Willie James facts for kids

Reverend Willie R. James, Sr. (born September 13, 1920 – died August 2, 2016) was an important leader in the Civil Rights Movement in New Jersey. Starting in the late 1950s, he worked to stop unfair housing rules. He later led the NAACP chapter in Burlington County. He also fought against poverty, unfair job practices, and the death penalty.

Willie James's Early Life

Willie James was born in Vidalia, Louisiana in 1920. He went to Southern University in Baton Rouge. In 1941, he joined the army. He worked as an officer in the Criminal Investigation Unit. In 1946, he moved to Fort Dix in New Jersey. There, he met his future wife, Bernice.

Fighting for Fair Housing

James became involved in the Civil Rights Movement by chance. In 1958, a company called Levitt and Sons started selling homes. These homes were for a new community in South Jersey. This area later became Willingboro Township.

The Levittown Housing Case

Levitt and Sons had a rule not to sell homes to African-Americans. But James tried to buy a home in Levittown. On June 29, 1958, a company agent told him the new community would be all-white. At that time, unfair housing rules were common across America.

However, a friend told James that it was against the law in New Jersey to discriminate. This was true if the housing received government help. Levittown was getting mortgage insurance from the Federal Housing Administration. This law had not been fully tested yet.

Taking Action Against Discrimination

James decided to sue Levitt and Sons. His case was combined with another similar lawsuit. This other suit was by Franklin Todd against Green Fields Farms. James received help from many groups. These included the NAACP and the League of Women Voters. Local Quaker groups also supported him.

His lawyer was Emerson L. Darnell, who was also a Quaker. The case gained a lot of media attention. This was because the new Levittown was a model for modern suburbs. The case went all the way to the New Jersey Supreme Court. The court agreed with the earlier rulings in James's favor.

Levitt tried to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. But his request was denied. In 1960, the case was settled. One rule of the settlement was that James could buy his home at the 1958 price.

First African-American Families in Willingboro

James was not the first African-American to move into Willingboro. Charles and Vera Williams were the first. They moved in 1960 because of James's lawsuit. James later moved into Millbrook Park in 1960. He raised his seven children there. He remembered moving in smoothly. His new white neighbors even helped him set up curtains.

Levitt's Integration Policy

After the court case, Levitt created a plan for integration. This plan aimed to help people of different backgrounds live together. Levitt formed an integration committee. Howard Lett, an African American, led this committee.

Lett created a five-point program. It included having community leaders announce Levitt's decision to desegregate. This helped make the change smoother. Lett also suggested ways to stop anti-integration actions.

The Human Relations Council

Another idea from Lett was to create a Human Relations Council. This council would help with any community disagreements. James later became a member of this council.

The Council looked into claims against real estate agents. These agents were accused of scaring white homeowners. They told them their neighborhood was becoming more African-American. They said home values might drop. The Council could not prove these claims. But it did suggest ways to improve relations among different groups.

Continuing His Activism

After his big win against Levitt, James became a leader. He became head of the Burlington County Chapter of the NAACP. He led the NAACP Branch from 1963 to 1974. He stayed active in the local Civil Rights Movement.

More Civil Rights Work

James faced Levitt again in 1963. He and the Congress of Racial Equality protested against the developer. This was because Levitt refused to sell homes to African-Americans in Prince George's County, Maryland.

In 1966, James's wife, Bernice, organized a sit-in with the NAACP. This was to desegregate a local recreation area called Holiday Lake.

After leaving the Army, James worked for IT&T. He was the Director of Equal Employment Operations. This job was in Paramus, New Jersey. Even with the commute, James stayed involved in his community.

He was active in the Kinsmen. This was an African-American male civic group in Willingboro. He worked with the NAACP to survey Willingboro Plaza. This was the town's shopping center. They found no African-Americans working there. After talking with store owners, several African-Americans were hired.

James also filed a complaint against the U.S. Pipe Company. This company was in Burlington, New Jersey. He said they had separate showers for African-Americans. He also said they failed to hire and promote Black workers. In the 1960s, James helped start the Burlington County Community Action Program. This program helps people in need in the County.

Return to Activism

In 1974, James moved to Providence, Rhode Island for his job. While living there, he became a minister. He moved back to New Jersey in 1996. In 1999, he returned to his old role. He became head of the County's NAACP Branch again.

He asked then-New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman to do two things. He asked her to study why most people in state prisons were minorities. He also asked her to stop the death penalty in New Jersey. The Governor said no to both requests. Rev. James also brought the issue of minority imprisonment to the National NAACP Convention. This effort became known as the National Project.

In 2001, Willingboro Township honored him. They renamed the school in Pennypacker Park. It became the W.R. James, Sr. Elementary School.