Every day this month, the Center for Black Educator Development, in partnership with Education Post and Philly’s 7th Ward, will highlight a Black Educator Hall of Famer.
But, don’t forget, e’ry month is Black History Month and February is just the Blackest. All year are ongoing opportunities to learn and teach and the colossal impact Black educators have had on society.
Today, our featured Black educator is Clara Belle Williams.
Clara Belle Drisdale Williams was born in Plum, Texas on October 29, 1885. The daughter of sharecroppers, who were likely self-educated, Williams was educated at Prairie View A&M, where she graduated valedictorian with a certificate in domestic arts. Upon graduation, she became head of the school’s sewing department. Williams also taught in segregated schools in Wheatville and Cameron, Texas.
In 1917 she married her husband, Jasper Williams and the couple had three children. The family moved to New Mexico, where Williams continued her education. She enrolled at New Mexico State University becoming the first African-American to graduate from the school, with a degree in English, in 1937 at age 51.
Unfortunately, due to racism, Williams was not allowed to walk for her graduation. That instance wasn’t the first encounter of racism she experienced while at the university. Her professors wouldn’t allow her in the classroom during her class so she had to take notes in the hallway. But in the moment of solidarity, numerous white classmates boycotted the graduation ceremonies because Williams could not walk. She recalls that commencement was canceled because of it.
Williams and her family lived in Las Cruces. There, she taught in the city school system for over 20 years— teaching at the Booker T. Washington School. When her husband passed away, Williams moved to Chicago where her three sons were living. All three sons were doctors and opened a medical clinic, the Williams Medical Clinic. She worked there as a receptionist.
Saddened by their treatment of Williams, New Mexico State University beginning in the 1960s began to provide Williams with the honor she deserved. A street was named after her, she was named to the Educational Hall of Fame, and she received an honorary law degree with an apology from the university. In 2005 Mexico State University celebrated “Clara Belle Williams Day,” and they renamed the building in her honor.
The example of Clara Belle Williams shows an exemplary life of dedication to education, as a lifelong learner and teacher. Even after graduation, Williams continued her education; first taking classes at the University of Chicago after graduating from Prairie View University and taking further graduate-level courses after graduating from New Mexico State University. She never allowed racism to prevent her from continuing to learn and never allowed racism to prevent her from teaching the younger generation. May we continue to educate and teach in that very spirit.
Clara Belle Williams; a member of the Black Educator Hall of Fame.
For more information on Clara Belle Williams, visit the following site.
