A Talk: Judge Calvin Williams (Montgomery, AL) Admin Family Court

Travis Armstong, Ed.D

Dr. Travis Armstrong is the community outreach coordinator of the Foot Soldier’s Journey organization led by his cousin, Thomas Armstrong, who is an original Mississippi Freedom Rider of 1961. The organization’s purpose is to provide civic education and engagement to educate organizations about the lessons of the civil rights movement era and to inform on the contemporary civil rights issues of today. Dr. Armstrong also serves on several committees including the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Prentiss (MS) Normal and Industrial Institute Partnership Team. Armstrong retired from the United States Air Force in 2014 after 23 years of active duty service and served in Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and in Europe, Asia, and the continental United States. He specialized in combat troop deployment services and designed, produced, and implemented instructional development programs for the Air Force Human Resources career field, serving over 44,000 personnel.

Interview Description

Historianspeaks is pleased to present this YouTube interview. This video features an interview by Dr. Travis Armstrong with Judge Calvin Williams. The interviewer is Dr. Armstrong and the interviewee is Judge Williams. Dr. Armstrong interviews Montgomery County (AL) Circuit Court Judge Calvin Williams about his life growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, his distinguished military career, and his legal career at the city and county level in city and county jurisprudence. One of Judge Williams’ most notable achievements was the expungement in 2021 of the nearly 70-year criminal record of Claudette Colvin. Colvin was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her arrest preceeded Rosa Parks' arrest that precipitated the Montogomery Bus Boycott from 1955-1956. Judge Williams discusses the historical importance of Colvin’s act of civil disobedience and his role in the judicial proceeding which expunged her record.

#TravisArmstrong #JudgeCalvinWilliams #ClaudetteColvin #MontgomeryBusBoycott #RosaParks #JusticeDelayedButNoDenied #CivilRightsMovement

NOTE: We at Historianspeaks appreciate our contributors and the many individuals who have agreed to participate in this work. We are very grateful to Dr Armstrong and Judge Williams for this wonderful interview.