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Last of the Lions: An African American Journey in Memoir
Last of the Lions is two histories woven into one remarkable story. It's a personal history – the evocative life of Clarence B. Jones, from his depression- and segregation-era upbringing at the hands of caring Irish Catholic nuns through our current era (when America elected a President to follow the first black man to hold the office with a man dog-whistling to white supremacists for four years). And all the amazing moments in between – his Ivy League years, his unprecedented dual role as simultaneous military draftee and protester, his work as an entertainment lawyer, financial and media entrepreneur, and more. But it's also the coming-of-age story of this country, with the kind of intimate observations and thought-provoking perspective that unfurl in classics like Soul on Ice, On the Road, and The Feminine Mystique.
Between the time Jones was born and today, the landscape of America's relationship with her black citizenry has experienced a sea change. Jones is the bridge from one America to another – spanning poverty and prosperity, injustice and acceptance, Harlem and Wall Street, even spanning the militant philosophy of the radical black Nation of Islam and the Gandhian philosophy of Dr. King. His story is the connective tissue that clarifies our past, explains our present, and points to the way to the future. Jones suffered the iniquities, fought the battles, and unlike so many, lived to see both the fruits of his labor and its failings. But this book is far from a treatise on race; Jones witnessed (and participated in) nearly every one of the most important political and social movements from the 1950s right up until today. Eight crucial decades that defined the "American Experience" and Jones was in the thick of it.
Last of the Lions offers a vibrant perspective on human nature and light and dark sides of American values. Jones presents a guide to the ever-pressing – and even after 400 years the still-unfinished – business in our the erasing of the color line. Ferguson could have happened half a century ago, but it happed half a decade ago. A path to true freedom laid out by perhaps the only man alive with the personal experience and social context to tackle the issue head-on. History never felt so present, philosophy so urgent.
Between the time Jones was born and today, the landscape of America's relationship with her black citizenry has experienced a sea change. Jones is the bridge from one America to another – spanning poverty and prosperity, injustice and acceptance, Harlem and Wall Street, even spanning the militant philosophy of the radical black Nation of Islam and the Gandhian philosophy of Dr. King. His story is the connective tissue that clarifies our past, explains our present, and points to the way to the future. Jones suffered the iniquities, fought the battles, and unlike so many, lived to see both the fruits of his labor and its failings. But this book is far from a treatise on race; Jones witnessed (and participated in) nearly every one of the most important political and social movements from the 1950s right up until today. Eight crucial decades that defined the "American Experience" and Jones was in the thick of it.
Last of the Lions offers a vibrant perspective on human nature and light and dark sides of American values. Jones presents a guide to the ever-pressing – and even after 400 years the still-unfinished – business in our the erasing of the color line. Ferguson could have happened half a century ago, but it happed half a decade ago. A path to true freedom laid out by perhaps the only man alive with the personal experience and social context to tackle the issue head-on. History never felt so present, philosophy so urgent.
499 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2023
7 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 22, 2023
Impressive debut. Good depth of description and pacing to a tense-filled ending. An interesting depiction of a futuristic America, iconic cities overtaken by new order—the Terrachy. The story had me intrigued from the beginning. Goal, motivation, and conflict clear. For fans of clean YA futuristic fantasy, I highly recommend this novel!
September 23, 2023
I know in my heart that it was this speaking out against the war, coupled with Martin’s continued push against poverty regardless of skin color (The Poor People’s Campaign) that really scared the government to the core. At the end of the day, these were the issues—and not equality for Negroes—that got Martin killed. If he’d just stayed on the Black cause, the governmental forces opposing him probably would have just let him go and hope the spotlight would eventually move away from him. But that wasn’t how Martin Luther King, Jr., worked.
I picked this book to find out more about Martin Luther King and I am so glad I did. There is that but there is so much more to it including Jones's role in the Attica penitentiary inmate rebellion, his business and legal enterprises, media and radio ventures, his encounters with activists and politicians and his incredible energy for the cause of civil rights across the 20th and 21st centuries. He is a truly incredible man, always human, always engaged. And that is the real measure of him, that in acnowledging his weaknesses, he powers on providing belp and support wherever he can. A real revelation.
I picked this book to find out more about Martin Luther King and I am so glad I did. There is that but there is so much more to it including Jones's role in the Attica penitentiary inmate rebellion, his business and legal enterprises, media and radio ventures, his encounters with activists and politicians and his incredible energy for the cause of civil rights across the 20th and 21st centuries. He is a truly incredible man, always human, always engaged. And that is the real measure of him, that in acnowledging his weaknesses, he powers on providing belp and support wherever he can. A real revelation.
October 25, 2024
My girlfriend and I went to a talk between Clarence and Sterling K. Brown. This book was handed out to everyone in attendance. The entire discussion my brain was screaming "how did we not hear about this in school!" The whole book gives off this feeling as well. It was like a real-life version of Forest Gump. Clarence has been everywhere... March on Washington, Malcolm X, the music industry, Hollywood, and The White House.
His story gives you a deeper appreciation for the countless individuals who made a significant difference in the Civil Rights Era. Clarence is also a funny guy. It makes for a great read!
His story gives you a deeper appreciation for the countless individuals who made a significant difference in the Civil Rights Era. Clarence is also a funny guy. It makes for a great read!
September 10, 2023
Ok, let's get the disclosure out first. Stuart Connelly is a close friend, and I helped a bit with the editing of this book.
But it is still quite worthy of five stars, because the writing is lovely and the story is un-frickin-believable.
Clarence Jones is - or should be regarded - as a hero of the civil rights movement. As MLK's attorney, close friend and traveling companion, he wrote the first half of the Dream speech, smuggled the letter out of the Birmingham jail, and spent years at the epicenter of the movement. If that were all, this would be an incredible book. But that's NOT all. He's childhood - growing up in an orphanage, despite have two loving parents - his time in the military, his rise as a lawyer, his relationship with Malcolm X, and his reaction to Memphis all are riveting. And he was just get started.
Jones, now 92 and still writing, teaching, and lecturing, also was there for the Attica riots, the Rumble in the Jungle, the birth of modern finance, and more I won't detail to avoid spoilers. This man has led a monumental important and fascinating life, and this autobiography should be widely read.
But it is still quite worthy of five stars, because the writing is lovely and the story is un-frickin-believable.
Clarence Jones is - or should be regarded - as a hero of the civil rights movement. As MLK's attorney, close friend and traveling companion, he wrote the first half of the Dream speech, smuggled the letter out of the Birmingham jail, and spent years at the epicenter of the movement. If that were all, this would be an incredible book. But that's NOT all. He's childhood - growing up in an orphanage, despite have two loving parents - his time in the military, his rise as a lawyer, his relationship with Malcolm X, and his reaction to Memphis all are riveting. And he was just get started.
Jones, now 92 and still writing, teaching, and lecturing, also was there for the Attica riots, the Rumble in the Jungle, the birth of modern finance, and more I won't detail to avoid spoilers. This man has led a monumental important and fascinating life, and this autobiography should be widely read.
October 31, 2023
What a compelling book! So glad Clarence decided to write his memoir. I'm glad I happened to see it in the city library.
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January 14, 2024Free press
June 24, 2024
Clarence Jones’s autobiography Last of Lions is extremely well written . It reads like a great novel. I encourage every American to read it. Mr. Jones is an American hero in every regard . I will walk with him. However I will not let him walk all over me. I look forward to his next book about the future and how he suggests we solve THE issue of our times Race Relations in America.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews