Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson loves to describe herself as “Wilkie Clark’s Daughter” — more appropriately “Wilkie and Hattie Lee Clark’s Daughter.”
Her GREATEST desire in life, is to devote the remainder of her natural life to carrying the message of the Gospel by way of the divine lessons learned through the compelling life stories of her father and other dynamic black leaders of her time. She also seeks your support in helping her carry the message of collective consciousness to the African American communities of our nation.
In 2005, entering her 50th year of life, she published her first book — her father’s biography — entitled “Chief Cook and Bottle-Washer”, The Unconquerable Soul of Wilkie Clark. She considered this book, her biographical tribute to a strong African American father. There were two factors driving her objective in publishing this work: one was a promise made to her mother before her death; the other, her own deep respect for the far-reaching impact her father had on the African-American people in their local community. Understanding that history would not regard him accordingly, she decided to write her own documentary of his contributions..
Church and Community Involvement
Ms. Clark-Frieson grew up and matured spiritually as a member of the Bethel United Methodist Church, in Roanoke. She is also a past member of the Oak Grove A.M.E. Church, where she served one year as the church’s Secretary.
She has been active in the Civil Rights arena, having actively worked with NAACP, and the A.D.C. the Black Political Caucus of Alabama. In addition, in the 1980’s she served on the Executive Board of the Alabama State Conference of NAACP Branches. In 1988 after 20 years of periodic disputes over racial issues in the School system in her native Randolph County, she was elected to a seat on the Randolph County Board of Education following a Federal Court order mandating the School District to convert its method of electing officials from “at large” to “single-member districts.”
Ms. Clark-Frieson completed 4 consecutive terms, (more than eighteen years) on the Randolph County Board Of Education. As a result of the 1994 Randolph County School Controversy, she became the subject of newspaper commentary, appeared as a guest on several syndicated Radio Talk Shows, the Geraldo Show, and was featured in the May, 1995 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine.
In March of 1995, she was the recipient of the “Medgar W. Evers Award” presented at the 43rd Annual Southeast Regional N.A.A.C.P. Leadership Development Training Institute in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Later that same year, on May 20, 1995, she was the recipient of the “John F. Kennedy Profiles In Courage Award,” presented at the Annual Convention of the Alabama Democratic Conference, in Montgomery, Alabama. This award read “We honor you for being a strong Randolph County School Board Member, who stood fi rm in 1994, even when confronted by racial threats and unrest, in calling for the dismissal of a High School Principal who sought to ban inter-racial student couples from attending a prom. Without your courage and call for a just resolution of the school crisis, buttressed by a Court Settlement, the Randolph County high School system may still be in turmoil today.”
As of the time of this publication, she has already arrived at the strong conclusion that another extensive work is now warranted to further document through the compilation of public records, newspaper articles and personal papers, her father’s innumerable activities, focusing specifically on his documented NAACP activities and the past and current racially oppressive conditions in Randolph County that warranted our past and continued activism.”
Her proudest achievement to date was the February 2005 launch of Chief Cook & Bottle-Washer, The Unconquerable Soul Of Wilkie Clark, at which time, the Wilkie Clark Memorial Foundation was also launched. Since that time, the dynamic board members of The Wilkie Clark Memorial Foundation, Incorporated have undertaken many projects to promote and get the word out about the work they are trying to do.
As an outgrowth of The Wilkie Clark Memorial Foundation, in August of 2005, The Clark Memorial Foundation launched “The People’s Voice,” East Alabama/West Georgia’s only black weekly newspaper, in hopes that it will become the new voice of the Southeast. The paper was launched in an effort to give “voice” to the many disturbing black conditions that persist throughout East Alabama and West Georgia. The People’s Voice is published weekly by the Wilkie Clark Memorial Foundation. Ms. Clark-Frieson will consider all requests to appear as a speaker in consideration of a generous contribution to the Wilkie Clark Memorial Foundation.
Interested persons may call or write to inquire about having Ms. Clark-Frieson appear for book signing events.
A portion of the proceeds from all book sales will benefit the Wilkie Clark Memorial Foundation.