Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was born in New Haven, Connecticut, November 29, 1908. Born into privilege, Powell was the son of a prominent Baptist minister and a doting mother. Adam, Sr. pastored the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York. His congregation grew into one of the largest in the US. under his leadership.

Powell chose to follow in his father's footsteps and went into the ministry. As a young minister in the 1930's, he led picket lines and held mass meetings to make changes at Harlem Hospital, which had no Black doctors. He also started a relief program through the church, providing food, clothing and temporary jobs for thousands of Harlem's homeless and unemployed.

In 1941, Powell ran for a seat on the New York City Council. This was the start of one of Harlem's Black political legends. In 1961, Powell became chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor and began the most productive period of his congressional career. He worked to increase the minimum wage, provide education for the deaf, and institute student loans and standards for wages and work hours.

Powell was very vocal about the rights of the poor and desenfrancised . He was very flamboyant in his lifestyle and had to fight many battles to stay in congress.

In 1970, after 24 years of representing Harlem in congress, he was defeated by newcomer Charles Rangel by a 150 vote margin. He died in 1972 after complications from prostate surgery.