MUSCATINE, Iowa — City of Muscatine officials will once again commemorate Alexander Clark Day following a proclamation signed and read by Mayor Brad Bark during the City Council meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 17).
The 2026 observance marks the 200th birthday of one of Muscatine’s most influential historical figures, Alexander Clark—a laborer, entrepreneur, lawyer, diplomat, and civil rights activist whose work shaped both local and state history.
“Clark became one of the most influential advocates for equality and justice in the history of this city and the state of Iowa,” Mayor Bark said while reading the proclamation. “He was a successful businessman and civic leader who dedicated his life to advancing opportunity and fairness for all people.”
Jay Brady, president of the Alexander Clark Foundation, accepted the proclamation on behalf of the organization, which works to preserve and promote Clark’s legacy as a civil rights leader.
“There is still a need to recognize and fight for equality for all,” Brady said. “We do that by recognizing each other as human beings and not using other labels such as race or other descriptions. We are all human beings, and we should all have civil rights.”
Clark is widely recognized as a pioneer in the fight for equal access to education. In 1868, a landmark decision by the Iowa Supreme Court upheld the right of his daughter, Susan Clark, to attend a public school in Muscatine. The ruling established that right for all Iowa children—86 years before school desegregation became national law in 1954—and is considered by many historians to be the first successful school desegregation case in the United States. Susan Clark later became the first Black graduate of an Iowa high school.
Clark’s Muscatine home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places during the U.S. Bicentennial era of the 1970s, recognizing its national historical significance.
His legacy continues through the Alexander Clark Lecture Series, established in 2010 to provide ongoing public programming that examines his life and impact through history, law, the arts, and civic dialogue.
This year’s lecture will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, at Muscatine Community College. Over the past 15 years, the series has featured historians, legal scholars, writers, educators, and artists whose work explores themes connected to Clark’s life and the continuing pursuit of justice and equality.
The 2026 program focuses on the power of storytelling during moments of personal and national reflection. Additional information is available through “We Tell Your Story” on the Eastern Iowa Community College website.