Hidden Figures: Maria P. Williams #BlackHERstoryMonth 6/29 (Patreon)

Hidden Figures: Maria P. Williams #BlackHERstoryMonth 6/29

Maria P. Williams was a Black American filmmaker, writer, and activist who wrote, produced, and acted in ‘The Flames of Wrath’ in 1923, making her the first Black American woman film producer. While few details are known about her early life, it is known that Williams was a Kansas City schoolteacher who gave up teaching in the 1890s to become an activist and political writer. Traveling through Kansas as a social activist and lecturer and giving politicized speeches on the ‘topics of the day’ for Black Americans, from 1891-1894 she was also the editor-in-chief of a weekly newspaper in Kansas City called ‘The New Era.’ After The New Era shuttered, Williams began to edit and publish another newspaper, called ‘The Women’s Voice,’ which focused on ‘colored women’s topics’ specifically. The Womens Voice ran from 1896 to 1900. Deciding to stay in Kansas City permanently and end her travels, Williams became active in politics in Missouri, publishing short pamphlets on political candidates and, in 1916, a book on her political and social views, titled ‘My Work and Public Sentiment.’ Ten percent of the proceeds from her book were donated to criminal reform and crime suppression regarding Black Americans. Williams was also an organizer and speaker for The Good Citizens League, an organization dedicated to lowering crime in Black neighborhoods. In 1923, Williams wrote and produced ‘The Flames of Wrath,’ which was a silent crime drama that she also starred in; in order to distribute the picture, she founded the Western Film Producing Company and Booking Exchange with her husband, Jesse L. Williams. The Williams also started and owned several other small businesses in Kansas City, MO, and used their Western Film Producing Co. to put out silent films for the local Black American audience. Maria’s husband Jesse also operated a local motion picture theater as the general manager, while Maria served as the assistant manager. After releasing ‘The Flames of Wrath,’ she was written about in The Norfolk Journal and Guide, as follows: “Kansas City is claiming the honor of having the first colored woman film producer in the United States… The Flames of Wrath, a mystery drama in five reels, written, acted and produced entirely by colored people." As she was well known for giving aid around Kansas City, in January of 1932 Maria Williams was called to assist a stranger who claimed he had a sick brother at home. She was found shot dead on the side of the road, and, sadly, her murder remains unsolved. #MariaPWilliams #HiddenFigures ****************** Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren Follow me on social media! Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Personal Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com Tumblr for my work: https://sssseren.tumblr.com Snapchat: sssseren GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: Maria P. Williams: https://wfpp.columbia.edu/pioneer/maria-p-williams/ Maria P. Williams: https://www.facebook.com/NMAAHC/photos/a.148473516989/10155192526676990/?type=1&theater About Maria P. Williams: https://peoplepill.com/people/maria-p-williams/ Mrs. Maria P. Williams and her husband: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-b814-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 Maria P. Williams: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0931241/bio https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0931241/ Maria P. Williams (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_P._Williams