Cecil Williams is an 87-year-old Civil Rights Activist and photographer from Orangeburg, South Carolina, whose life’s work has been dedicated to fighting against Jim Crow, racial injustice, and inequality in America. He is most known for his iconic photograph drinking from a White's Only water fountain during Jim Crow in 1958, a powerful act of resistance when segregation was legal. Throughout his career, Cecil was a photographer for JET Magazine, capturing the Civil Rights movement and documenting countless Black leaders who shaped history. Together with his wife, Cecil has been curating a Civil Rights museum out of their home in South Carolina, preserving artifacts and stories that are vital to our understanding of the past.

Two years ago, Cecil and his wife were approved for state funding to build an official museum, a dream that would allow them to share this history with even more people. However, due to the current administration’s anti-DEI crusade, the state funding for the Civil Rights Museum was pulled, leaving Cecil with the daunting task of raising at least $500,000 to self-fund the museum or risk losing it entirely. This setback threatens not only the museum but the preservation of Black history and the legacy of Cecil’s lifelong work.

We are rallying together to help Cecil and his wife raise the funds needed to complete the museum. The money will go directly toward finishing construction, building and installing the exhibits, and covering staffing to ensure the museum can open its doors and educate future generations. Let's show the power of the Tribe and group economics within the Black community to help Cecil Williams preserve Black History and create this Civil Rights Museum that can educate and inspire for years to come. Let's preserve the legacy of his lifelong work and show that we can come together to uplift our own.