Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Supported by

Author, Westside School Alum Reflects On Wide-Ranging Career

In 1949, Brenda Williams attended the historic Westside School, what was then called the Las Vegas Grammar School.

Although the school was integrated at the time, much of the community was not. 

Hearing the stories of those who attended the Westside School was part of her motivation to write "Westside School Alumni Stories: Our School, Our Community, Our Time, (1923-1967)."

After graduating, Williams has several firsts to boast of. She was the first African American to ever work in the banking industry in Nevada, and then the first at the Department of Motor Vehicles as well.

Many years later, she was called upon by then Senator Richard Bryan to be a constituent services representative in his Las Vegas senate office. In 2007, former Mayor Oscar Goodman appointed her to serve as interim councilwoman for the City of Las Vegas. 

Williams is the founder and president of the Westside School Alumni Foundation. 

WIlliams joins KNPR for a series of profile interviews in honor of Black History Month, as she recalls those early jobs, the discrimination she faced, and the progress she made in the community. 

Brenda Williams, retired, former constituent services representative for Sen. Richard Bryan and interim city councilwoman, City of Las Vegas 

Stay Connected
Prior to taking on the role of Broadcast Operations Manager in January 2021, Rachel was the senior producer of KNPR's State of Nevada program for 6 years. She helped compile newscasts and provided coverage for and about the people of Southern Nevada, as well as major events such as the October 1 shooting on the Las Vegas strip, protests of racial injustice, elections and more. Rachel graduated with a bachelor's degree of journalism and mass communications from New Mexico State University.