Clara Stanton Jones: Stirring the Waters in the Detroit Public Library

Clara Stanton Jones rose to prominence in 1970 when she was appointed executive director at the Detroit Public Library. She became the first Black woman to become director of a major public library system. Although her appointment was surrounded by much controversy, Jones served seven years as director and went on to make significant contributions to not only the Detroit Public Library system, but also to the profession, including becoming president of the American Library Association and an activist against racism and sexism. Black Feminist Theory purports to be a form of empowerment to create new ways of critically analyzing inequities and social challenges faced by Black women. This paper investigates this phenomenon by exploring the professional career of Jones from a Black feminist perspective.