When Hansen Clarke was in third grade, an observant teacher recognized his artistic ability and urged his mother Thelma to provide him with lessons. Private lessons were out of the question on his mother's salary, but being a resourceful person, she was able to arrange for the Detroit Institute of Arts to pay for the lessons through a grant. Clarke's hard work and innate artistic ability eventually lead to a scholarship offer from Cornell University. By his senior year at Cornell, Clarke decided to set aside his art to pursue a profession in law. After graduating from Georgetown Law School and passing the bar, Clarke returned to Detroit where his career has been on a rapid rise. He was elected three times to the Michigan House of Representatives. In 2002, he was elected to the Michigan State Senate by defeating an incumbent.
Today, Clarke has come full circle. After being away from his craft for eighteen years, he recently returned to his painting. Recently, he donated a painting to COTS (the Coalition On Temporary Shelter), a program that houses the homeless, addresses their needs and supports them in moving from homelessness to housing and stability. Senator Clarke is also setting up a scholarship fund that will help send disadvantaged inner city youths to a college prep school. Named after his mother, the Thelma Clarke Opportunity Program is his way of giving back to society. "That's what makes this country so great. We have an opportunity to invest in one another."
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