James Williams wasn’t just Santa Clara’s first African American citizen and one of the first African Americans to settle in Santa Clara County. He was also a “first citizen” as a community leader in the city, and is honored for his role as a leader in Santa Clara’s Volunteer Fire Department. Today, an SCFD plaque honors him.
But without the determination of the Garden City Women’s Club, only the most dedicated California history buffs would know Williams’ name.
In 1976, unhappy about the exclusion of the county’s African American history from a San Jose Bicentennial publication, the club decided to record the story of area African Americans. The result was “History of Black Americans in Santa Clara Valley,” which includes Williams’ story retold by Stephanie Menzies…