User:Knovick1989/De Charlene Williams

De Charlene Williams (January 13, 1943 - May 20, 2018) was a Black entrepreneur, civil rights leader, community activist, and business owner in Seattle, Washington. She established DeCharlene’s Beauty Shop and Boutique, DeCharlene’s Beauty College, as well as the Central Area Chamber of Commerce office.

Early life
De Charlene Williams was born on January 13, 1943 in Temple, Texas to parents Richmond "Mutt" Brown and Geraldine Brazzle. Her family moved to Portland, Oregon in 1945 where she graduated from Jefferson High School. At the age of 15, De Charlene married Robert "Bobby" Williams. She moved to Seattle, Washington with her husband in 1958, where he worked at Boeing and she began her studies. De Charlene attended Seattle Central College earning an AA Degree before attending and graduating from Edward's Beauty School in 1961. After divorcing her husband in 1965, De Charlene worked several jobs before opening her own salon.

Career
De Charlene Williams opened her first salon on 25th and Union Street in Seattle before moving to its better known location on 21st and E Madison Street.

After working three jobs and saving $6,500, De Charlene sought to open her own business and storefront. She was denied a loan to purchase her own property by 30 banks, at a time when most banks systematically denied loans to single Black females. She was ultimately successful in securing a loan in 1968, only after obscuring her gender by submitting her application under the initials C.W. Williams. She used the loan to purchase a one-story yellow-brick building at 2108 East Madison St and the corner of 21st Street in the heart of Seattle's Central District, also known as the Central Area. Her business would grow from a salon to a boutique that sold hats, jewelry, and clothing, and Beauty School that provided Black women the opportunity to learn a trade. She at one point employed 13 women.

In the 1970s, Williams opened another boutique in Bellevue, Washington that would be the only Black owned business on the Old Main Street strip. She then joined the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. After gaining much experience as member of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, she became passionate about empowering business owners in her local community in the Central District. She formed the Central Area Chamber of Commerce along with Millie Roberts and Sam Smith in 1983. Her primary focus was on supporting micro-businesses, or businesses with 5 or less employees, who typically had little access the commercial banking sectors. Her goal was to keep them in business and provide the resources they need to succeed. The Salon, Boutique, Beauty School, and Chamber of Commerce were all housed in the same building on the corner of 21st Street and E Madison. To meet with the Chamber of Commerce, visitors would have to pass by rows of colorful wide brimmed hats, and framed photos of the people Williams met, and the accolades she was awarded.

Williams was passionate about the recognition and celebration of Juneteenth. Like many Black residents of Seattle in the mid-twentieth century, Williams was a descendant of enslaved people from Texas. Her ancestor, Jay Brazzle, was a part of the very first celebration of Juneteenth in Texas on June 19, 1865. The Central Area Chamber of Commerce under Williams became a major sponsor of Juneteenth celebrations in Seattle, which included a parade in the Central District that she was a regular feature of. Her efforts to honor the holiday led to the official recognition of Juneteenth as a state holiday in Washington State.

De Charlene Williams died at the age of 75 on May 20, 2018 from complications due to uterine sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. She is survived by two children and seven grandchildren. Despite, the encroachment of gentrification and big developers the Central District, the salon is still located in the same place as when she bought it in 1968, and is still operated by her family members since her passing. The Central Area Chamber of Commerce still provides access to services for small minority owned businesses in the neighborhood to this day.

Legacy

 * Co-founded the Central Area Youth Association in 1965.
 * Member of the Seattle Small Business Task Force under Mayor Royer.
 * Appeared in The Nona Tapes, a spoof rockumentary about the band Alice in Chains.
 * Ran for mayor against Norm Rice in 1993.
 * Ran for Seattle city council in 1997 on a platform of rent control, job creation, and support for small businesses.
 * Wrote a book on the history of the Central District in 1990 and revised in 1996.
 * Published a Black Business Directory.
 * Helped Chris Bennett form the Medium Newspaper.
 * In 1969, raised $50,000 for the Seattle Fire Department to purchase the nations first Medic One wagon.
 * Co-Chaired the Ebony Fashion Fair from 1972-1974.
 * Attended the Million Women's March and the Obama Inauguration in Washington, DC.
 * Named local business woman of the year.
 * Served on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee.