Charles Edward Williams II
Charles Edward Williams II is an American pastor, scholar, and civil rights activist. He is the pastor of Historic King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan — a congregation historically associated with Malcolm X's 1963 "Message to the Grassroots" speech — and president of the Michigan chapter of the National Action Network. Williams is also a Ph.D. candidate in Social Work and Sociology at the University of Michigan. His work focuses on the intersections of Black religion, public health, and racial and economic justice..[1]
Early life and education
Williams was born in Detroit, Michigan, and spent his early years in Birmingham, Alabama.[2] He earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Work and Sociology at the University of Michigan. His dissertation, Healing Balm: Black Women, Black Churches, and Duboisian Pathways to Health Equity, examines the role of the Black church as a site of public health intervention and structural health equity advocacy.[3]
Pastoral leadership
Williams has served as pastor of Historic King Solomon Baptist Church since 2009.[4] Under his leadership, the congregation grew from roughly a dozen members to over 200 and secured a $500,000 grant from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service for major roof rehabilitation and restoration work.[5] Williams has positioned the church as a hub for social services, oral health equity initiatives, and public health programs.
Academic work
Williams's scholarship draws on W. E. B. Du Bois’s sociology to explore the Black church as a site of health equity and resilience. He is the author of Investing in Resilience: A Comparative Study of Black Church Survival in Underserved Detroit, published in the peer-reviewed journal Religions in 2025.[6] He has co-authored studies on health disparities and church-based interventions, including work published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology and the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.[7]
Community activism
Williams has been a public activist and civil rights leader for nearly two decades.
Early activism
In 2007, he led protests against DTE Energy’s plan to report late-payment histories to credit bureaus, calling the policy “an attack on working people and an attack on poor people.”[8] After sustained protests, DTE scaled back the policy, a result reported by The Detroit News as a victory for activists.[9] That same year, Williams chaired the Prosperity in Michigan campaign, calling for a boycott of Pfizer products after the company announced the closure of its Ann Arbor research facility.[10] He was also part of a statewide coalition to repeal Michigan’s Driver Responsibility Law, calling it “a poor people’s tax.”[11]
Labor and economic justice
In December 2012, Williams joined Detroit pastors in Lansing to protest pending right-to-work legislation, saying, “Our faith will do the talking … we’re not going to stand for right-to-work in Michigan.”[12] In May 2013, he supported fast-food worker walkouts as part of the Fight for $15 campaign.[13] He was a leading figure in protests against the appointment of Kevyn Orr as Detroit’s Emergency Manager, organizing rallies and engaging in negotiations with state officials and Rep. John Conyers about the law’s democratic implications.[14]
Civil rights and policing
Williams has led numerous protests on police accountability and racial justice. He spoke out against racially charged incidents in Michigan, organized noose protests, and called for reforms after police shootings.[15] In 2018, he led a boycott of Westland businesses after a stun gun incident, saying, “We are putting a full-blown travel advisory for the city of Westland.”[16] He also organized demonstrations urging the Detroit Lions to oppose the NFL’s national anthem policy, stating, “It should be instinct to say, we’re not standing with hate.”[17] . Further Rev. Williams was a leader who organized marches and demonstrations during the Detroit Water Crisis.[18] He also led the charge in sounding the alarm, during the Flint Water Crisis[19][20][21]
During the 2020 George Floyd protests, Williams condemned property destruction and announced NAN Michigan would not participate in protests led by unknown organizers.[22]
Public health leadership
Williams has been a prominent advocate for public health initiatives. In January 2021, he was featured on the front page of the Detroit Free Press for promoting COVID-19 vaccinations in Detroit’s Black community, saying, “If I have to be the one to get my arm poked so folks can feel more comfortable … so be it.”[23] His church hosted testing and vaccination drives during the pandemic, an effort profiled by the University of Michigan.[24]
Recent activism
In July 2024, Williams and NAN Michigan announced a legal victory in a federal racism lawsuit against United Electrical Contractors (UEC), which admitted liability and agreed to pay $430,000 to plaintiffs.[25] In February 2025, Williams coordinated a “good-buy” action with over 500 parishioners spending $25,000 on Black-owned merchandise at Target to protest the retailer’s rollback of DEI initiatives.[26]
National profile
In 2015, The Washington Post profiled Williams as a protégé of Rev. Al Sharpton, describing him as the National Action Network’s Director of Expansion and “a talented preacher from Detroit.”[27] He has also been featured on MSNBC, CNN and written Blogs on huffingtonpost[28]
Awards and recognition
- Michigan Chronicle Man of Excellence (2016).[29]
- Rev. Dr. William A. Jones Justice Award from the National Action Network (2013).
