Clarence L. Williams oral history interview, January 21, 2005

Interviewed by Andrew Reisinger: Clarence L. Williams discusses growing up in northwest Atlanta and recounts his experiences as an African American growing up in the city during the 1940s and 1950s. He also details his parents careers, including his mother's work as a domestic and employee at Bell Bomber during World War II and his step-father's work at Puget Sound Ship Yard and Merita Bakery; both of his parents were active union members. Williams goes on to recount the many jobs he worked both before and after his military service in Germany in the 1950s.

Concerning his work with Ford Motor Company and the United Auto Workers, Williams discusses the safety, work environment, and racial tone of the plant during the 1960s. Speaking about African Americans gaining leadership positions in the local union, Williams recalls, "It was a constant struggle, and in fact, the way that blacks were elected [to leadership positions in the union] early on in that plant was that we formed a club...the Better Community Builders Club." Through the organizing efforts of the African Americans at Ford, Williams quickly won numerous positions in the local union and was appointed to serve the UAW outside of the local. Detailing his work as a union organizer and leader, Williams discusses his duites in these positions, the challenges he faced organizing workers, and the many companies he serviced. The last phase of the interview focuses on Williams' impressions of the current state of labor in the United States and the many challenges facing American society, as well as his own and the UAW's involve men in civil rights work. Unions and organizations represented: United Auto Workers, Local 882 (Atlanta, Ga.), Alliance for Labor Action, and Georgia AFL-CIO.