Celebrating Women’s History Month: Remembering Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams
By Editor John Thomas,III
Whenever I found myself on the wrong end of Jamye Coleman Williams’ finger, she would tell me, “When your father asked me to be your Godmother, I told him: “If I do this, I will take this seriously.” And then she proceeded to chastise me in her stern but loving way. Although my father died in my last year of high school, I was privileged to have my godparents for almost 40 years of my life. She and Uncle Mac were at all the school plays and graduations. She gave me my first Black history book as well as my first AME Discipline. Aunt Jamye always remembered my birthday, and I will never forget this one. They embraced and welcomed me into this family, of which I am honored to be a part.
What do you say about a woman who lived to be 103-years-old, who remained active and in her right mind up until the last days of her life (and even outlived Golden Girl, Betty White, a woman of poise and power in her own right)? What do you say about a woman who helped her students organize sit-ins; a woman who stood up to patriarchy and misogyny in academia as well as the Black Church; a woman who made the best corn pudding for Thanksgiving and baked a great pound cake? If you listened to the tributes from every aspect of my Godmother’s life, you have heard her story. To hear her in her own words, I encourage you to visit The History Makers digital archive and see the hours of interviews she gave on everything from marriage advice to politics.
There is one thing that my Godmother loved more than Wilberforce, the AME Church, or Uncle Mac (though sometimes he did wonder about the order). It was Jesus Christ. My Godmother’s faith was at the center of her life. She was a praying lady, and every day she and Uncle Mac (when he was alive) would go through a prayer list of people and causes that touched their hearts. Her strong faith sustained her through health challenges, personal crises, and the deaths of family, friends, and former students. Oh, how my Godmother may have loved the African Methodist Episcopal Church—but she was a Christian first. And there were times when her faith led her to take stances that were not the best political decision, but she was determined to be on the “right side of history,” which meant following her faith. She was never too in love with a role—either in the AME Church, in her community, or her academic career—that she was not willing to risk losing to do what she knew to be right.
Over the last few days, I have heard people across the AME Church ask, “What are we going to do now that Jamye Williams is gone? Who will be the voice of reason?” I submit the following as an answer: At the end of the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus asks the lawyer, “Who was the neighbor?” The lawyer responds, “The one who showed mercy.” Jesus then says, “Go and do likewise.”
To all who can hear my voice, I say: We have seen and heard how Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams lived her life. We have seen how she loved and cherished her family. We have seen how she encouraged others and was uncompromising in her principles. We have seen how she was not afraid to stand up for what she believed, no matter the cost. So, if you want to honor the memory of Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams truly, go and do likewise. So long as those of us follow her example, she will never die. Amen.
