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Mrs. Williams is, at her core, a figure of resilience. She appears at McMillan’s new trial to represent her community in the courtroom, but she inevitably becomes a symbol of Black Americans’ historical commitment to the fight for justice. Stevenson details his encounter with Mrs. Williams in Chapter Nine, describing her as an older Black woman with a dignified air about her. The calm, put-together nature of her appearance indicates right away that she is a self-assured woman, secure in who she is and what she believes in, and Stevenson admires her for it. Given this characterization, Mrs. Williams’s terrified reaction to the police dog inside the courtroom is particularly heartbreaking. Seeing the dog elicits deeply held fears surrounding police brutality, and these fears prevent her from supporting McMillan in court that day. In addition to highlighting the persistence of intimidation tactics in the modern-day legal system, this episode reflects the ways in which past traumas can manifest themselves in an individual’s behavior or attitude. Mrs. Williams’s memories of the violence she experienced while marching for voting rights in Selma, for example, make it extremely difficult for her to face the police dog. After lamenting her inability to enter the courtroom, she returns the next day with an even stronger resolve to represent her community and ultimately succeeds in overcoming her fear of the dog. Mrs. Williams’s repeated declarations of “I’m here!” emphasize the fact that, despite the obstacles in her way, she has the power and courage to stand up for what she believes in. Much like the generations of Black Americans who came before her, she refuses to let her oppressors destroy her spirit.
