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King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Claton Powell, Jr.
Discusses Powell's childhood in Harlem, his tenure in politics, and his crusades against poverty and racism
496 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 22, 2012
In the rush to lionize departed heroes of any struggle, there are often those whose contributions are overlooked. Such has been the case with Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. While two generations of Americans have been inspired by the brilliance and grieved at the martyrdom of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, Adam Clayton Powell may have been the single individual most responsible for much of the civil rights legislation that now impacts our lives. Wil Haygood has produced an impressive biography which thoroughly chronicles the history not only of one man but, in fact, a sizable portion of twentieth century American history.
To say that Powell was brilliant and a charismatic leader does not begin to define the man whose life spanned the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights movement and the Black Power Movement. That he was also flamboyant and often skated perilously close to the edge of ethics violations says less about the man than it does about the culture of political life at every level. In the final analysis, it is Powell's incredible effectiveness as a representative of his constituents that Haygood's biography underscores.
Adam, Jr., was the grandson of a slave and the son of the pastor of the great Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem, a church whose pulpit he ascended at age twenty-nine. It was from that pulpit that he announced his vision for Harlem and from which he launched his political career. Educated at Colgate in upstate New York, he showed early promise as a "politician-in-training." Using his position in the Harlem community and his personal magnetism, he was elected a New York City councilman. His work behind-the-scenes was an essential element in the creation of the Harlem congressional district in 1941. In 1944, Powell was elected the first congressman from the district of Harlem, an office he held, almost unchallenged, for three decades.
During his thirty-year political career, he supported, prodded and exasperated several presidents and his fellow congressmen with equal energy. As the chairman of the powerful Education and Labor Committee of the House under Lyndon Johnson, Powell was a driving force behind much of the legislation then known as the War on Poverty.
It was not mere talent and charm that made him effective, he worked at it. Every year he traveled to Europe to participate in the World Parliamentarians for World Government, an organization that studies the most effective methods to get legislation passed. Powell served as vice president of the organization. Getting legislation passed was what Adam Clayton Powell did best - he had over four dozen bills to his credit. Among his successes was the Economic Opportunity Act creating the Office of Economic Opportunity, which developed a huge collection of programs, including Head Start, Upward Bound, the Job Corps, programs for women, children, Native Americans and dozens of others.
His personal life was turbulent: his enormous charm and good looks made him irresistible to a great many women, three of whom he married. His second wife was the brilliant jazz musician, Hazel Scott. Haygood's biography pulls no punches reporting that aspect of Powell's life. It is hard for us to imagine, in this day of relentless media scrutiny, how a man could hold public office while leading such a tempestuous private life. And it was not Adam Powell's romantic involvements that finally brought him down.
His troubles began with a tax indictment and a libel suit brought by a numbers-runner. Powell would not pay the money awarded in the suit brought by Esther James, a woman with a long history of involvement in criminal activities, because he knew - as did most of the police - that his accusations of her numbers-running were accurate. It was his refusal to pay that ultimately led to his losing his seat in Congress, a seat which he regained in a seven-to-one decision from the Supreme Court.
Powell was ultimately beaten in an election and died in 1972 at the age of 63. He died on the fourth anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., prompting comparisons between the two. Powell's life was seen by many to have been less admirable because of the openness of his moral shortcomings, but those who knew his legislative record saw him as a pivotal player in the civil rights movement and the political ferment of mid-twentieth century America.
Haygood is an exemplary biographer, if a sometimes awkward writer. This book is thoroughly documented and provides a substantial bibliography. It might have been useful to have a listing of the legislation that Powell authored or was instrumental in getting passed. This biography may very well become an important part of the core resources for students of American history, but it is also fine entertainment for those of us who enjoy a good, meaty story of an impressive man's life.
To say that Powell was brilliant and a charismatic leader does not begin to define the man whose life spanned the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights movement and the Black Power Movement. That he was also flamboyant and often skated perilously close to the edge of ethics violations says less about the man than it does about the culture of political life at every level. In the final analysis, it is Powell's incredible effectiveness as a representative of his constituents that Haygood's biography underscores.
Adam, Jr., was the grandson of a slave and the son of the pastor of the great Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem, a church whose pulpit he ascended at age twenty-nine. It was from that pulpit that he announced his vision for Harlem and from which he launched his political career. Educated at Colgate in upstate New York, he showed early promise as a "politician-in-training." Using his position in the Harlem community and his personal magnetism, he was elected a New York City councilman. His work behind-the-scenes was an essential element in the creation of the Harlem congressional district in 1941. In 1944, Powell was elected the first congressman from the district of Harlem, an office he held, almost unchallenged, for three decades.
During his thirty-year political career, he supported, prodded and exasperated several presidents and his fellow congressmen with equal energy. As the chairman of the powerful Education and Labor Committee of the House under Lyndon Johnson, Powell was a driving force behind much of the legislation then known as the War on Poverty.
