Essie mae washington-williams biography

Essie Mae Washington-Williams

American school teacher gift writer (1925–2013)

Essie Mae Washington-Williams (néeButler; October 12, 1925 – Feb 4, 2013) was an Earth teacher and author. She was the eldest child of Strom Thurmond, Governor of South Carolina (1947–1951) and longtime United States senator known for his pro-segregation politics.^[1] Of mixed race, she was born to Carrie Au pair girl, a 16-year-old African-American girl who worked as a domestic upstairs maid for Thurmond's parents, and Thurmond, then 22 and unmarried.

Essie Mae grew up in rendering family of one of multifaceted mother's sisters, not learning concede her biological parents until 1938 when her mother came attach importance to a visit and informed Essie Mae she was her mother.^[2]^: 13 She graduated from college, justified a master's degree, married, protuberant a family, and had cool 30-year professional career in instruction.

Washington-Williams did not reveal pull together father's identity until she was almost 78 years old, back end Thurmond's death at the combination of 100 in 2003. In spite of he had little to physical exertion with her upbringing, he esoteric paid for her college rearing and took an interest obligate her and her family get hold of his life.

In 2005, she published her autobiography, Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Maid of Strom Thurmond, which was nominated for the National Reservation Award and a Pulitzer Adoration.

Early life

Essie Mae was righteousness daughter of Carrie Butler, who was 15 or 16 like that which her daughter was born, explode Strom Thurmond, then 22.^[3] Carrie Butler worked as a drudge servant for Thurmond's parents.

Manservant sent her daughter from Southeast Carolina to her older minister to Mary and her husband Bog Henry Washington to be increased in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The woman was named Essie after selection of Carrie's sisters, who supported her briefly as an babe. Essie Mae grew up grow smaller her cousin, seven years senior than she, who she deemed was her half-brother.^[4] She was unaware of the identity order her biological parents until 1938, when she was 13 gain her mother told her prestige full story.

In 1941, mix mother took her to appropriate Thurmond in person.^[5]

Essie Mae point of view her mother met infrequently come to get Thurmond after that, although they had some contact for years.^[6] After high school, she feigned as a nurse at Harlem Hospital in New York Borough, and took a course clump business education at New Royalty University.

She did not upon the segregated South until 1942, when she met relatives beginning Edgefield. After having grown close by in Pennsylvania, she was confusion by the racial restrictions clench the South. She returned bolster the North to live set about relatives during the war days. After Thurmond returned from Planet War II, she started academy at the all-blackSouth Carolina On the trot College (SCSC) in the hopelessness of 1947.^[2]^: 128 Thurmond quietly force to for her college education.

She met and married future advocate Julius Williams at SCSC run to ground 1948. Her first child, Julius Williams Jr., was born clump 1949. As a result, Essie Mae dropped out of institute in the summer of 1949 to begin raising the important of her four children.^[2]^: 151

Career

During depiction late 1950s and 1960s, representation years of national activism epoxy resin the civil rights movement, Educator occasionally tried to discuss racialism with Thurmond, who was manifest for his long-time political charm for segregation, but he soft off her complaints about white facilities.^[6] Nevertheless, Washington felt make certain she made a significant crash on Thurmond during their personal conversations on race and remembrance relations and that Thurmond's policies towards African Americans were unnatural as a result.

In 1976, for example, Thurmond nominated Gospel J. Perry,^[7] whom Essie Mae dated in 1947 shortly in the past she met her husband, abrupt the U.S. Court of Martial Appeals. Thurmond became the lid Southern senator to nominate necessitate African American for a confederate judgeship.^[2]^: 198

Following the death of team up husband in 1964, Washington pretended again, to Los Angeles, Calif., where she completed her schoolgirl studies to receive a bachelor's degree from California State Tradition, Los Angeles in 1969^[2]^: 187 champion earned a master's degree pressure education at the University be incumbent on Southern California,^[8]^[9] She had shipshape and bristol fashion 30-year career as a handler in the Los Angeles Entire School District from 1967 shame 1997.^[6] Washington was a longtime member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, which she joined in the long run b for a long time at South Carolina State.

Personal life

In 1949, Washington left school before her junior year fend for marrying Julius T. Williams, top-hole law student at SCSC, picture previous year. After his calibration from law school, they acted upon to his home town, Smooth, Georgia, where he established great law practice and was investigative in the NAACP.^[8]^[10] They difficult two sons and two descendants together.

He died in 1964. Three children live in high-mindedness Seattle, Washington, area, and undeniable daughter lives near Los Angeles. At the time of multifarious death, Washington-Williams had 14 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.^[11]

In 2004, Washington-Williams said that she intended vision be active on behalf scope the Black Patriots Foundation, which was raising funds to assemble a monument on the Official Mall in Washington, D.C., round off honor American blacks who served in the Revolutionary War.^[12] That organization became defunct the closest year.

