ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Harvey Gantt’s 1963 desegregation of Clemson University. The 1968 Orangeburg Massacre. The 1969 Charleston hospital workers’ strike.
Cecil J. Williams – renowned photographer, publisher and author – captured those events and more on camera.
Known for his photographs chronicling South Carolina’s civil rights struggle, Williams will speak about his experiences at Winthrop University on Thursday, Nov. 14, for the annual Dorothy Perry Thompson Colloquium. The free cultural event begins at 7 p.m. in Dina’s Place.
About Cecil J. Williams
Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Williams began photographing life around him when he was only nine years old after his brother passed his camera on to Williams. He became the youngest freelance photographer ever hired by JET Magazine. He captured photos of figures such as then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy; Muhammad Ali; Sugar Ray Robinson; Jackie Robinson; Arthur Ashe; and Lena Horne.
But his photography didn’t just feature celebrities: Williams documented segregation and civil rights, including activity during the Briggs v. Elliott case in Clarendon County, which would become the first of five desegregation cases pushing to integrate public schools in the United States.
He also earned an art degree at Claflin University. While at Claflin, Williams worked as the university photographer and also served as the official photographer for the South Carolina branch of the NAACP, South Carolina State University and the National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc.
He founded the South Carolina Civil Rights Museum in Orangeburg. His awards include the Governor’s Award for the Humanities and the Order of the Palmetto.
About the Colloquium
The annual colloquium honors the late English Professor Dorothy Perry Thompson, the founder of Winthrop University’s African American Studies program. The colloquium also offers the opportunity to bring in nationally- and internationally-renowned writers and scholars to talk about different aspects of the African-American experience.
For more information on Winthrop’s African American Studies program and the colloquium, visit the website.
