Storyteller: William Danforth Williams (pictured as a child)

Interviewer: Jan Jennings Sparks, Tulsa County Historical Society

Language: English

Description: This interview took place in William Danforth Williams' home, 2233 N. Denver Ave., Tulsa, OK William Danforth Williams was born March 15, 1905 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to parents John Wesley Williams and Loula Thomas Cotten Williams. He completed high school in 1922 at Booker T. Washington High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton Institute in Virginia and a Master of Science degree in business education from the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. Williams taught business courses at Booker T. Washington High School for forty-one years. In this interview, he recalls the businesses owned by his parents in the Greenwood community of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also recalls other early Black settlements near Tulsa. At age sixteen, Williams witnessed the event now referred to as the Tulsa Race Massacre. He recalls his memories of the event. He also provides information concerning the rebuilding of Greenwood, his experiences with segregation and discrimination, and speaks about the achievements of his grandchildren.

Subjects: Black settlements, Greenwood District, Thompson Ice Cream Company, family businesses, Tulsa Race Massacre, segregation, Tulsa Tribune lynching article, discrimination, Barney Cleaver, Walter Webb, Convention Hall, Lindsay Williams