Clara Belle Drisdale Williams was born in 1885—at a time when opportunities for Black women in higher education were nearly nonexistent. But that didn’t stop her. When she enrolled at New Mexico State University, her professors refused to let her into the classroom because of the color of her skin. So she stood in the hallway, day after day, taking notes through the door. She graduated in 1937, the first African American to do so at the university. But she wasn’t allowed to walk with her class at the ceremony.

She didn’t let bitterness take root. Instead, Clara turned her energy into lifting others. She married Jasper Williams in 1917, and together they raised three sons—every one of them became a doctor. Clara taught Black children during the day and their parents at night, helping many families who had lived through slavery learn essential skills for daily life and independence.

In time, her quiet courage was honored. A street was named after her in 1961. In 1980, the university gave her an honorary doctorate and offered a formal apology for the racism she endured. And in 2005, the English building she once stood outside of was renamed Clara Belle Williams Hall. She lived to be 108 years old, and her legacy of resilience, compassion, and education still echoes through the halls that once kept her out.

#Perseverance #BlackHistoryMatters
~Weird Pictures and News