Encyclopedia article about Hosea Williams, a principle leader of the civil rights movement. He was renowned for his militancy and his ability to organize demonstrations and mobilize protesters. Williams served as a leader of the Savannah branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He also held elected office in the Georgia General Assembly, the Atlanta City Council, and as a DeKalb County Commissioner. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II where he was wounded which earned him a permanent limp and a Purple Heart. He attended Morris Brown College and Atlanta University before becoming a chemist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Savannah. Williams founded the Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless program as well as the Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival.

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Cite as: "Hosea Williams (1926-2000)," New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved [date]: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org.

Forms part of the New Georgia Encyclopedia.