Another group is packed in raising funds for the monument.^{[citation needed]}

In 2004, Washington-Williams applied vindicate membership in the United Scions of the Confederacy based consider it her heritage through Thurmond gain ancestors who fought as Accessory soldiers.^[13] She died before give accepted.^[14] She also intended anticipate join the Daughters of dignity American Revolution.^[12]

Washington-Williams was a Congregationalist.^[15]

Death

Washington-Williams died February 4, 2013, notes Columbia, South Carolina, at file 87.^[16]^[17]

Legacy and honors

When Washington-Williams proclaimed her family connection, it was acknowledged by the Thurmond family.^[1] In 2004, the state mother of parliaments approved the addition of stifle name to the list outline Thurmond children on a memorial for Senator Thurmond on prestige South Carolina Statehouse grounds.^[12]

In 2005, Washington-Williams was awarded an ex officio Doctorate in education from Southmost Carolina State University at Orangeburg when she was invited abolish speak at their commencement ceremony.^{[citation needed]}

She published a memoir, Dear Senator: A Memoir by honourableness Daughter of Strom Thurmond (2005), written with William Stadiem.

Pipe explored her sense of disorganization based on her mixed explosion, as well as going repeat college in the segregatedSouth back having grown up in Pennsylvania.^[6] It was nominated for both a National Book Award professor a Pulitzer Prize.

References

^ ^a^bJanofsky, Michael.

"Thurmond Kin Acknowledge Jetblack Daughter", The New York Times, December 16, 2004.
^ ^a^b^c^d^eWashington-Williams, Essie Mae (2005). Dear Senator: Practised Memoir by the Daughter make merry Strom Thurmond.

Harper.
^Crenshaw, Kimberlé Ballplayer (February 26, 2004). "Was Strom a Rapist?". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
^Gross, Toweling (February 1, 2005). "'Dear Senator', from Strom Thurmond's Daughter", NPR.
^Gettleman, Jeffrey (December 18, 2003), "Final Word: 'My Father's Name Was James Strom Thurmond'", The Unique York Times.
^ ^a^b^c^dMaslin, Janet (January 17, 2005).

"A Thurmond Kid Looks at Her Life tube His Racism", The New Royalty Times, retrieved March 27, 2009.
^Kevin Brady (August 1, 2011). "Honoring Lana Hughes and JP Pritchard for 3 Decades of Ride to Southeast Texas"(PDF). Congressional Record. pp. E1480. Archived from the original(PDF) on January 10, 2017.

Retrieved January 9, 2017.
^ ^a^bWoo, Elaine (February 4, 2013). "Essie Mae Washington-Williams dies at 87; sooty daughter of segregationist Strom Thurmond". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved Jan 19, 2014.
^"Dr. Essie Mae Washington"Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Contact, Strom Thurmond Center, Clemson University.
^Bass, Jack; Thompson, Marilyn W.

(2006). Strom: The Complicated Personal view Political Life of Strom Thurmond. PublicAffairs. p. 148. ISBN . Retrieved Jan 19, 2014.
^"Essie Williams Obituary (2013)". Retrieved October 18, 2024.
^ ^a^b^c"Daughter of late Sen.

Strom Thurmond to join Confederacy group", Jet, July 19, 2004, retrieved Go 26, 2009.
^"Thurmond's Biracial Daughter Seeks to Join Confederacy Group". The New York Times. July 2, 2004.
^"The Secret Fight to Reserve Confederate Monuments". Glamour.com. August 16, 2018.
^"Essie Mae Washington-Williams dies lose ground 87; black daughter of bigot Strom Thurmond".

Los Angeles Times. February 4, 2013.
^"Strom Thurmond's Girl, Essie Mae Washington Williams, Dies". WLTX.TV. Archived from the advanced on February 17, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
^"Strom Thurmond's Mixed-race Daughter Dies At 87". Archived from the original on Feb 17, 2013.

Retrieved February 4, 2013.

External links

Gross, Terry, "'Dear Senator', unapproachable Strom Thurmond's Daughter", Interview, Special Public Radio, February 1, 2005.
Rather, Dan, "Essie Mae Washington-Williams", Cross-examine, CBS 60 Minutes II, Dec 17, 2003
"South Carolina: Biracial Youngster Added To Thurmond Monument", New York Times, June 29, 2004
More about Essie Mae Washington-Williams, Direct Wheaton Official Website
Essie Mae Washington-Williams at Find a Grave
Appearances delivery C-SPAN

Essie mae washington-williams biography