Fannie Barrier Williams was born on Feb. 12, 1855, in Brockport, New York, making her the youngest of Anthony and Harriet Barrier’s three children. Brockport was home to the Williams family for many years as they were heavily involved in the community at Brockport’s first Baptist Church. Despite being the only Black members in attendance at this church Anthony was a lay minister, while Harriet taught bible classes and Williams often sang and played the piano at Sunday services. Williams attended Brockport public schools with her older siblings, Ella and George growing up.  

Williams attended college in Brockport at the Brockport State Normal School (now known as SUNY Brockport) to become a teacher, and she was the first African American to graduate from there. Soon after, Williams moved to Missouri to teach recently freed slaves, but she endured extreme racism. Although the Williams were one of very few Black families in Brockport, they always felt as if they were equal to their white peers. However, the racism she encountered after moving away from home was too much to bear.

Williams later moved to Washington D.C. where she met her future husband Samuel Laing Williams. The couple married in 1870 and moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Samuel opened a successful law practice. They took on leading activist roles working alongside Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois to advocate for African American rights as well as women’s rights.

Williams’ long repertoire of achievements include founding the National League of Colored Women in 1893, assisting Daniel Hale Williams (no relation) establish Provident Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, in 1891 and helping W.E.B. DuBois found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. After many years of breaking barriers for women of color around the country, she returned home to Brockport to take care of her sister Ella, who had recently become blind.