Jim Clark (sheriff) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Clark
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| Sheriff of Dallas County, Alabama, U.S. | |
| In office 1955–1966 |
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| Appointed by | Jim Folsom |
| Succeeded by | Wilson Baker |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Gardner Clark, Jr.
September 17, 1922 Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 2007 (aged 84) Elba, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
James Gardner Clark, Jr. (born September 17, 1922 – died June 4, 2007) was the sheriff of Dallas County, Alabama, United States from 1955 to 1966. He is known for his role in the Civil Rights Movement. Sheriff Clark was involved in the forceful arrests of civil rights protesters during the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. He is remembered for using harsh methods, including cattle prods, against people who were peacefully protesting for their rights.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Jim Clark was born in Alabama. His parents were Ettie Lee and James Gardner Clark. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II in the Aleutian Islands.
Before becoming sheriff, Clark was a cattle rancher. In 1955, his friend, Alabama Governor Jim Folsom, appointed him as sheriff. He was married to Louise Clark, and they had five children.
Sheriff of Dallas County (1955–1966)
In 1964 and 1965, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) started a campaign to help African Americans register to vote in Dallas County. Selma was the main city in this county.
As sheriff, Jim Clark openly opposed racial integration. He even wore a button that said "Never" to show his strong feelings. He often wore military-style clothes and carried a cattle prod along with his pistol and club.
Sheriff Clark's Posse
To stop the voting drive, Sheriff Clark gathered a group of horse-mounted supporters. Many of these supporters were members of the Ku Klux Klan. This group, along with state police officers led by Albert J. Lingo, was meant to act as a mobile force against civil rights efforts. They sometimes appeared in towns outside Clark's area to threaten and attack civil rights workers.
Protests in Selma
In Selma, Sheriff Clark used violence and threats against the SNCC campaign. He often waited at the entrance of the county courthouse. He would beat and arrest people trying to register to vote for small reasons.
At one point, Clark arrested about 300 students who were holding a quiet protest outside the courthouse. He forced them to march three miles to a detention center, using cattle prods.
In another incident, a protester named Annie Lee Cooper stood for hours trying to register to vote. Clark tried to make her leave by poking her with a nightstick or cattle prod. She then punched him, knocking him down.
By 1965, only 300 of Selma's 15,000 potential Black voters were registered. Because of his actions, many people compared Sheriff Clark to Bull Connor, another official known for using violence against civil rights protesters.
After newspapers like The New York Times published photos of Clark pushing Amelia Boynton Robinson to the ground, civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy jokingly suggested Clark should be an honorary member of a local voting rights group for all the "publicity services" he provided.
Bloody Sunday
On February 18, 1965, in Marion, Alabama, a peaceful protest march turned violent. State police officers beat the protesters after the street lights went out. A young protester named Jimmie Lee Jackson tried to protect his mother and grandfather. He was shot in the stomach by a state police officer and died eight days later. Sheriff Clark was present at this event, even though it was outside his usual area.
Because of the failed voter registration campaign and Jimmie Lee Jackson's death, civil rights leader James Bevel organized a march from Selma to Montgomery.
The Edmund Pettus Bridge Incident
On March 7, 1965, about 600 protesters began their march from Selma. Sheriff Clark's officers and his posse joined with Alabama state troopers. They attacked the protesters on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the edge of Selma. This event became known as "Bloody Sunday." More than 60 protesters were hurt and needed hospital care.
That evening, the ABC television network stopped its regular programming to show scenes of the violence to about 48 million Americans. This shocking event was very important. It helped convince the United States Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act.
The Washington Post newspaper later wrote about Sheriff Clark's role in Bloody Sunday:
Mr. Clark's most visible moment came March 7, 1965, at the start of a peaceful voting rights march from Selma to the capital city of Montgomery.
Mr. Clark and his men were stationed near Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge. Alabama State Trooper John Cloud ordered the hundreds of marchers to disperse. When they did not, Mr. Clark commanded his mounted "posse" to charge into the crowd. Tear gas heightened the chaos, and protesters were beaten.
Captured on national television, the Bloody Sunday incident spurred widespread revulsion. Even Gov. George C. Wallace, who had earlier sparked a national showdown over a refusal to integrate public schools, reprimanded the state troopers and Mr. Clark.
Views on Martin Luther King, Jr.
On July 22, 1965, Jim Clark spoke at a meeting of the Citizens' Councils, a white supremacist group. During his talk, he spoke about Bloody Sunday and referred to the protesters as "so-called preachers." He also said that they decided to treat Martin Luther King Jr. "like the common yellow cur dog that he is."
Professional Recognition
According to his obituary, Jim Clark served as the first vice-president of the National Sheriffs' Association. He also served as a president of the Alabama Sheriff's Association.
Loss of Sheriff's Office
The Mayor of Selma, Joseph Smitherman, and Wilson Baker wanted to handle the civil rights campaign more calmly. However, the voter registration offices were Sheriff Clark's responsibility.
In the 1966 election, after the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed, Wilson Baker defeated Clark. This was partly because the new Act allowed many African Americans to register and vote against Clark. Clark tried to stop 1,600 votes for his opponent, claiming there were problems. However, court orders made sure these votes were counted.
Later Life and Death
After losing his job as sheriff, Jim Clark worked in different businesses, including selling mobile homes.
In 2006, he told the Montgomery Advertiser newspaper that he would "do the same thing today if I had to do it all over again" regarding his actions during the civil rights movement.
He died on June 4, 2007, from a stroke and a heart condition in Elba, Alabama. Amelia Boynton Robinson, one of the people Clark had arrested in 1965, attended his funeral.
