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Clark, Donald M., Reverend, 1933-2017

Description

In 1952, after serving in the Army, Reverend Donald M. Clark moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he became an assistant pastor and began working towards integration and improving the lives of the black community. His firm stance on equal rights led him to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he worked with James McMillan and Charles West to lobby Nevada Governor Grant Sawyer and other public figures to initiate integration in Las Vegas. Reverend Clark was elected president of the local branch of the NAACP in 1961and also became part of the Economic Opportunity Board (EOB) of Clark County. He worked with other members in these organizations to continue the integration effort, particularly in education. In 1967, he was appointed Chairman of Operation Independence, a program that provided free legal aid, day care, transportation, a head start preschool, job placement, and professional training. Donald M. Clark passed away in 2017. "Rev. Donald Clark, civil rights activist in Las Vegas, dies at 84." Las Vegas Sun. October 10, 2017. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/oct/10/rev-donald-clark-civil-rights-activist-las-vegas/