Talk:Essie Mae Williams

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Evidence?[edit]

Is there any evidence she is Strom Thurmond's daughter or are people just taking her word for it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.168.14.189 (talk) 15:35, 12 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Untitled[edit]

Isn't it a little odd that this article does not mention that she was, in fact, an illegitimate child? And of a man who was (at the time, at least) an outspoken segregationist?

Be bold! Add it yourself. Cheers, -Willmcw 06:46, 29 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I wasn't sure how to breach it, but I took a shot. Someone may still wish to emphasize the scandal with details. --DividedByNegativeZero 16:28, 29 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Good job. Thanks, -Willmcw 19:13, 29 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There was no need to emphasize that Thurmond did not marry Williams's mother since the state constitution of South Carolina prohibited such inter-racial marriages, and continued to do so until the end of the 20th century, though the effect of that provision was nullified by a US Supreme Court decision in the 1960s. There was no inconsistency in the future senator's behaviour: the Wikipedia article on slavery in the US makes it clear that, within living memory, enslaved women had been openly marketed for sex, though they were forbidden to marry in most states. Was there even a scandal? Probably not, since Thurmond was exercising his rights as an upper class male. NRPanikker (talk) 21:47, 30 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]

United Daughters of the Confederacy[edit]

It mentions that she applied to join the United Daughters of the Confederacy, "a genealogical society for the descendants of American Civil War veterans."

The article would be woefully incomplete if it did not stress the fact that it is not for descendants of "American Civil War veterans," but of veterans of the Confederate Army. Those soldiers, unless they previously or later fought for the American army, are NOT American veterans - they are veterans of the Confederate Army, no more and no less. This is an inaccuracy that should be remedied. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.22.209.106 (talk) 09:19, 26 February 2007 (UTC).[reply]

Something's wrong here[edit]

The opening paragraph states she was "oldest child of ... Strom Thurmond"
The opening paragraph also states that her mother, Carrie Butler, was 16 at the time of her birth
The Early Life section states "She had a half-brother seven years older"

If all of that is true (and my math is right), that means Carrie Butler had a son when she herself was only 9 years old --LarryJeff (talk) 16:27, 10 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Clarified, per NPR interview. Calvin Burton was the son of her aunt from a premarital relationship; since she believed the aunt was her mother, she also believed Calvin was her half-brother. Fat&Happy (talk) 18:46, 10 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! --LarryJeff (talk) 20:13, 10 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Business Degree?[edit]

The following is not a statement that is true according to her biography. "She graduated from SCSU around 1946 with a degree in business." She did not finish her degree until after her husband's death in 1964, and I am not sure the degree was from SCSU. DanQuigley 23:51, 19 January 2014 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by DanQuigley (talk • contribs)

Changed. Though I may need to go back and tune up the resultant sequencing a bit, unless someone else gets to it first. Fat&Happy (talk) 01:59, 20 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I made a few more changes based on her memoir, which I think should could be considered authoritative if it conflicts with other sources. Upon reading the article now, I do not see any especially egregious disparities, though there are a few details that are not quite accurate. Her memoir details a closer relationship with Thurmond and that she may have had more impact on the nuancing of Thurmond's policies towards African-Americans then the slant of the article implies, for example. — Preceding unsigned comment added by DanQuigley (talk • contribs) 02:58, 21 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

College payments[edit]

I removed the statement that Thurmond paid for the education of her children. In the transcript of her interview with Dan Rather she was pretty clear that he assisted the family, but did not directly pay for their college. Joyous! | Talk 15:35, 6 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]

United Daughters of the Confederacy[edit]

Thank you, User: Morheigandi, for correcting the apparently false info that Washington-Williams joined the UDC. I've edited to comply with WP guidelines. Perhaps another editor has more info and can improve on our efforts for accuracy. Yopienso (talk) 15:16, 3 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

A personal email from the UDC's research librarian confirms: "We can find no proof of her membership." Yopienso (talk) 01:50, 9 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20101105214005/http://www.frankkwheaton.com/Essie_Mae_W._Williams.html to http://www.frankkwheaton.com/Essie_Mae_W._Williams.html

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United Daughters of the Confederacy[edit]

Was she accepted?Slatersteven (talk) 16:48, 1 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]

So no she was not.Slatersteven (talk) 16:56, 1 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Carrie Butler was not a slave[edit]

I'm not sure how to make a summary of my edit using the Wikipedia phone app, but just pointing out: if Carrie Butler, the mother of Strom Thurmond's child, was a teenager in 1925, 60 years after the abolition of slavery, she was plainly never a slave. 2603:8001:4700:10FB:69CF:84D5:A376:2099 (talk) 09:07, 16 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]