It was not mere talent and charm that made him effective, he worked at it. Every year he traveled to Europe to participate in the World Parliamentarians for World Government, an organization that studies the most effective methods to get legislation passed. Powell served as vice president of the organization. Getting legislation passed was what Adam Clayton Powell did best - he had over four dozen bills to his credit. Among his successes was the Economic Opportunity Act creating the Office of Economic Opportunity, which developed a huge collection of programs, including Head Start, Upward Bound, the Job Corps, programs for women, children, Native Americans and dozens of others.
His personal life was turbulent: his enormous charm and good looks made him irresistible to a great many women, three of whom he married. His second wife was the brilliant jazz musician, Hazel Scott. Haygood's biography pulls no punches reporting that aspect of Powell's life. It is hard for us to imagine, in this day of relentless media scrutiny, how a man could hold public office while leading such a tempestuous private life. And it was not Adam Powell's romantic involvements that finally brought him down.
His troubles began with a tax indictment and a libel suit brought by a numbers-runner. Powell would not pay the money awarded in the suit brought by Esther James, a woman with a long history of involvement in criminal activities, because he knew - as did most of the police - that his accusations of her numbers-running were accurate. It was his refusal to pay that ultimately led to his losing his seat in Congress, a seat which he regained in a seven-to-one decision from the Supreme Court.
Powell was ultimately beaten in an election and died in 1972 at the age of 63. He died on the fourth anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., prompting comparisons between the two. Powell's life was seen by many to have been less admirable because of the openness of his moral shortcomings, but those who knew his legislative record saw him as a pivotal player in the civil rights movement and the political ferment of mid-twentieth century America.
Haygood is an exemplary biographer, if a sometimes awkward writer. This book is thoroughly documented and provides a substantial bibliography. It might have been useful to have a listing of the legislation that Powell authored or was instrumental in getting passed. This biography may very well become an important part of the core resources for students of American history, but it is also fine entertainment for those of us who enjoy a good, meaty story of an impressive man's life.
March 22, 2020
I have heard and been familiar with the name Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. for some time now. I knew he was the famed pastor of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem as well as an, what many would call, an infamous congressman. However, throughout my learning, I’ve only heard scant ideas beyond those two facts. Rarely, do you see his name mentioned amongst the likes of other historic Black figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass, etc. So I was excited to read the biography of his life, King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., by Wil Haygood.
This book is truly a fascinating account of who Powell was as a man, as a minister, as a civil rights activist, and as a politician. It can be argued, pretty convincingly, that at one time Powell was the most powerful Black man in America. He dedicated his life to improving the lives of Black people in Harlem as well as all around the country. He navigated political back room dealings with a savvy unlike many of his contemporaries, Black or white. He produced passionate oratory that would lift the souls of those who had the privilege of being in his presence. He also seemed like kind of a jerk. He was arrogant. He could be condescending. He didn’t always model the morals or ethics of a man who was also the pastor of the largest Black congregation in America.
I was truly captivated by this biography. It is certainly a glowing expression of who Powell was, but it does not shy away from his indiscretions. One gets to read about his feelings for MLK, JFK, the NAACP, the women in his life, women in general, and more. I would certainly recommend this book if you’re interested in how a person navigated their way to power and to see what they reaped as a result of their actions. Powell is a man to be discussed more in our mentions of iconic figures in history.
This book is truly a fascinating account of who Powell was as a man, as a minister, as a civil rights activist, and as a politician. It can be argued, pretty convincingly, that at one time Powell was the most powerful Black man in America. He dedicated his life to improving the lives of Black people in Harlem as well as all around the country. He navigated political back room dealings with a savvy unlike many of his contemporaries, Black or white. He produced passionate oratory that would lift the souls of those who had the privilege of being in his presence. He also seemed like kind of a jerk. He was arrogant. He could be condescending. He didn’t always model the morals or ethics of a man who was also the pastor of the largest Black congregation in America.
I was truly captivated by this biography. It is certainly a glowing expression of who Powell was, but it does not shy away from his indiscretions. One gets to read about his feelings for MLK, JFK, the NAACP, the women in his life, women in general, and more. I would certainly recommend this book if you’re interested in how a person navigated their way to power and to see what they reaped as a result of their actions. Powell is a man to be discussed more in our mentions of iconic figures in history.
July 22, 2016
This is kind of a weak four stars. It's surprising that there have not been more biographies written on the eventful life if Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Haywood writes a rather admiring version, which is helpful in explaining what the powerful politician meant to his constituents in Harlem. It is a remarkable, colorful story of a larger than life figure. Powell was vilified in his later career, including an ouster from the House of Representatives which flew in the face of his overwhelming election victory. (He was reinstated by means of a Supreme Court decision). The negative publicity overshadowed his remarkable accomplishments on behalf of his people. It's a story of power, greed, threats, deals, race, sex and money and a figure of outsized charisma.
