Hosea Williams
Hosea Williams | |
|---|---|
Williams in 1971 | |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 54th district | |
| In office 1975–1984 | |
| Preceded by | George L. Smith |
| Succeeded by | Juanita Terry Williams |
| Member of the Atlanta City Council, 5th District | |
| In office 1985–1989 | |
| Preceded by | Morris Finley |
| Succeeded by | Davetta Johnson Mitchell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hosea Lorenzo Williams January 5, 1926 Attapulgus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | November 16, 2000 (aged 74) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Lincoln Cemetery (Atlanta, Georgia). |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Porsha Williams (granddaughter) |
| Children | 7, including Elisabeth |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Activist during the civil rights movement |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | USA |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1945–1946 |
| Rank | Staff sergeant |
| Awards | World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal |
Hosea Lorenzo Williams (January 5, 1926 – November 16, 2000) was an American civil rights leader, activist, ordained minister, businessman, philanthropist, scientist, and politician. He was considered a member of famed civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr.'s inner circle. Under the banner of their flagship organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King depended on Williams to organize and stir masses of people into nonviolent direct action in myriad protest campaigns they waged against racial, political, economic, and social injustice. King alternately referred to Williams, his chief field lieutenant, as his "bull in a china shop" and his "Castro." Vowing to continue King's work for the poor, Williams is well known in his own right as the founding president of one of the largest social services organizations in North America, Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. His famous motto was "Unbought and Unbossed."