A Community Remembered

A Community Remembered. . Between the 1880s and 1960s, Clayton was home to a substantial and thriving Black community despite persistent discrimination, limited economic opportunity, and political influence. These early Black Clayton residents were homeowners and renters, employed in various sectors as educators, laborers, domestics, and city workers. They established two of the first churches in Clayton, started businesses, and enriched the cultural life of Clayton in numerous ways. The Black community was established in historic Clayton - and grew there in part because housing discrimination and restrictive covenants prohibited residence elsewhere. The community was uprooted with other residents of that area through rezoning in the mid-twentieth century. As Clayton grew, most Black residents were displaced by racial-residential restrictions. As historic Clayton became the downtown business district, the history of our African American community was largely erased and forgotten. Today the City of Clayton wishes to recognize and celebrate this community and its enduring contributions to our shared history.