Haygood's story could benefit from tighter editing. For example, he writes that the Fifteenth Amendment gave the vote to black men and women. Women of any race were not enfranchised for decades to come. He does not address where the money financing his international high lifestyle came from. The complex cast of characters in New York politics could have been identified more carefully.
Nevertheless, it is quite a story and a life worth recounting. Powell was the grandson of a slave, and he rose to be the most powerful African American of his time. I do not think that this will be the definitive biography.
Haygood's story could benefit from tighter editing. For example, he writes that the Fifteenth Amendment gave the vote to black men and women. Women of any race were not enfranchised for decades to come. He does not address where the money financing his international high lifestyle came from. The complex cast of characters in New York politics could have been identified more carefully.
Nevertheless, it is quite a story and a life worth recounting. Powell was the grandson of a slave, and he rose to be the most powerful African American of his time. I do not think that this will be the definitive biography.
June 18, 2019
Mr. Haygood has provided a detailed, well researched account of one of history’s most impressive men whose life still resonates the rippling efforts of change on American history. This is the stuff that students should be informed of in school. Mr. Haywood’s writing is equally powerful. I have already ordered another one of his books.
July 20, 2021
This is a generally sympathetic but by no means uncritical bio of Powell.
I had known the bare bones: Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist, eventual Congressman, the expulsion and the Supreme Court case, and something of the womanizing.
This gives a good background to most of that:
Powell's grooming to succeed him in the pulpit by his dad;
Running for city council first, after proportional representation was established;
Then, on to Congress, once he pushed for a Harlem-friendly district to be created;
Details of his time in Congress — the good, the bad, and the ugly, with the bad including likely payroll padding, personal junkets on the Congressional dime and other things. But? White Congresscritters had already been doing this. Haygood notes that, when the case reached the Supreme Court, Earl Warren indicated to the House's lawyers that he thought it was about race, very much. (I think it was, from some Members of Congress; besides, Warren's ruling was right on the Constitutional merits.)
That said, the junketing was arguably among the worst in Congress, and his absenteeism, it seems by Haygood's painting, was as bad as Jack Kennedy's. Add in that he was facing the remnants of a libel suit that was self-inflicted back in NYC and he probably should have pulled his horns in sooner.
That's especially because of all the good he did after becoming chair of the Labor and Education Committee, especially after LBJ became president.
===
There are a couple of minor errors, and two larger issues that Haygood didn't really deal with that make this not perfect, even though five-starred.
The errors are tiny. Fort Huachuca is misspelled and Wayne Morse was not from Oregon.
There is one larger error. Haygood says that Powell was of German background on the white side of his father's family. Wiki notes that while Powell Sr's mother may indeed been asserted to have been enslaved by a white man named Llewellyn Powell, and he the father of Adam Sr., both the first and last names are very much associated with Welsh ancestry and really not at all with German ancestry. Also note the start of the previous sentence. Specifically mentioning Haygood and this book, Wiki says there's no documentary evidence for that. In fact, it says that Powell Sr.'s mother refused to ever divulge his father's name. To me, per what's on Wiki, it seems likely that William Bush, the man she married two years after Adam Sr.'s birth, and also identified as mulatto, was Adam Sr's father.
So, why did this "local legend" start? And when? Given that Powell Jr. himself regularly played off it, how much did he encourage it? And, although Haygood notes Jr's propensity for finding the darkest-skinned Black in a room and identifying with that person, nonetheless, was this claim to Germanness (remember "Kultur" before WWII and especially before WWI) a self-promotion, too? Haygood doesn't address that at all. I don't know if a newer biography does.
The issues? Powell claimed that, at a fairly young age, his dad taught him pretty much everything about the birds and the bees. OK, that said, without being too voyeuristic and noting this bio is about the son, did Powell Sr. also have a wandering Jones? We're not told.
Second, while Haygood does note that Powell was often out the outs with the NAACP, then, after King formed it, the SCLC, he doesn't tell us exactly when Vietnam entered his radar. I get the feeling it wasn't as an early bird. So, was this, too, political opportunism?
These things aside, if you've heard Powell's name but don't know much more, this is a very good read.
I had known the bare bones: Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist, eventual Congressman, the expulsion and the Supreme Court case, and something of the womanizing.
This gives a good background to most of that:
Powell's grooming to succeed him in the pulpit by his dad;
Running for city council first, after proportional representation was established;
Then, on to Congress, once he pushed for a Harlem-friendly district to be created;
Details of his time in Congress — the good, the bad, and the ugly, with the bad including likely payroll padding, personal junkets on the Congressional dime and other things. But? White Congresscritters had already been doing this. Haygood notes that, when the case reached the Supreme Court, Earl Warren indicated to the House's lawyers that he thought it was about race, very much. (I think it was, from some Members of Congress; besides, Warren's ruling was right on the Constitutional merits.)
