Terry Lee Williams (born March 22, 1950) is an American retired politician. A Democrat from Salt Lake City, he was the first African American to serve in the Utah State Senate, from 1983 to 1986. He had previously served in the Utah House of Representatives from 1981 through 1982. He was the second African American to serve in the Utah State Legislature, following the 1976 election of state representative Robert Harris.
Terry Williams | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Utah State Senate for the 1st district | |
| In office 1983–1986 | |
| Member of the Utah House of Representatives | |
| In office 1981–1982 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 22, 1950 Artesia, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | University of Utah (MA) Weber State College (BA) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Early life and education edit
William was born in Artesia, New Mexico, on March 22, 1950. His stepfather was an agricultural migrant worker, and the family (including his mother and three other children) spent three years in Burley, Idaho, as the only Black people in town. The family fled Idaho after white men in cars shot at their house and hurled incendiary devices while others stood across the street and hurled insults. "We were quite literally driven out of town," he recalled in a 1986 interview. "And that was my very first encounter with stark racism." The family settled in Salt Lake City in 1960 and became active in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.[1]
Williams graduated from South High School and Weber State College, where he served as president of the Young Democrats.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Weber State and a master's degree in economics from the University of Utah. He interned at the Utah House of Representatives in the mid-1970s.[2] After graduation, Williams became a community organizer and campaign worker in Salt Lake City. He also worked as deputy director of the Multi-Ethnic Corporation, which helped low-income minority entrepreneurs launch start-up companies.[2]
Political career edit
In 1980, Williams won a formerly Republican-held seat on the Utah House of Representatives. Fresh off his victory, he was the only representative to vote against a resolution pledging support for President Ronald Reagan. Williams was the second African American to serve in the Utah House.[2]
In 1983, Williams was elected to an open seat being vacated by Democrat Frances Farley to represent Utah's 1st State Senate district. He was the second African American to serve in the Utah House and the first to serve in the Utah Senate. As such, his colleagues were often dismissive of his abilities and ideas. "I got here in the House of Representatives when I was voted in," he recounted in a 1986 interview, "and I met with people who had never sat across a table with another black person. They didn't believe a black person could walk and talk intelligently at the same time."[1] Williams served on the Senate State and Local Affairs and Judiciary committees.[3] He campaigned for accessibility, wage scales for seniors, affordable housing, and civil rights.[1] He played a key role in legislation that made Martin Luther King Jr. Day an official state holiday in 1986, though Utah was the last state to do so.[4]
Instead of seeking reelection to the Utah Senate in 1986, Williams opted to run for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator. He lost the August primary election to realtor Craig Oliver by only 275 ballots out of nearly thirty thousand cast, receiving 49% of the vote to Oliver's 51%. Oliver went on to experience a resounding defeat at the hands of incumbent Republican Senator Jake Garn. Williams attributed his loss to racism, commenting that overwhelmingly white Utahns would not vote for a Black man for the U.S. Senate.[5][6] In 1987, he filed a racial discrimination complaint against Salt Lake City for denying him a job in the capital planning department on account of his race; the department hired him after the mayor ordered a rerun of the search.[7]
Personal life edit
As of 1986, William was married and had four children.[1] As of 1996, he was a minister living in Berkeley, California.[8]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Kelen, Leslie G. (1986-04-04). "Interviews with African Americans in Utah, Terry Williams". University of Utah J. Williard Marriott Library. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ a b c "Black Legislator Nabs Lone GOP-Held Seat". The Salt Lake Tribune. 1981-02-27. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Utah State Legislative Directory 46th Session 1985-1986. 1986. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ Harris, Matthew L.; Harris S., Madison (2020). "The Last State to Honor MLK: Utah and the Quest for Racial Justice". Utah Historical Quarterly. 88 (1): 1–101. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "Loser in Utah Primary Now Write-in Candidate". Los Angeles Times. 1986-09-24. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Black Legislator Loses Tight Utah Primary". The New York Times. August 21, 1986. pp. Section D, p. 24. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Williams Get the Job He Was Refused". The Salt Lake Tribune. 1987-09-12. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Williams, Terry Lee (1996-01-20). "Letter to the Editor: Call King Holiday What It Is". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-11-22.