But despite his genius vision, Williams still had to overcome the discrimination of clients who saw his race before his talent. He had a few things he would use just to help him to win them [clients] over, said Williams granddaughter, Karen E. Hudson. They got there and stopped in their tracks because they didn t realize he was Black, and they were ready to back out.
There were a few methods Williams would use to help persuade potential clients. One of the most well-known was drawing upside down. Instead of sitting shoulder to shoulder with clients, Williams would sit across the table from them, asking questions about their vision. As the client described what they were wanting, he would sketch the design upside down.
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