Born on December 15, 1918, in Louisville, Kentucky, to an A.M.E. minister and a religious writer, Williams grew up in Kentucky and earned her B.A. with honors in English from Wilberforce University in 1938. The following year, she received an M.A. in English from Fisk University. Over the next twenty years, Williams taught at four A.M.E. colleges-Edward Waters College, Shorter College, Morris Brown College, and Wilberforce University. In 1959, she completed her Ph.D. in speech communication at the Ohio State University, and that fall joined the faculty of Tennessee State University. She became a full professor of communications and in 1973 took over as head of the department, serving in that capacity until her retirement in 1987.
At the same time that her academic career took off, Williams began to ascend the leadership ranks of the A.M.E. Church. She served as a delegate to the A.M.E. General Conference in 1964 and became a board member of the National Council of Churches in 1968. From 1976 to 1984, she was an alternate member of the A.M.E. Church's Judicial Council, serving as president of the 13th District Lay Organization from 1977 until 1985. At the 1984 General Conference, Williams was named editor of The A.M.E. Church Review, the oldest African American literary journal. She held that post for eight years. Williams also has paved the way for others in the A.M.E., helping Vashti McKenzie win election as the first female A.M.E. bishop.
During her forty-five years in Nashville, Williams was active in her community, serving on several interdenominational organizations, community groups, and civic committees. She worked as a member of the NAACP's Executive Committee and in 1999, received the organization's Presidential Award. She was also known for her fierce devotion to her alma mater, Wilberforce University, serving as a trustee and later trustee emerita. Dr. Williams was also a lifelong member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Dr. Williams died peacefully in Atlanta, Georgia on January 19, 2022. She was predeceased by her husband of over seventy-five years, Dr. McDonald Williams, in 2019. She is survived by her daughter Donna Williams, grandson, Douglass (Pamela) Selby, two great-granddaughters, Jamye and Payton Selby, a niece, Frieda Coleman Minga, and a host of extended family, former students and friends.