- Justice Partner Award from CAIR-Michigan (2014).
- Detroit Athletic Club Fitness Club Athlete of the Year (2024).
Personal life
Williams is an endurance athlete who has completed nine marathons and two full Ironman triathlons, using his participation to raise awareness and funds for community projects.[30]
References
- ↑ "Community in Crisis: Detroit church led by research associate at Poverty Solutions expands services during pandemic". University Record. November 8, 2021.[dead link]
- ↑ Shelton, Steven Malik (2020). "Pastor Williams Continues Legacy of Historic Detroit Church". Telegram News.
- ↑ "Charles Williams II Graduate Student Profile". University of Michigan.
- ↑ "King Solomon Baptist Church Civil Rights Project" (PDF).
- ↑ "King Solomon Baptist Church seeks to canonize its roots, broaden its scope". Model D Media. February 11, 2020.
- ↑ Williams, Charles Edward II (2025). "Investing in Resilience: A Comparative Study of Black Church Survival in Underserved Detroit". Religions. 16 (9): 1182. doi:10.3390/rel16091182.
- ↑ Alexis, DA (2025). "Barriers and Facilitators of Implementing a Community and Faith-Based Intervention to Increase Eye Care Utilization in Black Americans". American Journal of Ophthalmology. 277: 96–111. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2025.05.006. PMC 12350066 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 40374139 Check|pmid=value (help). Unknown parameter|pmc-embargo-date=ignored (help) - ↑ O’Connor, Brian (January 11, 2007). "DTE credit policy electrifies critics". The Detroit News.
- ↑ O’Connor, Brian (January 2007). "DTE backs off on credit reporting". The Detroit News.
- ↑ Aisner, Art (2007). "Group calls for boycott of Pfizer". Ann Arbor News.
- ↑ Campbell, Eric T. (October 15, 2007). "'End Poor People's Tax': Coalition forms to repeal Driver Responsibility Law". Michigan Citizen.
- ↑ "Detroit pastors protest 'right to work' in Lansing". Michigan Public. December 8, 2012.
- ↑ "Workers Protest Low Pay at Detroit McDonald's". CBS Detroit. May 10, 2013.
- ↑ "Conyers, Governor Snyder, Rev. Williams Discuss Emergency Managers Law". February 2012.
- ↑ "Detroit minister says black men are 'being targeted'". The Detroit News. July 8, 2016.
- ↑ "Group to boycott Westland over stun gun incident". The Detroit News. August 24, 2018.
- ↑ Patterson, Brandon (May 26, 2018). "Activists: Lions must pick side on anthem". Detroit Free Press.
- ↑ "Detroit residents and national allies protest water shutoffs". MSNBC.com. 2014-07-18. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- ↑ II, Charles Williams. "Opinion: We won't rest until Snyder and other officials answer for Flint water crisis". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- ↑ [email protected], Gus Burns | (2016-03-03). "Activists plan Flint water crisis protest at Republican debate". mlive. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- ↑ "MSNBC's Rachel Maddow holds town hall in Flint". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- ↑ Spelbring, Meredith (May 30, 2020). "Detroit officials, activists condemn violent protests". Detroit Free Press.
- ↑ Warikoo, Niraj (January 10, 2021). "Distrust of vaccines is rooted in racism". Detroit Free Press.
- ↑ "Community in Crisis: Detroit church led by research associate at Poverty Solutions expands services during pandemic". University Record. November 8, 2021.
- ↑ "NAN Michigan and United Six+ Announce Victory in Federal Racism Lawsuit Against UEC". Michigan Chronicle. July 2024.
- ↑ "From boycotts to 'good-buys,' consumers are showing support for DEI". The Washington Post. February 28, 2025.
- ↑ "The Public Life and Private Doubts of Al Sharpton". The Washington Post. February 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Rev. Charles E. Williams II | HuffPost". www.huffpost.com. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- ↑ "2016 Michigan Chronicle Men of Excellence Honorees". Michigan Chronicle. 2016.
- ↑ "IRONMAN WISCONSIN 2025 RESULTS". IRONMAN. 2025.
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