Colia Clark facts for kids

Colia L. Liddell Lafayette Clark (born July 21, 1940 – died November 4, 2022) was an important American activist and politician. She worked hard to make things fairer for everyone. Colia Clark was a candidate for the United States Senate in New York. She ran with the Green Party in both 2010 and 2012.

Clark was a key figure in several big movements. These included the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power movement, and the Pan-African movement. She was a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In this role, she helped people gain equal voting rights in Selma, Alabama. She also helped organize the Birmingham campaign and worked across Mississippi. Her efforts also focused on women's rights and workers' rights. She was a strong voice for people experiencing homelessness and for young people.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Colia Clark started her journey as an activist while studying at Tougaloo College. This was an historically black college in Tougaloo, Mississippi. She joined the NAACP. With the NAACP, she worked to help people register to vote. She even helped start the NAACP Youth Council in North Jackson, Mississippi. This was under the guidance of leaders like Medgar Evers.

In 1962, Clark joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She worked with her husband, Bernard Lafayette, in Alabama. Their work helped set the stage for the important Selma voting rights campaign in 1965. She later became the executive secretary of SNCC. She also took part in street protests during the Birmingham campaign in 1963.

In 1964, she helped create the Southern Organizing Committee. She was also involved in the Black Power movement. This movement aimed to empower Black communities. Later, she returned to Mississippi and worked on various projects. This included being an editor for the Jackson Advocate newspaper.

Colia Clark believed that movies sometimes didn't show the Civil Rights Movement accurately. She felt they didn't always highlight the important role of student activists. She strongly supported the Black Lives Matter movement. She saw it as a continuation of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.

Working with the Green Party

Colia Clark was a co-chair for New York's delegation to the Green Party's national convention. At this event, Cynthia McKinney was chosen as the Green Party candidate for president. In her later years, Clark focused on writing and advocacy about Haiti.

Her Education

Colia Clark attended Tougaloo College. She also earned a master's degree from Albany State University in Albany, GA. She later became a professor there. She also taught at SUNY Albany in Albany, New York.

Personal Life and Passing

Colia Clark passed away on November 4, 2022. She was 82 years old.