Darryl K. Williams of Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts and Milton, Massachusetts was an advocate for social justice, compassion and forgiveness as well as a local advocate for accessibility for persons with disabilities. As a 15 year old African-American living in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, Williams became the victim of a school shooting on September 28, 1979 in Charlestown, Massachusetts while playing at a high school football game. As a result of the shooting, Williams was paralyzed from the neck down. After the shooting, Boston mayor Kevin White and other local, state and federal officials promised Williams and his family long term financial help, but over the decades that help was limited to Medicare benefits and private donations. Despite this, Williams earned a high school diploma and a bachelor's degree and spoke to many thousands of Boston area high school students and others about gun violence and social justice in sports. Darryl was given scholarship awards and many civic honors. Williams over the decades helped countless high school students and adults in and around Boston learn to accept persons of other races. Joe Malone, the Massachusetts State Treasurer in the 1990s, gave Williams a job at the Massachusetts State Lottery where he worked for many years. Also, when Richard E. Lapchick founded Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport In Society he gave Williams a position where he gave presentations on violence prevention to high school students. Richard Lapchick could relate to Williams as both Lapchick and Lapchick's father were the victims of sports related hate crimes. Williams wrote two unpublished works which are generally autobiographical: "An Inadvertant Hero" is registered at the United States Copyright Office, and "Triumphant" is an unfinished memoir. Richard E. Lapchick, a former professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts and a longtime friend of Darryl Williams, described Darryl in an ESPN.com article as an advocate for social justice, compassion and forgiveness in a city that faced racial tensions throughout his lifetime. Besides Lapchick, who started a memorial fund in Darryl's name, Williams counted among his friends and supporters Muhammad Alithe champion boxer, Joe Malone a former Massachusetts State Treasurer, countless emergency responders and former high school students in and around Boston, fellow employees and his local church parishioners.
Early life
Williams was born in Boston on January 28, 1964. His family included his mother and one sister with whom he lived all his life. Growing up in the neighborhood of Roxbury within the city of Boston in Massachusetts, Williams attended services at Eliot Congregational Church. As a teenager in the late 1970s, he attended Jamaica Plain High School. The high school was not his first choice, but because of court ordered school busing in effect at the time in Boston, he was assigned there. As a sophomore, he played for the varsity football team. He liked playing guitar and dreamed of becoming a professional football player one day.
School shooting
Events Leading Up To Shooting
On Friday, September 28, 1979, Darryl Williams was playing for the first time as a wide receiver on Jamaica Plain High School's football team. The team had traveled to Charlestown in Massachusetts to play against the host school, Charlestown High School. There were notable racial tensions as well as school busing in Boston during the mid and late 1970's, and the neighborhood of Charlestown was not considered hospitable to African American teenagers such as Williams. The ethnic makeup of Charlestown High School in 1979 was mostly Irish and otherwise European whereas at Jamaica Plain High School the makeup was more diverse. The respective football teams reflected this difference. Despite the differences and tensions, the teams met and began playing.
The Shooting
Late in the 2nd quarter, Williams caught his first pass ever in a high school varsity football game. His reception led to a score for Jamaica Plain High School. The 2nd quarter ended soon afterward, and it was halftime. The team opted to stay outside during halftime instead of going to the guest locker room. Williams and his team huddled together near the end zone, celebrated Williams' reception and their 6-0 lead. The football coach started giving a pep talk. Meanwhile, across the street about 300 yards away, 3 teenage Irish American teenage boys living in a nearby Charlestown housing project perched on the roof of an empty apartment building. One of the teenagers had recently found a loaded pistol, and he fired the gun in the direction of the visiting team. The bullet went between Williams' shoulder pads and helmet and lodged in the back of his neck. Darryl fell to the ground unconscious in front of his teammates. Other teammates, fearing a mass shooting, fell to the ground as well. One of the teammates noticed Darryl was unconscious and called for help. When Williams awoke, he was unable to feel anything below his neck.
The Aftermath
Williams was taken by ambulance from the football field in Charlestown. However, the ambulance went to Boston City Hospital in the South End neighborhood of Boston for treatment even though Massachusetts General Hospital in the West End was much closer. Darryl was paralyzed from the neck down and confined to a motorized wheelchair. Both football teams left the stadium and never played the second half of the game. The 3 teenagers involved were found and arrested within 2 days after the shooting. The next day, Pope John Paul II arrived in Boston for a pastoral visit, and shortly after that on October 3rd a large rally of thousands of adults and high school students was held in front of City Hall in support of Williams. Several local and state politicians visited Darryl and his mother at Boston City Hospital during his recovery there and promised their support. The 3 teenage suspects were charged in the shooting and sent home after posting bail. With racial tensions and fears of more violence, Charlestown High School did not play another home football game for nine years. In Jamaica Plain High School's 1981 yearbook, it is noted that a Darryl Williams week was commemorated at the school in Williams' honor. The two older suspects including the shooter were convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The third and youngest one, a 16 year old at the time, was tried in juvenile court and found not guilty. While in prison, the shooter told an interviewer that he was aiming at pigeons, not people. Williams and his family disputed the shooter's claim, and at one point the youngest admitted to a reporter that they were not shooting at birds. Williams moved with his family to a wheelchair accessible home in Milton, Massachusetts in the early 1980s. The Freedom House of Roxbury, Massachusetts owned the house at the time and allowed Williams and his family to move there. Williams remained at the home for the next 30 years until the time of his death.
Adult life
Introduction
During a time of racial tensions, Darryl and his family opted not to use inflammatory rhetoric which could lead to more violence. Instead, he preached forgiveness whenever he could, and he advocated for peace and racial harmony. About the shooting, Williams said, “White people did not shoot me. Three white people shot me.” Richard Lapchick, who also knew Nelson Mandela well, described Williams as "'America's lesser-known Nelson Mandela.' Like Mandela, he had every reason to hate white people. Instead, he loved all people."
Education and Career
Williams attended the Massachusetts Hospital School and earned a high school degree from Boston Public Schools. With the help of a President's Scholarship, he then earned a bachelor's degree from Northeastern University in Boston. Darryl was given a computer which responded to his verbal commands so that he could write. Joe Malone as Massachusetts State Treasurer hired Williams to work for the Massachusetts State Lottery.
Rights Activism
In 1984, Richard Lapchick hired Williams as a motivational speaker. Williams spoke to thousands of high school students about compassion, understanding and forgiveness in the face of violence in schools and racial tensions in Boston. He also advocated often for wheelchair accessibility in public places. He made friends with sports writers such as Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe and sports figures such as boxer Muhammad Ali. Ali called Darryl the "Second Greatest" after visiting him in 1991.
End of Life
Williams died in his sleep at his home in Milton on March 28, 2010. Since then, several articles about Williams' life and accomplishments have been written by sports writers and several others. Richard Lapchick started a memorial fund in memory of Darryl Williams to help his family.
