DANVILLE, Va. – A Virginia Historical Marker honoring the late Camilla Williams was dedicated in Danville Monday on what would’ve been the opera star’s 102nd birthday.
Williams, a Danville native, was the first African American to have a starring role with a major Broadway company, making her debut with the New York City Opera in the title role in Puccini‘s Madame Butterfly. She perfected with the Vienna State Opera and served as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department.
Williams was born in Danville and began her career as a third grade teacher. She sang the national anthem at the March on Washington before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech and was awarded the President’s Medal for Excellence in 2009. She died in 2012.
The marker, issued by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, stands at 238 West End Ave.
Felice McWilliams, a resident artist at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, talked about the museum’s permanent exhibition titled “Camilla Williams: Trailblazer. Activist. International Opera Star.” The exhibition highlights the relationship this New York City Opera diva had with her hometown, Danville, and explores the difficult path to frame in a racially divided South during the Civil Rights protests.
“We have the most beautiful collection of Camilla Williams artifacts and articles all about her life as a singer and her civil rights activities,” McWilliams said. “She was a teacher. She was a beautiful, educated, talented, classy woman. … Her story is something to see and hear.”
City Councilman Bryant Hood encouraged youth in the city to learn Danville’s history.
“Danville has a rich history of citizens here,” Hood said. “Her (Camilla Williams’) story never ceases to amaze me.”
Hood shared a quote from Williams, who said “Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.”
City Councilman Sherman Saunders, who presided over the ceremony, added, “I am so proud of our city. Many of us remember where we were, and today we see where we are. A lot of positive history has been made in our city.”
On June 18, 2020, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources approved the highway marker, which resulted from Gov. Ralph Northam’s Black History Month K-12 Historical Marker Contest. Because of the pandemic, the dedication of the marker has been delayed until now.