Eugene Williams: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
(updated) |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Eugene Williams''' | '''Eugene Williams''' (1933-2022) was a civil rights and housing activist. | ||
==Early Life== | |||
== | |||
Williams was born on November 6, 1927 in Charlottesville as the oldest son of Septemia and Tom Williams. In 1949 he married Lorraine Payne of Ivy and together they had two daughters, Karol Lorraine and Scheryl Eugenia. <ref name="proclamation">{{cite web|title=City Council Proclamation for Eugene Williams November 6, 2017|url=http://www.cvillepedia.org/mediawiki/index.php/File:20171106-Eugene-Williams-Proclamation.pdf|author=|work=|publisher=City of Charlottesville|location=|publishdate=November 6, 2017|accessdate=Novemeber 10, 2017}}</ref> | Williams was born on November 6, 1927 in Charlottesville as the oldest son of Septemia and Tom Williams. In 1949 he married Lorraine Payne of Ivy and together they had two daughters, Karol Lorraine and Scheryl Eugenia. <ref name="proclamation">{{cite web|title=City Council Proclamation for Eugene Williams November 6, 2017|url=http://www.cvillepedia.org/mediawiki/index.php/File:20171106-Eugene-Williams-Proclamation.pdf|author=|work=|publisher=City of Charlottesville|location=|publishdate=November 6, 2017|accessdate=Novemeber 10, 2017}}</ref> | ||
Williams attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. <ref name="proclamation" /> He served in the United States Air Force and worked as a district manager for the [[Richmond Beneficial Insurance Company]], located at 400 Commerce Street in the [[Starr Hill neighborhood]].<ref>{{cite-hook|title=A long and winding road: City residents recall integration battles|url=http://www.readthehook.com/files/old/stories/2004/04/08/COVER%20massive%20resistance3.2.html|author=Lisa Provence|pageno=|printno=#0314|printdate=|publishdate=April 8, 2004|accessdate=November 10, 2017}}</ref> | Williams attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. <ref name="proclamation" /> He served in the United States Air Force and worked as a district manager for the [[Richmond Beneficial Insurance Company]], located at 400 Commerce Street in the [[Starr Hill neighborhood]].<ref>{{cite-hook|title=A long and winding road: City residents recall integration battles|url=http://www.readthehook.com/files/old/stories/2004/04/08/COVER%20massive%20resistance3.2.html|author=Lisa Provence|pageno=|printno=#0314|printdate=|publishdate=April 8, 2004|accessdate=November 10, 2017}}</ref> | ||
== Efforts towards Integration == | |||
He became president of the Charlottesville NAACP in 1955, a year when membership grew from 65 to 1500. Williams and his wife, Lorraine, spearheaded the 1955 lawsuit to integrate [[City of Charlottesville Public Schools|Charlottesville public schools]].<ref>Web. [https://wset.com/news/local/lorraine-and-eugene-williams-a-civil-rights-power-couple Lorraine and Eugene Williams: A Civil Rights Power Couple], McKenzie, Bryan, abc13 News, 24 September, 2017, retrieved 16 June, 2022. </ref> In response, the state government shut down public schools and white families fled to white-only private schools. This lawsuit also ultimately enabled his third-grade daughter Scheryl Williams to attend [[Johnson Elementary School]] in 1960.<ref name="hook">{{cite-hook|title=Tectonic shift: Eugene Williams loosens his tie|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421041619/http://www.readthehook.com/85575/cover-tectonic-shift-eugene-williams-loosens-his-tie|author=Lisa Provence|pageno=|printno=#0614|printdate=|publishdate=April 5, 2007|accessdate=November 10, 2017}}</ref> Williams’ daughters integrated two formerly white high schools after schools were forcibly reopened in 1962. | |||
== Impact on Charlottesville == | |||
