Born to a middle-class family in 1908, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was educated in the New York City public school systems, and later attended Colgate University. As a young man, he was concerned about the lack of employment for blacks in large corporations and in public facilities such as hospitals. He worked hard to integrate blacks in those areas and was particularly instrumental in helping many blacks find employment in Harlem.

Powell, succeeded his father Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., as pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, when the elder Powell retired in 1937. A flamboyant figure, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., was elected to the New York City Council in 1941. Two years later as he journeyed to Washington, D.C. to represent his community, he came face-to-face with the very discriminatory practices he fought against. Powell challenged these practices and encouraged his staff to follow suit.

Powell became a powerful congressman and an advocate for the poor. While in Congress, Powell sponsored several important legislation including the Minimum Wage Bill, the Manpower Development and Training Act, the Juvenile Delinquency Act, the Anti-Poverty Bill and several others that ultimately benefited not just blacks, but the poor, the underserved, and the underemployed. In 1970, Powell lost his seat to Rep. Charles Rangel by a narrow margin. Two years later, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., died in Miami.