A Tribute to Alexander the Great, Clifford Alexander Jr. That Is!

A Tribute to Alexander the Great, Clifford Alexander Jr. That Is! Judson L. Jeffries Despite being the country’s first African American secretary of the Army and one of Black America’s unsung heroes, news of Clifford Alexander’s passing last summer mirrored that of his life. Sure, both the Times and the Post covered his death, but not in a manner commensurate with his impact. This was undoubtedly due to the fact that unlike some public figures who seek the spotlight and crave the notoriety, Alexander was a fairly low-key figure whose persona and work were not draped in fanfare and hoopla. He flew under the radar, even when he held high-profile positions. He just went to work and got the job done, but make no mistake, Alexander was a giant in American history and a great Omega man. Because Alexander did not pen an autobiography nor has any scholar or journalist seen fit to capture his life in a book-length manuscript, few people realize the full measure of Alexander’s historical imprint. For example, few people probably realize the degree to which his behind closed-door efforts as an advisor to President Lyndon Baines Johnson on civil rights helped bring about the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Outspoken, but not obstinate; stern, but not irascible, Alexander was, however, an unwavering champion of diversity and an unrelenting advocate for justice and equality for all, especially on behalf of those who looked like him. As a teen attending the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, big things were expected of Alexander, and he didn’t disappoint. A native New Yorker, Alexander was the first African American elected president of the student council at Harvard College, from which he graduated with honors. Three years later he finished law school at Yale University. Immediately upon graduating, Alexander enlisted in the New York National Guard and served with the 369th Field Artillery Battalion (aka the Harlem Hellfighters) at Fort Dix, New Jersey. As a young man Alexander was industrious [End Page 113] and an indefatigable worker, whether he was serving as (a) an assistant district attorney for New York County, (b) a foreign affairs officer on the National Security Council during the Kennedy administration, (c) executive director of Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited, or (d) chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), during which his activist approach positioned the EEOC as a prominent player in combating workplace discrimination. As EEOC chairman, he doggedly investigated the hiring practices of the nation’s businesses, particularly those of the motion picture and textile industries, where he pointed out the blatant discrimination against African Americans and the Latino/a community. Individual companies and labor unions were not let off the hook either, as they too found themselves in his crosshairs. Because he believed in transparency, Alexander always aired the EEOC’s findings during public hearings. Still, it was his tenure as secretary of the Army for which he is best known. Forty-three years old at the time of his appointment, the 6’3” solidly built Alexander was an impressive figure who moved with the grace and dignity of a veteran statesman. Friends considered him mild-mannered, yet, as already alluded to, Alexander was not afraid to criticize public figures, even presidents, to which both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton can attest. He staunchly opposed the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, signing a statement calling for its repeal so that gays could serve openly, and years earlier he called into question the Nixon administration’s commitment to bringing about racial equality. As secretary of the Army Alexander’s responsibilities ranged from overseeing a $28.8 billion budget, to maintaining coordination between the Army’s military and civilian units, to housing, clothing, feeding, and, generally, providing for more than one million Army regulars, reservists, and National Guardsmen and women and nearly 400,000 civilian employees. On Valentine’s Day 1977, Alexander, again, an Omega man (Alpha Omega-Spring 1967), was sworn in by Federal Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, another Omega man (Rho Sigma-Spring 1945) as the 13th secretary of the Army, previously called the Secretary of War until 1947. Scholars can...