Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Feb. 7, 2018, edition 1 / Page 8
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BLACK HISTORYWl Randy Williams, a senior administrator, faced a winding path to arrive at Elon Emmanuel Morgan Managing Editor | @EmmanueLMorgan I F YOU SEE RANDY Williams, he’ll probably be wearing a bowtie. Unless it’s a special occasion, that piece of neckwear will always be on him. But many people don’t realize the struggle behind Williams having the opportunity to wear one everyday. Some don’t even know that the bowtie and his credentials may have played a factor in preventing a vio lent police encounter. Not even a full year into his tenure at Elon University, Williams, then a presidential fellow and dean of mul ticultural affairs in 2014, was stopped by a police officer and questioned during a traffic stop after a robbery of a nearby bank at Elon. Confused and dazed, Williams did something he normally doesn’t do. Instead of using Randy, he gave the officer his full name. “This was during a time where a number of reports of black men were actually being pulled over and killed by police officers,” Williams said. “I just wanted to do everything possible to put this white police officer at ease to not see me as a threat. Normally, I am called Randy, but I introduced myself as ‘Dr. Randolph Williams Jr., ’ thinking the title of Doctor or the official name as ‘Randolph’ would put this officer at ease.” Elon’s culture greatly differs the Virginia neighborhood where Wil liams was raised. Williams, now associate vice president for campus engagement, said the police encoun ter was a simple reminder that his as cension from broken family doesn’t guarantee a pass from the negative perceptions which plagued Afri can-Americans for centuries. But that still doesn’t deter him from trying to make a difference. Now, as one of only two black members on Elon’s senior staff, Wil liams said he strives to make Elon as inclusive as possible. “The students I interact with now will one day be the leaders in our community that my daughters will look up to,” Williams said. “I feel a re sponsibility and a desire to be a role model for black students, especially at a predominantly white institution. By being a black face and wearing a suit every day and for students to see that, I carry a sense of pride and obli gation when I wake up for work.” The haves and the have nets Before he earned his doctorate in higher education, Williams was simply an African-American boy primed for a life in the streets. At times, Williams voice cracked when he reminisced on his past. Last year, Williams office in the Center for Race Ethnicity and Diver sity Education (CREDE) was barren, with a naked bookshelf only housing a picture of his wife and children. Months before, books and decora tions lined his space. After his pro motion, Williams was given a new office across campus in Powell, the same building as the President’s of fice, where he currendy works. But while growing up, Williams didn’t have indoor plumbing. “It blows my mind to think of where I come from,” Williams said. “I never imagined this,”, v , , BY BEING A BLACK FACE AND WEARING A SUIT EVERY DAY! FOR STUDENTS TO SEE THAT, 1 CARRY A SENSE OF PRIDE AND OBLIGATION WHEN 1 WAKE UPi WORK. RANDY WILLIAMS ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR CAMPOS ENGAGEMENT Randy Williams, vice president for campus engagement, Is one of only two black senior staff members. MALLORY SIEGENTHALER1 STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER UNFOLDING THE MAN BEHIND THE BOWTIE Williams’ native ground of Law- renceville, Virginia, has an average income just above $28,750, accord ing to federal data. Washington Park, the neighborhood he was raised in, was notorious for drug dealing and other criminal activity. “Not only was I hearing [former First Lady] Nancy Reagan talk about the war on drugs, but I was seeing this stuff in the neighborhood,” Wil liams said. “It was something that was seen on television that was right outside of my doorway as well.” They were broke, but Williams said he and his friends were broke together. “We were dirt poor and we knew it, but we were still resilient,” Wil liams said. “Being raised in that en vironment forced me to learn how to make the most of every situation.” Unstable family life accompanied Williams’ struggles in his communi ty. His father was a functioning alco holic and eventually, his mother had enough. She divorced, causing Wil liams and his brother stayed with her. “My mom was really getting out of a bad situation,” Williams said. “You can’t fault her for that. They had two young boys and were struggling financially. Add all of that stress in and that was a bad combination.” But while Williams said that his home life was hard, it motivated him to be different. Now, as the father of two girls, he said his past has moti vated him