User:Thelema12/Jeanetta Williams
president of the Salt Lake chapter of the NAACP,
She grew up in a small Oklahoma town called Boley. Her father was a construction worker. Her mother died when Jeanetta was a girl.
Her husband, Thomas Williams, died in 1985 of what she says was a rare lung disease. They had one daughter together.
Williams attended Idaho State University
led efforts to change the name of Human Rights Day in Utah to Martin Luther King Holiday.
gave her support to a successful effort to name a street in West Jordan after the late Rosa Parks,
served on the NAACP's national board of directors from 1996-2002
under her leadership the NAACP's Salt Lake chapter has filed class-action lawsuits against Fruit Heights, Bluffdale and Summit County over zoning ordinances[1]
Jeanetta is president of the NAACP Salt Lake Branch, NAACP Tri-State Conference of Idaho, Nevada, and Utah and a former member of the NAACP National Board of Directors.
She led the successful effort to change Utah’s Human Rights Day to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day during the 2000 Legislative session. She also assisted Legislators in 2007 with the passage of Legislation to change Utah’s Constitution start day of the legislative session from the third Monday in January to the fourth Monday.
Jeanetta has served on numerous boards and commissions and is a former member of the Utah State Bar Ethics and Discipline Committee, investigating grievances against Lawyers.
She was one of 6 individuals to sign a petition to force Vouchers on the ballot in Utah, November 2007. The initiative was won by 62% of the voters. January 2008, the Utah School Boards Association recognized Jeanetta for her involvement with the anti-voucher movement and awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Award and July 2008, she was awarded, “The Keeper of the Flame” award at the NAACP National Convention by the Labor Unions at their luncheon.
Jeanetta led efforts after the death of Rosa Parks to work with City Council’s to name streets in Utah to honor Rosa Parks. Streets bearing Rosa Park’s name are in Salt Lake City (largest City in Utah), West Jordan (4th largest City in Utah) and West Valley City (2nd largest City). A bench in Sandy, Utah (6th largest City in Utah) was dedicated with its Rosa Parks inscription, is now located on a frequented walking path at the Sandy Amphitheater for the annual 35,000 visitors to enjoy, along with the 9/11 monument.
Jeanetta retired from US West Communications and Utah Transit Authority. She has an MBA and all of her work as President of the NAACP is voluntary.[2]