That said, the junketing was arguably among the worst in Congress, and his absenteeism, it seems by Haygood's painting, was as bad as Jack Kennedy's. Add in that he was facing the remnants of a libel suit that was self-inflicted back in NYC and he probably should have pulled his horns in sooner.
That's especially because of all the good he did after becoming chair of the Labor and Education Committee, especially after LBJ became president.
===
There are a couple of minor errors, and two larger issues that Haygood didn't really deal with that make this not perfect, even though five-starred.
The errors are tiny. Fort Huachuca is misspelled and Wayne Morse was not from Oregon.
There is one larger error. Haygood says that Powell was of German background on the white side of his father's family. Wiki notes that while Powell Sr's mother may indeed been asserted to have been enslaved by a white man named Llewellyn Powell, and he the father of Adam Sr., both the first and last names are very much associated with Welsh ancestry and really not at all with German ancestry. Also note the start of the previous sentence. Specifically mentioning Haygood and this book, Wiki says there's no documentary evidence for that. In fact, it says that Powell Sr.'s mother refused to ever divulge his father's name. To me, per what's on Wiki, it seems likely that William Bush, the man she married two years after Adam Sr.'s birth, and also identified as mulatto, was Adam Sr's father.
So, why did this "local legend" start? And when? Given that Powell Jr. himself regularly played off it, how much did he encourage it? And, although Haygood notes Jr's propensity for finding the darkest-skinned Black in a room and identifying with that person, nonetheless, was this claim to Germanness (remember "Kultur" before WWII and especially before WWI) a self-promotion, too? Haygood doesn't address that at all. I don't know if a newer biography does.
The issues? Powell claimed that, at a fairly young age, his dad taught him pretty much everything about the birds and the bees. OK, that said, without being too voyeuristic and noting this bio is about the son, did Powell Sr. also have a wandering Jones? We're not told.
Second, while Haygood does note that Powell was often out the outs with the NAACP, then, after King formed it, the SCLC, he doesn't tell us exactly when Vietnam entered his radar. I get the feeling it wasn't as an early bird. So, was this, too, political opportunism?
These things aside, if you've heard Powell's name but don't know much more, this is a very good read.
May 12, 2018
Was Clayton an opportunistic spectator, or progressive instigator to social change? It seems to me from this detailed, encompassing biography a blend of the two from the flashy Harlem politician who coined the phrase "Black Power" at his 1966, May Howard Univ. speech. Chameleon-like, he stumped for Eisenhower and allied with LBJ; anything to advance his profile and advance integration for African-Americans. Clayton's career with the two major parties covered a transformative, post-Reconstruction era when the GOP traded Teddy Roosevelt-era progressivism to buck change and the Democrats fractions into the recalcitrant Southern Dixiecrats and a radicalizable norther arm of the party. Along the way, Clayton chased skirts and photo ops in Europe, Africa, Puerto Rico (where he hoped statehood would advance him from the House of Representatives to the Senate), and Bimini where he hunkered down battling ethics violations instead of representing his constituents. I do admire his pluck in taking on both The Mob and corrupt police in battling numbers rackets and other corruption in his district.
June 17, 2026
Great read about the life and times of Adam Clayton Powell. I read this when it was first published in the early 1990s.
June 1, 2011
Adam Clayton Powell has virtually disappeaared from recent dscussions of influential African-Americcan leaders.This book traces his llife and career.He was born with everything one needs to succeed in life.For a long time it looked as if he would do just that.His church was given to him by his father,but it wasn't enough. He entered politics,married three or four times,challenged all of the discrimination laws, fought with congress and several presidents. There was much that I knew already and plenty that I didn't. Adam clayton Powell deserves to be recognized for his accomplishments. Clearly noted and researched.
July 14, 2009
Love Adam Clayton Powell (he's one of my favorite historical characters) and wanted to love this book but couldn't. Great, juicy stories that really bring Powell to life and show him in his audacious, shining, smooth glory but just really awful, awkward writing.
June 15, 2013
What a larger than life person with a national treasure of a biographer. I somehow lucked out and got this book for $2 somewhere and have been reading it to write a feature about Mr. Haygood in advance of the publication/movie release of The Butler.
June 4, 2014
Lively account of a fascinating man -- a civil rights pioneer who tried to pass for white; a progressive who supported Republicans; a preacher's kid who was a womanizer -- ACP was a conundrum with wit and style. Great story.
September 21, 2012
A very good biography of Adam Clayton Powell. It really captures the story of his rise and fall in the context of the time prior to and during the Civil Rights movement.
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