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Group 2: We were four students interested in understanding the concept of family legacy in the Kalamazoo community. We chose to conduct an oral history for this project and interviewed Mr. Jacob Pinney-Johnson, a lifelong Kalamazoo resident and prolific community organizer who has worked with organizations such as Kalamazoo Defenders, Uplift, and now leads The Fatherhood Network. He came to our class as a guest speaker to talk about local Kalamazoo history and his great-grandmother. Mr. Pinney-Johnson is the great-grandson of Lulu Margaret Williams, an important African-American community leader and activist who lived in Kalamazoo, MI in the early 20th century. Due to technical issues, we were unable to provide a recording of our interview with Mr. Pinney-Johnson, but below is the photo-essay we created. Our narrative reflects what we learned about Mrs. Williams, her great-grandson, and the legacy of this family in Kalamazoo, MI.
Lulu Margaret Williams, via Jacob Pinney-Johnson
By Vriska Sasarari, Claire Burriesci,
Juana Morrison, and Moira Cooper
By Vriska Sasarari, Claire Burriesci,
Juana Morrison, and Moira Cooper
Lulu Margaret Williams (1872-1945) was a Kalamazoo resident and African American activist of local and national significance, whose story showcases the importance of carrying on family history. She was perhaps best known as a member of the Freedman’s Progress Commission, which in 1915 published the Michigan Manual of Freedman’s Progress, a 371-page volume on the history of African Americans in Michigan. Williams was one of only a few women on the commission. She was also involved in two women’s clubs aimed at uplifting the local African American community. The Dorcas Club, led by Williams, aimed to improve school attendance by providing needy African American children with clothing. The Let Us Be Friends Club, consisting of members of the Young Women’s Christian Association, aimed to “promote the spirit of friendliness among the young colored women of the city and develop the highest type of womanhood.” Evident from the historical record, Williams was a woman of exceptional leadership and community importance.
Lulu Margaret Williams with the Dorcas Club, from the Michigan Manual for Freedman’s Progress, 1915
But the historical record rarely tells the whole story. In an interview with her great-grandson, Jacob Pinney-Johnson, Williams is also remembered as a wife, mother, and powerful African American woman. Described as a “tall, business-like woman,” Williams was an avid reader and kept an active correspondence, writing two to four letters per day. Many of these letters were to her husband, Henry A. Williams, whom she married in 1906.
Lulu Margaret Williams with the Let Us Be Friends Club, from the Michigan Manual for Freedman’s Progress, 1915
The couple had two children, Mary Virginia and Catherine Williams. Having read many of these letters himself, Pinney-Johnson was surprised by the level of equality evident in their marriage. The pair were also homeowners, a notable accomplishment for Black families in the early 20th century. As her family remembers her, Williams was a strong woman who never compromised on her principles.
Lulu Margaret Williams’ home, from the
the Michigan Manual for Freedman’s Progress, 1915
Pinney-Johnson’s dedicated archival research has shed light on who Williams was as an activist and individual. In the interview, he noted feeling lucky to have these records at all. The Michigan Manual includes information on Williams’ local activism, photographs of her and her clubs, and even a photograph of her home. Her home was built in the early 1900s and stayed in the family for many generations. Ownership of land or property was a major factor in African Americans being recognized in local archives in the early 20th century. Many Black women at this time were also confined to domestic roles and weren’t included in written records, especially as literacy remained relatively low among African Americans following the Civil War. Because Williams was a homeowner and avid writer, Pinney-Johnson has been able to make considerable progress in uncovering his great-grandmother’s story. However, he was clear that the story is still very much in the works. Living in the same city for five generations helps her grandson aid the search of Lulu’s history in local archives.
One of Lulu Margaret Williams’ letters to her
husband, Henry A. Williams, via Jacob Pinney-Johnson.
Why bother? Throughout the interview, Pinney-Johnson emphasized the importance of passing down family history, and in particular the stories of Black women. As he acknowledges, many Black women didn’t leave behind the same archival sources as Williams; family history is all we have left. And their stories continue to be important today.
Jacob Pinney-Johnson with his children in Kalamazoo, MI
Drawing on a term from a Ghanaian proverb, “Sankofa,” he talked about how important it is to be knowledgeable about the past when building a future. Uncovering his great-grandmother’s story, he says, inspired him to become involved in his own community, for example through his work with The Fatherhood Project. Pinney-Johnson’s dedicated research is a testament not just to the legacy of Lulu Margaret Williams, but also to the urgency of preserving all family histories.
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