Richard E. Williams Jr. of Clarkston is a man who puts his faith in the power of being good to his fellow man, and that that kindness can generate positive change.
‘I believe that civility, the golden rule ‘do on to others and you would have them do onto you,? breeds trust, breeds positive and intentional, meaningful relationships,? said Williams
Williams, 53, grew up in Illinois, and from a young age was active in civil rights initiatives. In 1966, as a youth marshal for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Williams had the honor of escorting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the stage at Solider Field for a speech. With vivid clarity, Williams recalls the brief conversation he was able to have with the legendary civil rights activist.
‘The question I asked was ‘Dr. King, the dream that you had, was that my dream also?? and he said ‘No. You don’t have any red clay and you don’t have any hills in Chicago … You can use some of my things if you want to because our dreams are made of experiences we have or we have shared with others or books that we read that put images out there…but you have your own dream…More importantly, no matter what you dream for, you dream for a place where you family and everybody can be safe. And when you dream, don’t forget to dare to dream beyond what you see.??
When King died, Williams said he and other students organized a prayer vigil of over 10,000 students from five different high schools.
Following his own dream, Williams continued working with economic and political development, considering those a prerequisite for everything he does.
‘Nobody else has the responsibility to take care of our neighborhood but us,? Williams said.
Williams attributes his strong advocacy of family and friends to an early upbringing in the Presbyterian Church. Williams said he also grew up in a balanced home, being one of seven children and said divorce was not even a concept in his experience.
Williams said he carries his values throughout his life.
‘I was born January 1, 1952. I don’t know if I’ll be around January 1, 2052… but I do know that I will one day die. But right now ? between January 1, 1952 and when that certainty of death comes ? I’m living on a thing that I call the dash. And while I live on this dash, I want to make a contribution and make a difference, and make a meaningful impact.?
Williams attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he obtained his bachelor of arts in economics. He later attended Northern Illinois University where he obtained a master’s in business administration in finance and marketing.
After leaving Illinois, Williams moved to Milwaukee for 20 years, where he and his wife Deborah began a family. The couple has four children – Richard ‘Ricky? 25; Jeremy, 23; Lauren, 18 and Lorina, 16.
Deborah’s work with General Motors brought the family to the Clarkston area. Deborah also sits on the diversity board for Clarkston Schools.
While in Milwaukee, Williams worked as an account executive for the United Parcel Service, a job that allowed transfer to the Clarkston area. For a brief period of time, Williams worked at the Palace of Auburn Hills. In 1995, Williams became the director of community and minority affairs in Oakland County almost unintentially after a meeting with Kenneth Rogers, who at the time was the director of community and economic development in Oakland County.
‘I wasn’t looking for a job. I really went over to just volunteer and see if they had some sort of small business program I could work with,? Williams explained.
Williams said one conversation led to another though, and after discussing politics, he ended up meeting L. Brooks Patterson, who offered him the position.
‘Part of my responsibility was to open up doors that had been closed,? Williams said.
Some of those initial challenges included increasing communication between Oakland County and the city of Pontiac and Oakland University. Williams said his assignment was to work with other governing bodies to build new opportunities, open access to county resources, promote county programs and make sure the county’s micro-interests were not overshadowed by the big picture.
Williams said he is an advocate of involvement as a way of empowerment. Having limited resources available, Williams became involved with more than a dozen organizations in Oakland County, including Crossroads for Youth, United Way and Leadership Oakland.
‘I had a chance to meet so many people and learn all the infrastructure of Oakland County,? said Williams about the benefits of being part of Leadership Oakland. These connections with people Williams called ‘major-leaguers? allowed him to do his job.
To do that, Williams connects the right people needed to open communication and bridge gaps between various organizations, communities and businesses throughout the county. Williams said the goal of his work is to give people opportunities they may not of had otherwise.
‘I’d like to have a series of community dialogues right here in Clarkston. There’s still a lot of disconnect here. My position is we need to have everybody talking,? said Williams
‘I’m just a firm believer that we must engage all of these stakeholders. Everybody has to come to the table, you can’t leave anybody out…. whoever they may be, they have a right to be at the table. And when they sit down, I do take what I do to heart.?
Of the many organizations Williams became involved with, he said Crossroads for Youth became very special.
‘I saw kids? lives change,? Williams said about watching the process of students going from courtroom referrals to the activity center at the Oxford-based program for troubled youths.’Crossroads creates some opportunities.We can monitor kids and also give kids an opportunity to take another choice.?
Even though Williams no longer works for the county, he has remained an active member of several boards, and in particular stays devoted to supporting groups like Crossroads and Leadership Oakland.
‘They’re not political, they’re engaged, they truly have a passion for what their missions are,? Williams said, adding the work of people like Dr. Janet McPeek, president of Crossroads for Youth, has touched his heart.
Williams left his position with the county in January and now works full-time as a managing partner for Metro Consultants Group, LLC in Clarkston. The group’s focus is on political consultation and lobbying.
Faith continues to play a major role in Williams’s life ? he is a pastor at New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Pontiac. Williams roles at work and church are very similar, involving community outreach.
Williams said he’s not sure exactly what the next step is for him in the community. He mentioned the possibility of running for a school board seat somewhere down the line, but not for sure.
One thing is for certain though, he will stay dedicated to community development. And while his work continues throughout the entire county, Clarkston will remain where he hangs his hat (and it has a wolf on it).