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The life story of Clara Belle Williams, the first African American graduate of New Mexico State University, will be featured in a special program on public television this month. The documentary “Clara Belle Williams: New Mexico Pioneer in Education” will air at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24 and rebroadcasted at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27 on KRWG television.
This half-hour documentary produced by KRWG Public Media features interviews with Williams' family and others who discuss her impact on education.
“Our viewers will learn about a woman ahead of her time," said Adrian Velarde, general manager of NMSU's University Broadcasting. "Despite the challenges she faced, Clara Belle Williams’ devotion to her family and the power of education is powerful lesson for us all."
Education was a major part of Williams' life. She was the valedictorian of Prairie View Normal and Industrial College in 1905. She taught at the college for a number of years where she met her husband, Jasper Williams.
The couple later moved to El Paso, Texas. In El Paso, Jasper ran a pharmacy and they had three children: Jasper, James, and Charles. In 1924, the drugstore burned down and the couple moved to Vado, New Mexico.
Both became teachers and later moved to Las Cruces. While living in Las Cruces, Clara Belle Williams was a teacher at Phillips Chapel and Booker T. Washington schools.
During summers, Williams attended New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, which became NMSU. In spite of her challenges as an African American student, Williams graduated in 1937 with a bachelor’s degree in English and education.
In 1980, she received an honorary doctorate from NMSU and later the university named a street after her and changed the name of the English Building to Clara Belle Williams Hall.
For the past year, KRWG production manager Christian Valle researched archives about Williams and conducted interviews about her. Valle is eager for the public to learn more about her inspiring life journey. “I think viewers can expect a deeply personal account of how a family in the borderland region, of African American descent, lived during the time of segregation and what families had to do to survive and to get educated,” Valle said.
Learn more about this documentary at KRWG.org and stream the documentary on video.krwg.org or on the PBS App available on most smart phones, tablets and smart televisions.
