The oral history consists of twelve digital files: 2011.174.84.1a, 2011.174.84.1b, 2011.174.84.1c, 2011.174.84.1d, 2011.174.84.1e, 2011.174.84.1f, 2011.174.84.1g, 2011.174.84.1h, 2011.174.84.1i, 2011.174.84.1j, and 2011.174.84.1k, 2011.174.84.1l.
Dr. Clarence B. Jones shares memories from his work as a legal advisor and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In particular, he describes his significant contributions to the "I Have a Dream" speech, which King delivered at the March on Washington in 1963. Jones also describes his early life living in a Philadelphia home for indigent black orphans and foster children, because his parents, who were both domestic workers, could not afford to provide for him. Jones talks about his education at Columbia University, his training as a classical clarinetist, and some of his early encounters with leftist politics while in New York. Jones discusses the death of his mother and the profound effect it had on him. He describes his time spent in the military during the Korean War. Other topics discussed in the interview include Jones's marriage to Anne Norton, his studies at Boston University Law School, and his move to California to become an entertainment lawyer.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress