On September 12 in New York City, celebrated civilrights photographer Cecil Williams made his runway debut at Sony Hall on Broadway, modeling his trademark image of defiance—drinking from a segregation-era “White Only” water fountain. Sharing the stage with the daughters of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Ruby Bridges, and family members of noted rapper Tupac Shakur, Williams brought both history and symbolism to the fashion world. The invitation came from Lanny Smith, former NBA superstar and founder of Actively Black, a high-end online apparel line blending fashion with social impact. Wearing a sleek hoodie, sunglasses, and carrying his everpresent camera, Williams strode the narrow catwalk Friday evening, pausing to photograph the overflow crowd of more than 1,000 attendees.
Behind him, a towering wall-to-wall mega-screen projected his original 1956 image at the “White Only” fountain— transforming the runway into a living tableau of courage and resistance. The crowd erupted in applause as Williams reached the end of the catwalk, raised his hood over his head, and gave a nod to history.
Reflecting on that historic photograph, Williams said it captured a moment of deep frustration and resolve.
“This was not the only time I went around the barriers,” he recalled. “There were moments when I was bold enough—and frankly sick and tired—of living in a segregated society.”
A Mission Beyond Fashion Today, Williams runs the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum in Orangeburg, dedicated to preserving and telling the story of the state’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. He said Actively Black’s commitment to supporting nonprofits that serve the Black community inspired him to partner with the company and license his photograph. Along with Williams, his wife Barbara, and
sister Brenda pooled together personal funds to launch the museum in 2019 after for over two decades, everyone turned their quest down.
“We hope to maintain a strong relationship with Actively Black,” Williams said. “They are an astounding company. Like us, they are African American–owned and they give back to the Black community.”
Williams views the collaboration as more than a fashion moment—it’s a way to amplify South Carolina’s often-overlooked contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. For instance, he noted, Columbia’s Sarah Mae Fleming challenged segregation on public transportation months before Rosa Parks’ more famous protest in Alabama.
“We’re reaching out to industries and companies in South Carolina and across America to help us tell these untold stories about what makes up the fabric of American society,” he said.
Expanding the Museum’s
Reach
The Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum opened six years ago in a 3,000-square-foot house but is now poised to move into a larger facility. Securing operational funding, however, remains a challenge. Williams hopes his high-profile appearance at the Actively Black show will not only raise awareness of the South Carolina Civil Rights Movement but also bring much-needed support to keep the museum open and accessible.
Institutions like his museum and Actively Black, he emphasized, are more critical than ever.
“The democracy we live in is not free,” Williams said. “It’s built through each and every battle, and we often have to refight those battles to keep people aware of what it takes to live in a democracy.”
