Longtime House Democrat Passes Away
Civil rights trailblazer and Congressional Black Caucus co-founder Bill Clay Sr. leaves behind a powerful legacy of advocacy. https://t.co/UhtBVSI8J8
— Black Enterprise (@blackenterprise) July 18, 2025
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer told SLNPR that Clay’s “courageous legacy of public service to St. Louis and the country is etched in his historic legislative battles for the poor, underrepresented and disenfranchised.”
We thank him for his generous service to a city he cared deeply for.”
Congressman Wesley Bell (D-MO) called Clay a ”giant — not just for St. Louis, not just for Missouri, but for the entirety of our country.”
Clay, a civil and workers’ rights advocate, represented the state’s 1st district from 1969 to 2001, and he was a driving influence in St
“I counted Mr. Clay as a grand mentor, as a trailblazer, and as a dear friend,” Bell said in a statement. “But more than that, I carry his example with me every time I walk onto the House Floor.”
His work laid the foundation for future generations of Black leadership in public service. May he rest in power and everlasting.”
St. Louis Democratic Mayor Cara Spencer wrote, “On behalf of the City of St. Louis, I want to offer my condolences to the family of one of St. Louis’ proud native sons, Congressman Bill Clay Sr. My sincerest sympathy is extended to his son, Lacy Clay, who has been a champion for the City of St. Louis.”
“Millions have him to thank for the Family and Medical Leave Act and raising the minimum wage,” Spencer said. “Generations of Black congressional leaders have followed in his footsteps as members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which he co-founded in 1971
Michael P. McMillan, president & CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, wronte, “The Urban League expresses our deepest condolences to the Clay Family upon the passing of former Congressman William L. Clay, Sr. He was a giant in the Congress and a civil rights pioneer who helped transform St. Louis and change the lives of countless people locally and nationally. He had a profound impact on me personally as we worked together on many projects. His legacy remains and should always be remembered.”
