After college, Williams taught in Gulfport and
Pass Christian, Mississippi, from 1904 to 1908. She taught at Fisk Elementary in
Albion, Michigan from 1908 to 1917. When she returned to
New Orleans in 1921, Williams taught initially at the
Valena C. Jones School, an elementary school, and later at the
Valena C. Jones Normal School; both of which shared a campus. One of her students was
Andrew Young, who recalled her fondly for bringing celebrities to speak at the school, including
Marian Anderson and
Joe Louis. She retired from school work in 1954. She held a position on many organizations including the boards of the Orleans Neighborhood Center, the Family Service Society, the Girl Scouts, and the Department of Public Welfare. In 1974 she was presented with a certificate of appreciation by the
Community Chest of New Orleans, and honored at a banquet by the New Orleans Retired Teachers Association. Williams participated in three
White House Conferences during the administrations of
Herbert Hoover,
Franklin Roosevelt, and
Harry Truman. succeeding
Mordecai Wyatt Johnson. She taught at summer institutes at
historically Black colleges and universities including
Tuskegee University,
Southern University,
Alabama State College,
West Virginia State College, and
Alcorn State University. In 1939, columnist
Elizabeth Galbreath of
The Chicago Defender called Williams "the woman they ought to hire to keep the world out of war—she knows so well what to do all of the time, and how and why to do it." == Death and legacy ==