A photograph of Avon N. Williams, Jr., being congratulated by his wife, Marie Bontemps, and supporters after his successful bid to become the first African American senator in Tennessee since Reconstruction. He ran for state senator from the 19th District in Nashville. Born in Knoxville, Tenn., Avon N. Williams, Jr., was one of the leading African American lawyers in Tennessee. After practicing law in Knoxville, he became law partners with prominent Nashville attorney, Z. Alexander Looby. His role as attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund sparked a long history of involvement with the civil rights movement. His role with Geier v. Blanton helped to bring about merger of University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University. The former Nashville campus of UT Nashville was later named the Avon Williams Jr. Campus of Tennessee State University. He also cosponsored the law requiring public schools to teach African American history. He was a member of Tennessee state senate from 1968 -1990.
