Dr. Clarence B. Jones, the longtime speechwriter and confidant of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will be the guest of honor at Westport’s 18th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is a partnership between the Library, TEAM Westport, the Westport Country Playhouse, and the Westport/Weston Interfaith Clergy and Council.

Dr. Jones served as legal counsel, strategic advisor, and draft speechwriter to King from 1960 until King’s assassination in 1968. He is credited with writing the first seven paragraphs of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, one of the most iconic and enduring addresses in American history.

Dr. Jones was an integral member of the Civil Rights movement, one of the few privy to King’s decision-making processes and who shared in his political struggles. According to Jones’ official bio, Vanity Fair called him the man who kept King’s secrets. In addition, Jones engaged with many of the leaders of the Black liberation movement, serving as a liaison between King and Malcolm X, James Baldwin, and Robert F. Kennedy, among others.