CLARK HISTORIC LANDMARK SITE ROANOKE, ALABAMA
A Guided Digital Tour Of The Lives, Legacies and Works Of Wilkie And Hattie Lee (Peters) Clark as presented by their offspring: their only daughter, Mrs. Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson; grandson, Wilkie S. Frieson, and Granddaughter, Je'Lynn M. Frieson.
AN ALABAMA HISTORIC SITE
Wilkie Clark’s Documented Attendance at the 1962 SCLC Convention in Birmingham
Archival Discovery and Historical Alignment
In the October 4, 1962 edition of The Roanoke Leader (Page 8), under the segregated column titled “Negro News Events — Personals,” reporter Mrs. Mayme Shealey recorded the following notice:
“Wilkie Clark returned home Saturday after attending the Southern Leadership Conference held in Birmingham, Sept. 25–28.”
This brief entry, while modest in length, carries substantial historical significance when examined in its broader context.
“Wilkie Clark returned home Saturday after attending the Southern Leadership Conference held in Birmingham, Sept. 25–28.”
This brief entry, while modest in length, carries substantial historical significance when examined in its broader context.
October 4, 1962 Edition Of The Randolph Leader "Negro News Events" Mrs. Mayme Shealey reporting
Verified Historical Correlation
Independent historical records confirm that the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) held its Sixth Annual Convention in Birmingham, Alabama, September 25–28, 1962.¹
The convention took place at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and was organized under the theme:
“Diversified Attack on Segregation.”²
Approximately 300 delegates attended the gathering, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who addressed the convention.³
During the convention, SCLC leadership intensified plans for voter registration expansion and the desegregation of public facilities in Birmingham—efforts that would culminate in the historic 1963 Birmingham Campaign.⁴
On the final day of the convention, September 28, 1962, Dr. King was physically assaulted while addressing attendees.⁵
NOTE: The dates referenced in the October 4, 1962 newspaper article correspond exactly with the documented dates of the SCLC Sixth Annual Convention held in Birmingham.
Alignment of Dates and Location
The dates referenced in The Roanoke Leader (September 25–28) correspond precisely with the documented dates of the Sixth Annual SCLC Convention in Birmingham.
While the newspaper column abbreviated the organization as “Southern Leadership Conference,” such shorthand was common in local reporting of the era. The alignment of:
This documentation establishes that Wilkie Clark was present in Birmingham during a pivotal civil rights convention attended by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and national SCLC leadership.
The 1962 convention was not ceremonial. It was strategic. It occurred at a time when Birmingham was considered one of the most rigidly segregated cities in the South. The planning and resolutions adopted during this gathering directly contributed to the intensified civil rights actions of 1963.
While no surviving photograph has yet surfaced documenting a personal interaction between Wilkie Clark and Dr. King, the archival evidence confirms that Clark attended the convention at which Dr. King spoke and participated.
This places Clark within the documented civic and religious leadership network engaged in organized civil rights strategy during a decisive moment in American history.
Independent historical records confirm that the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) held its Sixth Annual Convention in Birmingham, Alabama, September 25–28, 1962.¹
The convention took place at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and was organized under the theme:
“Diversified Attack on Segregation.”²
Approximately 300 delegates attended the gathering, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who addressed the convention.³
During the convention, SCLC leadership intensified plans for voter registration expansion and the desegregation of public facilities in Birmingham—efforts that would culminate in the historic 1963 Birmingham Campaign.⁴
On the final day of the convention, September 28, 1962, Dr. King was physically assaulted while addressing attendees.⁵
NOTE: The dates referenced in the October 4, 1962 newspaper article correspond exactly with the documented dates of the SCLC Sixth Annual Convention held in Birmingham.
Alignment of Dates and Location
The dates referenced in The Roanoke Leader (September 25–28) correspond precisely with the documented dates of the Sixth Annual SCLC Convention in Birmingham.
While the newspaper column abbreviated the organization as “Southern Leadership Conference,” such shorthand was common in local reporting of the era. The alignment of:
- Exact dates
- Identical city
- Matching organizational description strongly indicates that the conference attended by Wilkie Clark was the 1962 SCLC Annual Convention.
This documentation establishes that Wilkie Clark was present in Birmingham during a pivotal civil rights convention attended by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and national SCLC leadership.
The 1962 convention was not ceremonial. It was strategic. It occurred at a time when Birmingham was considered one of the most rigidly segregated cities in the South. The planning and resolutions adopted during this gathering directly contributed to the intensified civil rights actions of 1963.
