The center’s board of directors and community committee selected Clarke for the award to honor his “outstanding work down through the years in helping and elevating the citizens of our community,” wrote the center’s founder, the Rev. Jerry Louder, in a letter to Clarke.

Clarke, whose father was the first African-American city councilman in Riverside, said he was honored by the recognition but gave all the credit to his parents.

“It is gratifying to know that the teachings of my mother and father will be well-recognized,” Clarke said. “I see it more as a reflection of what they taught me than of myself.”

Clarke is known as much for his talents in the courtroom as he is for devoting countless hours to organizations that benefit Riverside and the community at large.  The Black Voice News recently named Clarke among the 37 “community builders” committed to making the Inland region a better place to live.
 

Clarke is perhaps best known for being the first African-American to chair the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce and for chairing the Mayor’s Use-of-Force Review Panel in 1999 following the police shooting death of Tyisha Miller in Riverside. And more recently, he was asked to volunteer on the executive board of the Highlander Athletics Association, aimed at reviving UC Riverside athletics through community support.

At BB&K, Clarke specializes in education law, special education disputes and public agency litigation. Recently, he successfully defended Jurupa Valley Unified School District before U.S. District Judge George H. King, who dismissed a lawsuit filed by trustee Noreen Considine that had challenged the district's handling of confidential student records.

Clarke will receive his award at the center’s annual Spirit of Greatness Awards banquet.
 

Where: Raincross Square Convention Center, 3443 Orange St., Riverside

When: 7 p.m., Sept. 10

Details: Log on to the ROC Web site.