Clement, Arthur J., Jr., August 27, 1986

In this oral history interview, shortly before his death, Arthur J. Clement (1908-1986), a native Charlestonian, at first discusses his family history and upbringing in Charleston as well as his educational career. He recalls attending Avery in 1918 and mentions several aspects of Principal Benjamin F. Cox’s academic leadership skills. In 1923, Clement left Avery to attend Johnson C. Smith University (N.C.) upon his father’s request. He describes his father, Arthur J. H. Clement, as a very community-minded individual. The interview further inquires about several of Avery’s teachers, as well as differences arising with the AMA (American Missionary Association) under Ruth Morton regarding Avery’s financial obligations and mission. Clement recalls his own involvement in Avery’s administrative council as well as his influence in appointing John F. Potts to succeed Samuel Washington as Avery’s principal. He also refers to several other controversies that affected South Carolina at the time: equalization of teacher salaries and the three-cents tax. The interviewee also reflects critically on the efforts of the Class of 1944, led by John Wrighten to gain admission to the College of Charleston. Clement hereby specifically recalls the College’s status as a city cooperation which prevented its desegregation at the time. He also recalls his tenure as the president of the Charleston branch of the NAACP from 1948 to 1955, which fell during the Clarendon County Case in 1952 (Briggs vs. Elliott). He also remembers the controversy surrounding John McCray's resignation as president of the local NAACP branch after publishing an article in the News and Courier refusing to support the federal anti-lynching campaign in 1938.

The second part of the interview turns to the issue of colorist discrimination within the Charleston community and the ‘color business.’ Clement elaborates in detail on the issue of mulatto offspring from white slave owners and the people they enslaved, including his grandmother having two white children. He emphasizes that, in his opinion, there was no racial discrimination between dark- and fair-skinned students attending Avery. Clement further stresses that animosities between different color complexities are purely imaginative and not real. He provides several examples of dark-skinned African Americans holding leadership positions in the Charleston community to substantiate his point. Additionally, Clement debates the illiterate use of the term ‘Black’.

The interviewers also inquire about the reasons for Clement’s Democratic primary candidacy against Mendel Rivers in 1950 as well as his switch to the Republican Party in 1972. Recounting businesses ran by African Americans, Clement remembers several barber shops, banks, lawyers, and insurance companies. He also emphasizes the importance and function of the Friendly Societies in financing funerals for those in need. The interview concludes with Clement critically referring to disputes between the NAACP and Martin Luther King over the depletion of funds, as well as the inefficiency of sit-ins and demonstrations. He hereby accuses historians of painting an inaccurate picture by refusing to take all ‘nuances’ into consideration. Lastly, he scolds people’s focus on Apartheid in South Africa, whereas segregation is still very much an issue in Charleston itself.

The oral history is conducted by Eugene C. Hunt and Dr. Edmund L. Drago.