Ebenezer in Holmes County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Robert G. Clark Jr.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 12, 2024

1. Robert G. Clark Jr. Marker

Inscription. Born in 1928 in Holmes County, Robert G. Clark Jr. was the first African American elected to the Mississippi Legislature in the 20th century. Elected in 1967, Clark became chair of the House Education Committee in 1977 and played a key role in the passage of the Education Reform Act of 1982. He was elected Speaker Pro Tempore in 1992. After he retired from public life in 2003, a government building in Jackson was renamed the Robert G. Clark Jr. State Office Building, a first for an African American in the state.

Erected 2023 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi State Historical Marker Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1967.

Location. 32° 58.259′ N, 90° 5.41′ W. Marker is in Ebenezer, Mississippi, in Holmes County. Marker is at the intersection of Ebenezer Road and Mississippi Route 14, on the right when traveling south on Ebenezer Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3167 Ebenezer Rd, Lexington MS 39095, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Elmore James (approx. 2.7 miles away); O.E.S. Birthplace

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(approx. 6 miles away); Franklin Church (approx. 6.8 miles away); PFC Milton Lee Olive III (approx. 8½ miles away); Edmund Scarborough and John Scott (approx. 8.8 miles away); Dr. Arenia Conelia Mallory (approx. 9.1 miles away); St. Paul Church of God in Christ (approx. 9.3 miles away); Holmes County Blues Lexington (approx. 9.9 miles away).

Also see . . .
1. Robert G. Clark. In 1967, two years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, Clark made a bid for public office after the all-white Holmes County School Board refused to approve an adult education program. (Chris Danielson, The Mississippi Encyclopedia) (Submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Robert G. Clark, Jr., oral history interview conducted by John Dittmer in Pickens, Mississippi, 2013. Robert G. Clark, Jr., describes the early life experiences that led up to his successful campaign for political office in the Mississippi Legislature, where he became the first African American elected since Reconstruction. He discusses his childhood in Pickens, Mississippi, and he describes the family farm that he now owns, his

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 12, 2024

2. Robert G. Clark Jr. Marker

relationship to his family, and the expectations that they had of him to receive an education. Clark discusses his career as an educator, and he describes how the Civil Rights Movement influenced him. After a failed campaign for school superintendent he volunteered to run for state office. Clark describes his experiences in the Mississippi Legislature, focusing on how he helped to pass the Education Reform Act. (Library of Congress) (Submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Robert G. Clark Jr. image. Click for full size.

Mississippi Secretary of State (Public Domain), 1969

3. Robert G. Clark Jr.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 44 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.