Elizabeth "Tex" Williams - Breaking Barriers with Cameras

Tex Williams was a pioneering military photographer who used her camera to capture overlooked stories and open doors for women and African Americans in her field.

Elizabeth “Tex” Williams was born in Houston, Texas, in 1924. She grew up in a hardworking family and dreamed of building a meaningful career. In 1944, during World War II, she joined the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). At that time, the U.S. military was segregated, which meant Black and white soldiers were kept apart. African Americans faced racism and discrimination at nearly every level of military service, making it especially hard for Black women to be accepted or respected. Tex, however, was determined to prove herself.

When she first joined, Tex was stationed at bases that separated Black soldiers from white ones. The isolation made life difficult, but she continued forward. Eventually, she was relocated to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where the Army was running a training program for photographers. Few African Americans were admitted, but Tex was accepted into the program. This was the beginning of her groundbreaking journey.

After training, Williams worked as both a lab technician and an official Army photographer. Unlike most Army photographers, who were white men and rarely interacted with African American troops, Tex worked directly with Black units. She photographed their daily lives, military operations, and time in the barracks. Her pictures showed a side of the Army that had rarely been seen before, Black soldiers at work, training, and living with dignity and pride.

Tex also pushed boundaries by flying with the Air Force to capture combat maneuvers. Until then, no other woman photographer had gotten that close to the battlefront. With her camera, she documented not only war activities but also the strength and professionalism of African American service members. Her photographs rejected stereotypes and challenged the idea that Black women should only be seen as victims in need of protection. Instead, Tex presented herself, and the soldiers she photographed, as capable, confident, and strong.

After the war, Tex continued to break barriers. In 1949, she became the first woman, and one of the few African Americans, ever accepted into the Photographic Division School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. This school had long been closed to Black applicants, but Tex not only gained entry, she graduated at the very top of her class. Her success was extraordinary, proving her talent, intelligence, and determination.

Williams’s career did not end with her military service. She went on to work for U.S. defense and intelligence agencies, holding positions that were rarely open to women, and almost never to African American women. She photographed a wide range of subjects, from medical and defense work to intelligence assignments. Over time, her images contributed to a deeper understanding of African Americans’ role in the military, showing them as skilled professionals who deserved recognition.

Tex also became an important symbol for Black women in the military. In Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe’s book Viewfinders: Black Women Photographers, images of Williams show her with her camera, confidently wearing her uniform, and even striking bold poses. In one photograph, she places her leg on a car, camera in hand, with a heavy equipment case on her back. At a time when women, especially Black women, were often portrayed only as delicate or passive, Williams showed independence, strength, and command. Her stance sent a message: she did not need others to protect her, she was a protector herself.

Elizabeth “Tex” Williams served in the military until 1970, a long and distinguished career. She continued to live in Arizona after retirement, remembered not only as a skilled photographer but as a pioneer who paved the way for others. By entering spaces that had been closed to both women and African Americans, she proved that barriers could be broken.

Tex’s legacy lives on in the photographs she left behind and, in the paths she opened for future generations. She showed that a determined woman, armed with talent and courage, could change the way people saw African Americans in the military, and help move the country toward greater equality.

References:
Brady, Emily. “‘shutterbug?’: Black Women Photographers and the Politics of Self-Representation.” Panorama, 11 June 2023, kids.kiddle.co/Elizabeth_Williams_(photographer).

Key words:
Arts, Civil Rights, Courage, Perseverance, Achievement, Responsibility, Make a Difference, Challenge Injustices

Image Citation:
Public Domain

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Elizabeth "Tex" Williams Artworks