Principal Mamie Williams

Local legend still lives the fight for civil rights

• PRINT
• EMAIL

Mamie Williams works with second grade piano student Molly H. during an after school program in January. (Photo by Kelly Allbright)

Mamie Williams remembers exactly where she was and how she felt the day civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. On April 4, 1968 Williams was a teacher at Carver High School in Midland, Texas.

“Students and teachers were astounded, saddened, and angry about the death of Martin Luther King Jr.,” Williams said in a recent interview with Scholastic News. Williams spoke to Scholastic from her home in Midland, Texas, for a series of articles honoring Black History Month.

King’s death had a profound affect on Williams. She said she personally felt lost and degraded, but it helped her become determined to succeed.

The tragedy also inspired her to set goals to help others less fortunate than herself. She says she was blessed with parents who encouraged her to do her best. She realized, even then, that not everyone had the same opportunities as she did.

After growing up in Peoria, Illinois, Williams went to college at Virginia Union University where she received her bachelor’s degree. She then attended West Virginia University where she earned a master’s degree in English Literature.

After college, Mrs. Williams worked in a small city in Virginia before moving to Midland to teach. She taught at an all black high school. She saw that the black schools did not have the same advantages as the all white schools.

“In Peoria, Illinois, the schools were not segregated. It was much different than teaching in Texas,” Williams said.

Williams has dedicated her life to educating children of all ethnicities. After teaching for many years, Williams became a school principal. Now retired, she teaches piano classes in the piano technology lab four days a week after school. One day a week she teaches recorder lessons. She provides private lessons for her class students.

The fight for Civil Rights is not over, according to Williams. She would like to see parents, educators and community resources come together to help all students to be successful, respectful, self disciplined, and determined to succeed.

“We have a long way to go, but we shall overcome,” she said.

JOIN A DISCUSSION

What does Black History Month mean to you? Join a discussion.

Black History Month

Celebrate Black History Month with Scholastic News Online! Learn more about African-American leaders and their contributions.

Marisa Gonzales is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

Black History Month:Former San Francisco Mayor
The First African-American Mayor of San Francisco, California, Willie Brown is an inspirational figure around the nation. The 73-year-old lawyer recently sat down with Scholastic News to talk about his life as a politician and as a prominent African-American leader.

Black History Month: Former Mayor of St. Louis
Freeman Bosley Jr. is a hero to the families who lived near the flood waters of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1993, the river flooded. Bosley moved 10,000 people from their homes to safer locations. The region was declared a disaster area, which created an uproar. Two days later, the water engulfed and destroyed the homes.

Black History Month: Education Leader Jesse Adams Jr.
I recently interviewed one of Lumberton, New Jersey's local black leaders, Jesse Adams Jr., for Black History Month. We met in the perfect setting. Adams, a member of the Lumberton Board of Education for more than 14 years, arranged to have the interview in the middle school I attend.

LESSON PLAN	Taking a Stand with Rosa Parks Provides an opportunity for students to respond to Rosa Parks' experience in writing
UNIT PLAN	Black History in America Students learn about the African-American experience through interviews, historical sketches, interactives, and lessons.
ONLINE ACTIVITY	Culture & Change: Black History in America Learn about African-American history with our collection of online activities that explore the lives of Rosa Parks, Melba Beals Pattillo, and...