Sy Williams Award for Education
I began researching my ancestors’ history as slaveholders during a course for my master’s degree at Vanderbilt. In the process I located an obituary for a man named Sylas “Sy” Williams. Williams was enslaved from birth until Emancipation by the Handy and Moore families in Charleston, Missouri. In response to what I learned, I created an annual award in 2011 to support educational programs that benefit Charleston students.
Now in its twelfth year, the Sy Williams Award for Education has supported STEM and art programs at Charleston Middle School; an after-school music program; the Charleston High School robotics team; and community programs providing summer jobs and education. I have publicized the award in radio interviews, through articles I have written for local newspapers, and in two all-school assemblies.
Sy Williams Award college exploration class (2011)
Street name changed to Sy Williams Avenue