Support the Eugene Williams Memorial fund. Proceeds will benefit the making of a tombstone commemorating his life and sacrifice. Click here to make your tax deductible donation.  Who was Eugene Williams? The black teenager’s death sparked Chicago’s 1919 race riot, but few facts are known about Williams himself. He died in the waters of Lake Michigan on the afternoon of July 27, 1919, after a white man threw rocks at him — a tragedy that spiraled into a spate of violence lasting several days, with 38 people dead. Read more .