted in the planning of King's funeral. Her activism extended beyond direct involvement with the SCLC; she was instrumental in the successful campaign to convince Georgia state senator Leroy Johnson to wear a traditional Kente cloth at an official session of the Georgia General Assembly, a symbolic act for racial pride. Clayton consistently advocated for nonviolent social change and economic empowerment, aligning with broader movement goals while emphasizing stability and community-based solutions.

Role in the Martin Luther King Jr. Center

In 1969, Clayton joined the executive staff of the newly formed Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center) in Atlanta. She served as the Director of Public Affairs and later as a Corporate Vice President. In this capacity, she was responsible for developing the center's public image, managing media relations, and coordinating its educational and community outreach programs. She worked alongside Coretta Scott King for over four decades, helping to steward King's legacy and promote the principles of nonviolence and the Beloved Community. Her tenure at The King Center was marked by a focus on institutional permanence and the dissemination of King's teachings as a foundational part of American civic education.

Atlanta Brotherhood Crusade and civic leadership

A hallmark of Xernona Clayton's civic leadership is the creation of the Atlanta Brotherhood Crusade in 1968. This annual event honors individuals and organizations in the Atlanta area who have made significant contributions to improving racial and religious understanding. The Crusade's signature achievement was convincing a local Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan to renounce his membership publicly, a powerful testament to the potential for personal transformation and reconciliation. Clayton also held leadership roles with Turner Broadcasting System, serving as a corporate executive for 30 years. Her civic engagements included serving on the board of directors for the Atlanta Transit System (MARTA) and being an active member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, where she advocated for responsible economic development and interracial cooperation in the city's business community.

Awards and legacy

Xernona Clayton has received numerous accolades for her lifetime of service. These include the NAACP's Thalheimer Award, the Trumpet Award, and the American Women in Radio and Television's Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2023, the city of Atlanta renamed a segment of Simpson Road to "Xernona Clayton Parkway" in her honor. Her legacy is that of a pioneering broadcaster, as a pioneering a pioneering, a pioneering, as a pioneering ack, a pioneer in the United States of Colored People who|American Civil Rights Movement|Clayton, a a|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement and age|American Civil Rights Movement. She is ack, Georgia (Atlanta, Georgia|Georgia (Atlanta, Georgia|Georgia (the Advancement of color: Georgia (U.Sheir. She is a alexpedia, Georgia (U.S. Her legacy is a|Georgia (Georgia (U.S. Her life and age|American Women's legacy of Colored|American Civil Rights Movement (Georgia (U.S. She is ackn City Hall of Colored text|Georgia (the United States of Xernona Clayton, Georgia|Atlanta, Georgia|Xernona Clayton's Legacy of Colored person|Georgia, Georgia|Atlanta, Georgia|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement. Her legacy|Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta, Georgia|American Civil Rights Movement, Georgia|Georgia (Xernona Clayton, Georgia, Georgia|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement and age|American Civil Rights Movement, Georgia|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil, Georgia|American Broadcasting, Georgia (American Civil Rights Movement|American Broadcasting, Georgia|American Broadcasting, Georgia|American Civil Rights Movement|American Broadcasting Corporation and age|American Women's Civic Leadership Conference, Georgia (or, Georgia|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement|American Civil Rights Movement# ​ Rights Movement|Georgia (person

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