Essie Mae Washington-Williams
Encyclopedia
Essie Mae Washington-Williams (born October 12, 1925) is the oldest child of former United States Senator
and former Governor of South Carolina
Strom Thurmond
. Of mixed race, she was born to Carrie Butler, a 16-year-old African-American household servant, and Thurmond, then 22 and unmarried. After a 30-year career as a teacher, Washington-Williams published her autobiography in 2005, which was nominated for the National Book Award
and a Pulitzer Prize
. She did not reveal her true father's identity until she was 78 years old, after Thurmond's death in 2003.
, Pennsylvania by her older sister Mary and her husband John Henry Washington. She was named Essie after another of her mother's sisters, who fostered her briefly as an infant. She had a half-brother seven years older. Washington was unaware of her biological parents until the age of 16, when her mother told her about it and took her to meet Thurmond in person. That meeting took place in 1941.
Washington and her mother met infrequently with Thurmond after that, although they had some contact for years. Washington-Williams worked as a nurse at Harlem Hospital in New York City
, and took a course in business education at New York University
. She did not live in the segregated
South until 1942, when she started college at South Carolina State University
(SCSU), a historically black college. Thurmond paid for her college education. After having grown up in Pennsylvania, Washington was shocked by the restrictions of the South. She graduated from SCSU around 1946 with a degree in business.
, Washington occasionally tried to talk with Thurmond about racism. He brushed off her complaints about segregated facilities. He was notorious for his long political support of segregation.
Washington later moved to Los Angeles
, California, where she earned a master's degree in education at the University of Southern California
. She went on and had a 30-year career as a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District
from 1967 through 1997.
Washington-Williams still lives in Los Angeles. She is a longtime member of Delta Sigma Theta
sorority, which she joined while at South Carolina State University.
, Washington, area, and one daughter lives near Los Angeles. Her husband Julius T. Williams died in 1964. She has numerous grandchildren.
Washington-Williams said she would apply for membership in the United Daughters of the Confederacy
, based on her heritage through Thurmond to ancestors who fought as Confederate soldiers. She encouraged other African Americans to do so as well, in the interests of exploring their heritage and promoting a more inclusive view of Southern history among lineage societies. The lineage society is for women descendants of Confederate
veterans of the American Civil War
. As her father Thurmond had been a member of the male Sons of Confederate Veterans
, she could use his completed genealogical documentation of links to participating ancestor(s).
In 2005 Washington-Williams was awarded an honorary Ph.D. in education from South Carolina State University at Orangeburg. That year she published a memoir, Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond (2005), written with William Stadiem. It explored her sense of dislocation based on her mixed heritage, as well as going to college in the segregated
South
after having grown up in Pennsylvania. It was nominated for both a National Book Award
and a Pulitzer Prize
. Washington-Williams said that she intended to be active on behalf of the Black Patriots Foundation, which was raising funds to build a monument on the National Mall
in Washington D.C. to honor American blacks who served in the American Revolutionary War
. (This organization became defunct the following year. Another group is now raising funds for the monument.)
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and former Governor of South Carolina
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
Strom Thurmond
Strom Thurmond
James Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...
. Of mixed race, she was born to Carrie Butler, a 16-year-old African-American household servant, and Thurmond, then 22 and unmarried. After a 30-year career as a teacher, Washington-Williams published her autobiography in 2005, which was nominated for the National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
and a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
. She did not reveal her true father's identity until she was 78 years old, after Thurmond's death in 2003.
Early life and education
Washington was the natural daughter of Strom Thurmond and his parents' young African-American servant, Carrie Butler. Butler, only 16 when her daughter was born, sent her to be raised in CoatesvilleCoatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville is the only city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia....
, Pennsylvania by her older sister Mary and her husband John Henry Washington. She was named Essie after another of her mother's sisters, who fostered her briefly as an infant. She had a half-brother seven years older. Washington was unaware of her biological parents until the age of 16, when her mother told her about it and took her to meet Thurmond in person. That meeting took place in 1941.
Washington and her mother met infrequently with Thurmond after that, although they had some contact for years. Washington-Williams worked as a nurse at Harlem Hospital in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and took a course in business education at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. She did not live in the segregated
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
South until 1942, when she started college at South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,...
(SCSU), a historically black college. Thurmond paid for her college education. After having grown up in Pennsylvania, Washington was shocked by the restrictions of the South. She graduated from SCSU around 1946 with a degree in business.
Career
During the late 1950s and 1960s, the years of national activism in the Civil Rights MovementCivil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, Washington occasionally tried to talk with Thurmond about racism. He brushed off her complaints about segregated facilities. He was notorious for his long political support of segregation.
Washington later moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California, where she earned a master's degree in education at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. She went on and had a 30-year career as a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
from 1967 through 1997.
Washington-Williams still lives in Los Angeles. She is a longtime member of Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
sorority, which she joined while at South Carolina State University.
Marriage and family
In 1948 Washington married Julius T. Williams, an attorney. They had two sons and two daughters together. Three live in the SeattleSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington, area, and one daughter lives near Los Angeles. Her husband Julius T. Williams died in 1964. She has numerous grandchildren.
Legacy
When Washington-Williams announced her family connection, it was acknowledged by the Thurmond family. In 2004 the state legislature approved the addition of her name to the list of Thurmond children on a monument for Senator Thurmond on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds.Washington-Williams said she would apply for membership in the United Daughters of the Confederacy
United Daughters of the Confederacy
The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
, based on her heritage through Thurmond to ancestors who fought as Confederate soldiers. She encouraged other African Americans to do so as well, in the interests of exploring their heritage and promoting a more inclusive view of Southern history among lineage societies. The lineage society is for women descendants of Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
veterans of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. As her father Thurmond had been a member of the male Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans is an American national heritage organization with members in all fifty states and in almost a dozen countries in Europe, Australia and South America...
, she could use his completed genealogical documentation of links to participating ancestor(s).
In 2005 Washington-Williams was awarded an honorary Ph.D. in education from South Carolina State University at Orangeburg. That year she published a memoir, Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond (2005), written with William Stadiem. It explored her sense of dislocation based on her mixed heritage, as well as going to college in the segregated
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
South
South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
after having grown up in Pennsylvania. It was nominated for both a National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
and a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
. Washington-Williams said that she intended to be active on behalf of the Black Patriots Foundation, which was raising funds to build a monument on the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
in Washington D.C. to honor American blacks who served in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. (This organization became defunct the following year. Another group is now raising funds for the monument.)
Further reading
- Essie Mae Washington-Williams and William Stadiem, Dear Senator : A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond, Regan Books, 2005. ISBN 0-06-076095-8.
- Jack Bass and Marilyn W. Thompson, Ol' Strom: An Unauthorized Biography of Strom Thurmond, University of South Carolina Press, 2003. ISBN 1-57003-514-8.
- Jack Bass and Marilyn W.Thompson, Strom: The Complicated Personal and Political Life of Strom Thurmond, Public Affairs, 2005. ISBN 1-58648-297-1.
External links
- Terry Gross, "'Dear Senator,' from Strom Thurmond's Daughter", Interview, National Public Radio, February 1, 2005.
- Dan Rather, "Essie Mae Washington-Williams", Interview, CBS 60 Minutes II, December 17, 2003
- "South Carolina: Biracial Child Added To Thurmond Monument", New York Times, June 29, 2004
- More about Essie Mae Washington-Williams, Frank Wheaton Official Website