Camilla Ella Williams (1919-2012) was an operatic soprano from Danville who became the first African American contract singer with the New York City Opera and performed national and internationally. Alongside her musical career, Camilla Williams became a campaigner for civil rights, singing the national anthem at the 1963 March on Washington before Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Several houses remain in Danville associated with Camilla Williams, as well as the church she attended, Calvary Baptist Church.