April Williams Memorial Service

April Williams was a mother, fighter, and tireless advocate who passed away on September 13, 2022. Her family and community are currently raising money for her homegoing.

April was born and raised in San Francisco's Fillmore District, the youngest of Sarah Porter's three children. She spent summers in Fresno, California with her grandparents, Martha and Charles Grisby, who were founding residents of one of the Central Valley's first and most vibrant Black farming communities. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor's degree in Black Studies, studied law at the University of San Francisco, and earned a master's in social work degree from San Francisco State University.

April's proudest accomplishment was raising her son, Reginald Lawrence II. Also a gifted artist, Reggie tagged along to poetry readings with his mother, and remembers the vibrant enthusiasm she had for the Bay Area's Black arts community.

April spent her life committed to uplifting Black women as a mentor, advocate and auntie. She spent the bulk of her professional career as a paralegal, and helped organize some of the country's first Critical Race Theory conferences under Harvard Law professor Charles Ogletree.

Always a writer and artist, she published her poetry collection, "How Can I Believe in the Rainbow," in 1991, following the tragic death of her eldest niece, Tenisha Hardy. This is the book's dedication, which sheds light on how April viewed herself, her lineage, and her community:

I am very fortunate. I have had several generations of mothers from which to learn. I had a great grandmother whose discipline, wisdom and guidance have managed to carry me through life with my eyes, my mind and my heart open. I benefit from a grandmother who believes that I can be anything I want to be. Most of all, I have a mother who spent my lifetime fighting to protect me, secure my rights, and lift me above circumstances. Together they taught me that being a Black woman entails love, wisdom, strength, and pride.

The people who loved April hope to celebrate her life in a manner that exemplifies the love and care she showed to so many. We're immensely grateful for anything you're able to offer.