Jet Photographer Cecil Williams' Pictures To Be Honored In His Own Civil Rights Museum

Cecil Williams' pictures are finally going where they belong.

Williams, a Jet Magazine photographer who took many pictures of civil rights history, will have his pictures go to the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum in Orangeburg, South Carolina, according to the Associated Press.

“Images can be very powerful storytelling,” said Williams, who turned 85 last month. “And the struggle to get the rights we were due under the U.S. Constitution is a very powerful story.”

Although historians worry that African American history is being lost, Williams is doing his due diligence to make sure these images are remembered.

“We talk about superheroes like Superman or the Black Panther. But I wish young people would realize there are superheroes in their neighborhoods who fought injustice every day,” Williams said.

The website states the museum will highlight those who deserve to be remembered.

"CECIL WILLIAMS SOUTH CAROLINA CIVIL RIGHT MUSEUM (Palmetto State's First and Only Civil Rights Museum) honors a generation of people, Black and White, throughout the Palmetto State, who deserve to be remembered for their unselfish commitments and sacrifices,” the website states. ”Together, they destroyed Jim Crow, demanded dignity and justice for all people, changed the Constitution, and inspired mankind. Now, through the latest digital technology, Virtual Reality Tours allow an extremely immersive experience for everyone."

Williams himself said it’s a very calm place.

“The CWSCCRM is a tranquil place rich in the history of struggle and transformation; a place to reflect on the civil rights movement, to honor those injured and killed during the struggle; to appreciate how far our state and country has come in its quest for equality, and to consider how far it has to go,” Williams said.

According to the website, folks can see and read about people and events who endured segregation, read about South Carolina and its history not in the history books, are invited to a front-row seat to some of the changes in the 20th century, understand that freedom was never free, become even more privy to African American history, walk in a modern house designed by the museum’s founder, and folks can also experience a virtual reality session.

Photo Credit: AP/Jeffery Collins