to be the father he never had. “It taught me how I wanted to be,” Williams said. “Because of what he wasnt as a father, it made me want to be that much more for my kids and my wife.” Williams met his wife, Chiquita, in middle school and dated whUe at Brunswick High School. She was at tracted to his ‘confidence ajnd ,swag ger,” she said. When they went to sep arate colleges, they were determined to make their relationship work. “We just made our relationship a priority’ she said. Williams earned a scholarship at Hampden-Sydney College where he majored in physics and played foot ball. As he did in high school, Wil liams immersed himself in numerous activities. He was a resident advisor, a tour guide and also pledged into a historically black fraternity — Ome ga Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and he still proudly displays those Greek letters in a purple and gold plaque in his office. All of this was in an effort to make sure college did not go to waste for him. Finding his career Williams was one of 15 black stu dents at Hampden-Sydney, which helped foster his love for diversity education. He advocated for a more diverse curriculum and more faculty of color. Three years after he gradu ated, the Board of Trustees created a diversity program and unanimously picked Williams to spearhead it. At first Williams said no, but the pres ident hand selected him because he felt he was the right person for the job. Eventually, Williams changed his mind. I didn’t have any experience in this realm,” he said. “At this time, I was simply a high school phys ics teacher. But when the President called me, he said he needed me because of my passion. He said they would get me the proper training, but they couldn’t teach passion and that’s what I had.” Williams climbed the ranks from being a program director to Asso ciate Dean of SUidents at Hamp den-Sydney in 1998. RANDY WILLIAMS: WHEN & WHERE 1998-2007: College Associate Dean of Students at Hampden-Sydney College 2007-2009: Assistant Dean of Students at the College of William and Mary 2009-2014: Vice President for Student Affairs at North Carolina Wesleyan College 20014-2016: Presidential Fellow, Special Assistant to the President and Dean of Multicultural Affairs at Elon University 2016-present: Associate Vice President for Campus Engagement at Elon University In the next 16 years, accolades be came commonplace. He earned his master’s degree at Longwood University, enrolled at The College William and Mary and worked in the dean of students’ office while pursuing a higher education doctorate. He eventually became Vice President of Student Affairs at North Carolina Wesleyan College. But soon, he wanted more. “I knew sooner or later that I would be leaving North Carolina Wesleyan for a bigger and different school, and Elon was on the list,” Williams said. Instantly fitting in Once Williams arrived at Elon in 2014, he immediately found his groove. Chiquita said he’s excelled at Elon because he’s “had the ability to coach and be coached.” Some of those mentors include Jon Dooley, vice president for student life and even President Leo Lambert. For Williams, it has been the best of both worlds. At N.C. Wesleyan, Randy was the, person, that, ey^ryone had, to look up to for advice,” Q “Now at Elon, he hask to be a mentor as weO i has been great for even: Chiquita said thafi Williams, even in h Through the craziness family while working c job, she said Williamsal level head. “He is always that c in the room,” she said knows what to do aii( about it. When I’m fraz know I can lean on him''" Since his arrival, Eli just that — rely on Wi ance and expertise to m tution forward. Elon usi way it can. That translates to im ects and committees. To date, Williams member of the foUowii co-chairing a President! for Black Student, Staff experiences, leading th advisory committee, ac ternity and Sorority Life the implementation of d tial Task Force for Social. Out of Class Experience the search committee fe President for Student Lis of Students, among othei It’s proven that people cessful without such a U ule as Williams. But he a of work is his calling. “You can imagine li., meetings I go to,” he sai is what I love to do. FoH a what I’ve been condition Not leaving any timfii Williams said the why he loves his job is W students. Junior Keirae* one of the many student' nurtured a mentoriug ^ with Williams and saiot' the reason why he feels"* at Elon. “He is an example W’ ery other black student 0" pus about what it luenn'^ life,” Brown said. “Dr.R® model to me and I hope • man he is when I grad®' Williams said that 1* forward to continuinS _ Elon and says that he leave anytime soon. ^ ^ position and a new o # same bowties-he said* for the time ahead.
Elon University Student Newspaper
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Feb. 7, 2018, edition 1
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