BIO
Williams is National President/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women and former Counsel to the U.S. Congress’ District of Columbia Sub-Committee on the Judiciary and Education. She is a former Professor of International Law at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA. She previously served as Legislative Counsel and Chief of Staff for a District of Columbia Councilmember. She is a former teacher in the Los Angeles Unified Schools. She is an appointee by President Barack Obama to the Presidential Scholars Commission.
She holds a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Southern California; a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law; Administration and Supervision Credential from U.C.L.A; BS Degree from Grambling State University of Louisiana and PhD in Public Administration from City University of Los Angeles. She completed her Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. She has studied at Atlanta Law School, the University of Michigan, Pepperdine University and George Washington University—where she received credentials in the Education Policy Fellowship Program at the latter.
She has traveled extensively, and has done research abroad and at home on numerous subjects. Williams’ PhD. dissertation is entitled “The Harassment of African Americans”. Her Doctor of Ministry thesis is on “The Role of the Church in the Health of its Members”. She is the author of 3 other books on political and foreign affairs–one of which is entitled “The Peace Terrorists”, that chronicles her 40 day peace mission in the Middle East leading up to the 1992 Gulf War.
She was the first African American to run a viable political campaign for the U.S. Congress in Louisiana – narrowly missing victory after a mysterious “computer breakdown”. She received nearly 100,000 votes and came within 6/10ths of 1% of being credited with winning a Congressional seat. Supporters often refer to her as “Louisiana’s Congresswoman in Exile”. She later worked briefly as White House Liaison to the U.S. Department of Energy during the Clinton Administration.
She is a prolific public speaker. She has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including BET, CBS, CNN, NPR, Good Morning America, the David Brinkley Show, the Canadian Broadcasting System, C-Span, MSNBC’s Hard Ball and others. She has appeared on WorldNet Television to discuss the role people of African descent play in elections. She has addressed numerous peace and human rights groups in the U.S., Greece, Iraq, Haiti, Gabon, Senegal, Tunisia, Palestine, Israel, Benin and other nations. She was a delegate to the Reconciliation Conference in Benin, West Africa, and the StraightTalk Economic Empowerment Conference in South Africa
She served as an election monitor in Venezuela’s 2008 elections. She is a former member of the Board of Broadband Everywhere, City at Peace, Girls and Boys Town USA, Council for the National Interest, National Organization for Women (NOW) , National Council of Women’s Organizations and others.
She was a news talk show host for a number of years on “Focus on the African World” on Radio One. She later hosted “The George Washington Carver Health and Wellness Show” on WWGB Radio, served as Director of Public Affairs, and hosted “PowerTalk”. Additionally, she hosted “Empowerment 2000” on WYCB Radio. She appears as a regular commentator/panelist on several radio and television programs. She currently hosts SIRIUS XM127’s “Make It Plain”.
She is Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta, Life Member of the NAACP, District of Columbia Bar Association, and Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society. For 10 years, she served as President of the Grambling Alumni Association, and a Shreveport, LA area Chapter was named in her honor. She works with many other business, education, professional, peace, human rights and civic organizations – from which she has received hundreds of honors—including OIC’s Key to Success Award in business. Another of her many honors includes the Council for the National Interest’s They Dare to Speak Out Award for her work on peace and human rights. She was inducted into The HistoryMakers, and received the Zeta Phi Beta Community Service Award. She is a member of the Grambling University Hall of Fame.
She has been a recipient of the Iota Phi Lamda Sorority’s Woman of the Year Award. She received the Star Performer Award from the Asian Benevolent Society for her work in creating diversity and promoting business opportunities in Washington, DC among the various cultures. She traveled to Damona, Israel to receive the Humanitarian Award from the African Hebrew Israelites. She received the Winnie Mandela Endurance with Dignity award from the Support A Child Foundation, Inc., Community Service awards from many organizations, and Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Indiana Black Expo. She was inducted into Ford Motor Company’s Freedom Sisters in 2009, in Who’s Who in Black DC in 2009 and Indigo’s Sisterhood in 2008.
She has been recognized as one of Ebony Magazine’s “100 Most Influential Black Americans” and “Power 150″. She was a surrogate for the “Obama for President Campaign”, speaking at many rallies, luncheons and meetings throughout the nation, and she is now a “Presidential Partner” and was a founder of “Black Women for Obama for Change”. She is a weekly contributing writer to Trice-Edney Wire Service.
She is a Louisiana native, and comes from a family of nine children. She is a member of Unity Church of Washington, DC.