Photographer Cecil J. Williams drinking from a white only water fountain, 1964.
Williams was born in 1937 to parents of mixed ancestry: his mother was half-white and his father was half Native American. At the age of 9, Williams received a camera from his older brother and soon realized he could make money off his photographs. He photographed his first wedding at age 11 and by 12 he was taking photos of people on Sundays at church, charging them a dollar or two.
By the 1950s, he turned his camera to documenting desegregation efforts in South Carolina. Some of his photos depict activities during the Briggs v. Elliott case, which was the first of five desegregation cases pushing to integrate public schools in the United States.
In January of 1960, when Williams was a senior in college, he visited NYC and read that JFK was coming to a downtown hotel for a press conference. Williams wanted to snap some photos but forgot his press pass and was about to be kicked out by security when JFK stepped in and told them to let Williams stay. JFK gave Williams his personal address and soon he became one of JFK's favorite photographers during his campaign to become president.
In 2019, he opened up his own museum, showcasing more than 350 images and artifacts from the civil rights movement. His museum also operates as a community center in Orangeburg County, South Carolina. Williams is still alive at 85 years old.
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