Miles College News May 2, 2016 Miles College Announces the Honorable Judge U. W. Clemon as Commencement Speaker The Honorable Judge U.W. Clemon will deliver the commencement address to 246 graduates of the Class of 2016, Saturday, May 7, at 11 a.m., at the Boutwell Auditorium. U. W. Clemon (born April 9, 1943) is a retired federal judge. Clemon was born in Fairfield, Alabama<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfield,_Alabama>. At age 13, he decided to become a lawyer. While a student at Miles College<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_College> in 1962, he confronted the infamous Bull Connor<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_Connor> over Birmingham's segregation laws. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Martin_Luther_King> during the demonstrations the following year, and desegregated the Birmingham Public Library<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Public_Library>. In 1974, Clemon was one of the first two blacks elected to the Alabama Senate<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Senate> since Reconstruction<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstruction_era_of_the_United_States>. As chairman of the Rules Committee and later the Judiciary Committee, he fought against Governor George Wallace<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace>'s exclusion of black citizens from state boards and agencies and the reinstatement of the death penalty. Clemon retired from the judiciary on January 31, 2009. He now practices law in Birmingham. Miles College is pleased to have Honorable Judge U. W. Clemon come and impart words of wisdom with the graduating seniors in the Class of 2016. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-592-4820 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/ 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 150 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.