City of Grand Rapids unveils Donald Williams Sr. Legacy Room at MLK Community Center

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The City of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department, together with the Williams family, unveiled the Donald Williams Sr. Legacy Room on Saturday at the MLK Community Center. The ceremony honored Mr. Williams’s life, decades of service and lasting impact on the community.

Family members, friends, neighborhood leaders and residents gathered for the event, which celebrated Mr. Williams’s long-standing vision for a youth center at Martin Luther King Park. For more than 20 years, he pushed for a space where young people could learn, connect and grow. His ideas and advocacy helped shape the MLK Community Center that stands today.

City leaders noted that the naming followed the City’s established park naming policy. The proposal received strong support from the City Manager and Third Ward Commissioners. Mr. Williams’s granddaughter, Brittini Williams, worked closely with City staff and community partners throughout the naming process to help ensure her grandfather’s legacy would be honored in a meaningful way.

“Our family is incredibly honored to see my grandfather, Donald Williams Sr., recognized in such a meaningful and lasting way,” Brittini said. “He dedicated so much of his life to this community, and having a space named in his honor ensures that his contributions and legacy will continue to be remembered for generations to come. It is especially meaningful that this recognition is connected to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose vision of equality, service, and community reflects so much of what my grandfather stood for.”

The Legacy Room will serve as a space for community programs, gatherings and youth opportunities. It stands as a testament to Mr. Williams’s belief in bringing people together and investing in the next generation.

The City thanks the Williams family and all community members who joined to celebrate this milestone and the enduring contributions of Donald Williams Sr. 

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