Adam Clayton Powell

Adam Clayton “A.C.” Powell IV (born Adam Clayton Powell Diago; in 1962) is an American politician from the state of New York who has been active in city and state government and has sought election to the United States Congress. He is a member of the Democratic Party and is a member of the prominent Powell family of Harlem; he is the son of Adam Clayton Powell III and the grandson of Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who served as a Representative from New York in the United States Congress from 1945 to 1971. His grandfather, a leading figure in mid‑twentieth‑century politics and civil rights, served 13 terms in the House of Representatives, during which he contributed to the legislative process and represented the interests of his New York constituents during a significant period in American history.

Born in 1962, Powell was raised in the political and cultural milieu shaped by his family’s longstanding involvement in Harlem public life. Growing up in New York, he was exposed early to the issues of urban governance, civil rights, and community advocacy that had defined his grandfather’s congressional career and his family’s public service. This environment helped shape his interest in politics and public affairs and laid the foundation for his later pursuit of elected office in New York City and New York State.

Powell’s early professional and political activities culminated in his election to the New York City Council in the early 1990s. From 1992 to 1997, he served as a New York City Council Member representing East Harlem and parts of the Upper West Side and the South Bronx. In this capacity, he participated in municipal legislative deliberations affecting housing, public safety, education, and social services in some of the city’s most diverse and historically significant neighborhoods. His tenure on the Council placed him in direct contact with the day‑to‑day concerns of his constituents and provided him with experience in navigating the complexities of New York City government.

Building on his municipal service, Powell sought and won election to the New York State Assembly. Beginning in 2001, he represented the 68th Assembly District, which includes parts of Harlem and East Harlem. As a member of the New York State Assembly from 2001 to 2010, he took part in the state legislative process, addressing issues of importance to his district and to New York State more broadly. During his time in Albany, he worked within the Democratic caucus on matters such as urban development, education, health care, and economic opportunity, continuing the Powell family’s association with advocacy for Harlem and surrounding communities.

Powell’s state legislative career coincided with his effort to follow his grandfather into the federal legislature. In 2010, he sought the Democratic nomination for the United States House of Representatives from New York’s 15th Congressional District, a seat long associated with Harlem representation in Congress. He entered the Democratic primary challenging incumbent Representative Charles B. Rangel. In that contest, Powell was defeated by Charles Rangel in the 2010 Democratic primary for the seat of the 15th Congressional District; he lost to Rangel in the primary for the 15th district and therefore did not advance to the general election.

Although he did not attain federal office, Powell’s career reflects a continuation of his family’s engagement in public service at the local and state levels. Through his work on the New York City Council and in the New York State Assembly, he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents in East Harlem, Harlem, and adjacent neighborhoods, extending the Powell legacy of political involvement in New York into the early twenty‑first century.