Synopsis "Officer Clemmons: A Memoir"
The intimate debut memoir by the man known to the world as Mister Rogers Neighborhoods Officer Clemmons, who made history as the first African American actor to have a recurring role on a childrens television program.When he created the role of Officer Clemmons on the award-winning television series Mister Rogers Neighborhood, François Clemmons made history as the first African American actor to have a recurring role on a childrens program. A new, wide world opened for Clemmonsbut one that also required him to make painful personal choices and sacrifices. Officer Clemmons details Clemmonss incredible life story, beginning with his early years in Alabama and Ohio, marked by family trauma and loss, through his studies as a music major at Oberlin College, where Clemmons began to investigate and embrace his homosexuality, to a chance encounter with Fred Rogers that changed the whole course of both mens lives, leading to a deep, spiritual friendship and mentorship spanning nearly forty years.From New York to Russia, Berlin to California, Grammy Awardwinner Clemmons has performed for audiences around the world and remains a beloved figure. Evocative and intimate, and buoyed by its authors own vivacious, inimitable energy, Officer Clemmons chronicles a historical and enlightening life and career of a man who has brought joy to millions of adults and children, across generations and borders.
