Billye Aaron

{{Infobox person

| name = Billye Aaron

| image = Hank_and_Billye_Aaron_2002.jpg

| caption = Hank and Billye Aaron in 2002

| birth_name = Billye Jewel Suber

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1936|10|16}}

| birth_place = Anderson County, Texas, U.S.

| education = Texas College (Ban English)
Atlanta University (MA)
University of California at Berkeley (Post-Grad)

| notable_works = Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation

| spouses = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|Samuel Woodrow Williams||1970|reason=died}}
{{marriage|Hank Aaron|1973|2021|reason=died}}

}}

| children = 1 (5 step)

}}

Billye Suber Aaron ({{nee}} Billye Jewel Suber; born October 16, 1936), previously known as Billye Williams, is an American television host who is notable as the first African-American woman in the southeastern United States to regularly co-host a television show, starting with her debut on "Today in Georgia", in 1968.{{cite news |last1=Richardson |first1=Monica |title=Billye Aaron a big hitter when it comes to advocating for women |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/opinion/billye-aaron-big-hitter-when-comes-advocating-for-women/RXnNcnrplHYCBtckmknhfJ/ |access-date=3 February 2022 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=13 May 2016 |location=Atlanta, Georgia}}{{cite news |last1=Stirgus |first1=Eric |title=Lo Jelks, Atlanta's first Black television reporter |url=https://www.ajc.com/education/lo-jelks-atlantas-first-black-television-reporter/KMCMSLBD5JFM7BGKOREZIPOP5Y/ |access-date=3 February 2022 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=3 February 2022 |location=Atlanta, Georgia}}"[https://www.mtmary.edu/news/2013/09/billye-aaron.html Centennial Keynoter Billye Aaron]" Mount Mary University (https://www.mtmary.edu : accessed 3 Feb 2022) Billye went on to host her own show, 'Billye'.

Advocacy

Philanthropy

Co-founder of Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation{{cite news |title=Five Gene Matthews Boys & Girls Club members receive Hank Aaron Chasing The Dream Scholarships |url=https://bgcsdc.org/news-and-press/five-gene-matthews-boys-girls-club-members-receive-hank-aaron-chasing-the-dream-scholarships.html |access-date=15 March 2024 |publisher=Boys & Girls Clubs of America |date=14 December 2018}}
Founder of UNCF Masked Ball{{cite news |last1=Staff Report |title=38th annual Atlanta UNCF Mayor's Masked Ball announces performance by Grammy Award-winner Anthony Hamilton |url=https://theatlantavoice.com/38th-annual-atlanta-uncf-mayors-masked-ball-announces-performance-by-grammy-award-winner-anthony-hamilton/ |access-date=3 February 2022 |work=The Atlanta Voice |date=1 December 2021 |location=Atlanta, Georgia}}

Personal life

Billye Jewel Suber was born in Anderson County, Texas on October 16, 1936, to Nathan Suber and Annie Mae Smith. Billye was first married to civil rights activist Samuel Woodrow Williams; they had one child together, Ceci.[https://www.thehistorymakers.org/sites/default/files/A2016_065_EAD.pdf “Oral History with Billye Aaron”] The HistoryMakers, 2016, (https:/.www.thehistorymakers.org/ : accessed 3 Feb 2022)

{{cite journal |title=Samuel Woodrow Williams (1912–1970) |journal=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/samuel-woodrow-williams-529/ |access-date=4 February 2022 |publisher=Central Arkansas Library System}} In 1973, Billye married professional baseball player, Hank Aaron in Jamaica.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94141738/ "Aaron Married in Jamaica"] database w/images (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 20 Apr 2021) The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida) 13 Nov 1973, Tue Page 46Braverman, Jason. [https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/mlb/atlanta-braves/hank-aaron-funeral-wife-billye-speaks/ Widow of Hank Aaron: 'For 47 years, Henry and I walked this journey together'] 11Alive (https://www.11alive.com/ : accessed 3 Feb 2022)[https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/billye-aaron “Billye Aaron’s Biography.”] The HistoryMakers, 2020, (https:/.www.thehistorymakers.org/ : accessed 3 Feb 2022)