In 1980, Williams bought and renovated 62 housing units, with the intention of making housing affordable for all Charlottesville residents.<ref name="hook" /> His [[Dogwood Housing Limited Partnership]] (1980-2007) was heavily supported by Mayor Huja, who appreciated that Williams was doing what the city could not.<ref name="hook" /> Two other real estate partnerships included AEW LLC and Five-Eleven Associates.<ref name="proclamation" /> Until his death, Williams was an advocate for the teaching of Black history.<ref>Web. [https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/activist-arrested-over-removal-of-a-slave-auction-plaque-in-charlottesville/ Activist Arrested Over Removal of a Slave Auction Plaque in Charlottesville], Fortin, Jacey, The Seattle Times, 12 February, 2020, retrieved 16 June, 2022. </ref> Charlottesville City Council later honored Williams by declaring November 6, 2017 as Eugene Williams Day.<ref name="proclamation" /><ref>{{Cite-cville|url=https://www.c-ville.com/eugene-williams-day|title=It’s Eugene Williams Day|author=Lisa Provence|date=6 November, 2017|accessdate=16 June, 2022}}</ref> The Virginia General Assembly also honored Williams with a commendation in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=House Joint Resolution 743|url=https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?151+ful+HJ743ER|author=|work=|publisher=Virginia General Assembly|location=|publishdate=|accessdate=November 10, 2017}}</ref> | |||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
Revision as of 23:57, 21 June 2022
Eugene Williams (1933-2022) was a civil rights and housing activist.
Early Life
Williams was born on November 6, 1927 in Charlottesville as the oldest son of Septemia and Tom Williams. In 1949 he married Lorraine Payne of Ivy and together they had two daughters, Karol Lorraine and Scheryl Eugenia. [1]
Williams attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. [1] He served in the United States Air Force and worked as a district manager for the Richmond Beneficial Insurance Company, located at 400 Commerce Street in the Starr Hill neighborhood.[2]
Efforts towards Integration
He became president of the Charlottesville NAACP in 1955, a year when membership grew from 65 to 1500. Williams and his wife, Lorraine, spearheaded the 1955 lawsuit to integrate Charlottesville public schools.[3] In response, the state government shut down public schools and white families fled to white-only private schools. This lawsuit also ultimately enabled his third-grade daughter Scheryl Williams to attend Johnson Elementary School in 1960.[4] Williams’ daughters integrated two formerly white high schools after schools were forcibly reopened in 1962.
Impact on Charlottesville
In 1980, Williams bought and renovated 62 housing units, with the intention of making housing affordable for all Charlottesville residents.[4] His Dogwood Housing Limited Partnership (1980-2007) was heavily supported by Mayor Huja, who appreciated that Williams was doing what the city could not.[4] Two other real estate partnerships included AEW LLC and Five-Eleven Associates.[1] Until his death, Williams was an advocate for the teaching of Black history.[5] Charlottesville City Council later honored Williams by declaring November 6, 2017 as Eugene Williams Day.[1][6] The Virginia General Assembly also honored Williams with a commendation in 2015.[7]
External Links
Interview with Eugene Williams about civil rights, provided by the UVA Library
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Web. City Council Proclamation for Eugene Williams November 6, 2017, City of Charlottesville, November 6, 2017, retrieved Novemeber 10, 2017.
- ↑ Web. A long and winding road: City residents recall integration battles, Lisa Provence, The Hook, Better Publications LLC, April 8, 2004, retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ↑ Web. Lorraine and Eugene Williams: A Civil Rights Power Couple, McKenzie, Bryan, abc13 News, 24 September, 2017, retrieved 16 June, 2022.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Web. Tectonic shift: Eugene Williams loosens his tie, Lisa Provence, The Hook, Better Publications LLC, April 5, 2007, retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ↑ Web. Activist Arrested Over Removal of a Slave Auction Plaque in Charlottesville, Fortin, Jacey, The Seattle Times, 12 February, 2020, retrieved 16 June, 2022.
- ↑ Web. It’s Eugene Williams Day, Lisa Provence, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, 6 November, 2017, retrieved 16 June, 2022.
- ↑ Web. House Joint Resolution 743, Virginia General Assembly, retrieved November 10, 2017.
|
This is a featured article. Learn more about Charlottesville's 250th Anniversary in cvillepedia. |