Lillian S. Williams, associate professor in the Department of Africana and American Studies, is the recipient of the 2025 Red Jacket Award from the Buffalo History Museum.

Established in 1957, the award is presented in recognition of “quiet, continued, unbroken devotion to our civic progress and needs by one who, through such devotion, has thereby enlarged our awareness of our heritage in order that it may be built upon for the enrichment of our future.”

According to the history museum, the Red Jacket Award is considered by many to be the most prestigious honor in Western New York. The original Red Jacket medal is one of the most treasured artifacts in Western New York and was repatriated to the Seneca Nation from the history museum in May 2021. It was presented by President George Washington to Seneca Leader Red Jacket (Sagoyewatha) in 1792.

The American Numismatic Society lists the Red Jacket medal as the fifth most
important medal in American history.

A specialist in U.S. social and urban history, Williams’ research is in the areas of institutions, ethnicity, biography and women’s history. She has consulted on major projects for the Smithsonian Museum, the New York State Museum and local museums, corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Williams serves on the executive board of the Niagara Falls National Heritage Corporation and the Michigan Street Historic Area Commission. She also is a member of the steering committee of the National Collaborative for Women’s Historic Sites.

Recent projects include the popular lecture series “Eyes on the Corridor,” which highlights African American history on the East Side of Buffalo. Her groundbreaking research on Mary Burnett Talbert, among others, has led to local and national recognition, including the installation of monuments and historic markers across New York State and beyond.