While no surviving photograph has yet surfaced documenting a personal interaction between Wilkie Clark and Dr. King, the archival evidence confirms that Clark attended the convention at which Dr. King spoke and participated.
This places Clark within the documented civic and religious leadership network engaged in organized civil rights strategy during a decisive moment in American history.
WHAT WENT ON IN THAT MEETING?
It appears here that one of the Birmingham area newspapers carried a story about each day of the SCLC Convention in Birmingham. The New York Times carried the assault on Dr. King, that occurred on the last night of the convention.
What follows here, are the six (6) newspaper accounts of the meeting that convened in Birmingham, in 1962 with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What follows here, are the six (6) newspaper accounts of the meeting that convened in Birmingham, in 1962 with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
My Archival Sources
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/alfred-daniel-king-2
Stanford University Website
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute Houses The King Papers and Other King Resources --a comprehensive collection of Dr. King's most significant correspondence, sermons, speeches, published writings, and unpublished manuscripts. The above link is the text of a letter to his brother, A.D. King, concerning this meeting.
¹Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Sixth Annual Convention, Birmingham, Alabama, September 25–28, 1962.
² Convention theme: “Diversified Attack on Segregation.”
³ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., attendance and address at Sixth Annual Convention, 1962.
⁴ Planning initiatives related to voter registration and desegregation strategy, preceding the 1963 Birmingham Campaign.
⁵ The September 29, 1962 edition of The New York Times (p9) reported a physical assault on Dr. King during the closing session, September 28, 1962
My Personal Reflections upon this discovery:
https://www.southernjusticearchive.com/p/the-day-i-realized-my-father-stood
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/alfred-daniel-king-2
Stanford University Website
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute Houses The King Papers and Other King Resources --a comprehensive collection of Dr. King's most significant correspondence, sermons, speeches, published writings, and unpublished manuscripts. The above link is the text of a letter to his brother, A.D. King, concerning this meeting.
¹Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Sixth Annual Convention, Birmingham, Alabama, September 25–28, 1962.
² Convention theme: “Diversified Attack on Segregation.”
³ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., attendance and address at Sixth Annual Convention, 1962.
⁴ Planning initiatives related to voter registration and desegregation strategy, preceding the 1963 Birmingham Campaign.
⁵ The September 29, 1962 edition of The New York Times (p9) reported a physical assault on Dr. King during the closing session, September 28, 1962
My Personal Reflections upon this discovery:
https://www.southernjusticearchive.com/p/the-day-i-realized-my-father-stood
Last Updated: February 2026
Ongoing archival research continues.
Ongoing archival research continues.
WHY THIS MATTERS . . .
In the 1960s, many Black civic leaders were documented only within segregated newspaper columns — often under headings such as “Negro News Events.” These brief notices, typically limited to church activities, travel updates, and community gatherings, were rarely treated as front-page news.
As a result, the participation of local Black leaders in major Civil Rights events was often recorded quietly, without fanfare, and without the historical recognition it deserved.
The October 4, 1962 entry noting Wilkie Clark’s attendance at a “Southern Leadership Conference” may appear modest at first glance. However, when examined alongside verified historical records of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Sixth Annual Convention in Birmingham during the exact same dates, the notice becomes historically significant.
It demonstrates how local leaders from smaller Alabama communities were present at pivotal gatherings where national Civil Rights strategy was being developed.
Many such contributions remain undocumented in mainstream historical narratives.
This archival discovery helps restore a fuller picture — one that acknowledges the role of regional faith leaders, business owners, and community pillars who stood within the broader movement, even when their participation was recorded in only a single line of newsprint.
In the 1960s, many Black civic leaders were documented only within segregated newspaper columns — often under headings such as “Negro News Events.” These brief notices, typically limited to church activities, travel updates, and community gatherings, were rarely treated as front-page news.
As a result, the participation of local Black leaders in major Civil Rights events was often recorded quietly, without fanfare, and without the historical recognition it deserved.
The October 4, 1962 entry noting Wilkie Clark’s attendance at a “Southern Leadership Conference” may appear modest at first glance. However, when examined alongside verified historical records of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Sixth Annual Convention in Birmingham during the exact same dates, the notice becomes historically significant.
It demonstrates how local leaders from smaller Alabama communities were present at pivotal gatherings where national Civil Rights strategy was being developed.
Many such contributions remain undocumented in mainstream historical narratives.
This archival discovery helps restore a fuller picture — one that acknowledges the role of regional faith leaders, business owners, and community pillars who stood within the broader movement, even when their participation was recorded in only a single line of newsprint.