Georgia's 50 Most Influential Women For 2007 

Xernona Clayton

Executive Producer of the Trumpet Awards

Born in Oklahoma, Xernona is a civil rights leader and broadcasting executive.  During the Civil Rights Movement, she organized events for the SCLC under the direction of Martin Luther King and developed a deep friendship with his wife, Coretta.  A former Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan denounced the Klan due to Ms. Clayton's persistent fight for human rights.  In 1968, she became the first African American woman to host a daily prime-time talk show, the Xernona Clayton Show.  In 1993, in concert with her employer, Turner Broadcasting, she created the Trumpet Awards to honor exceptional African Americans.

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