James Arthur Williams
| James Arthur Williams | |
|---|---|
 Williams speaking in Sofia, Bulgaria | |
| Born | April 5, 1980 Wilson, North Carolina, U.S. |
| 🏫 Education | Park University, 2003 Central Michigan University, 2005 University of Phoenix, 2010 Iowa State University, 2012 |
| 💼 Occupation | Associate professor, author, actor |
| 🌐 Website | www |
James Arthur Williams is an American associate professor,[1] actor, and former professional AIFL arena football player. Currently, James is the Chair for the Commission for Blacks at the University of Tennessee.[2]
He is the author of From Thug to Scholar: An Odyssey to Unmask my True Potential,[3][4] which charted his own journey as a wayward teen and affiliation with a gang in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to becoming a tenured associate professor in the Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.[5][6]
He grew up in Wilson, North Carolina and played collegiate football for Methodist University,[7] but having been dismissed from the team; James sought refuge in his gang affiliation with the Bloods while leaving a playing college football in Fayetteville, NC. He sold weed, and he was known to carry a loaded .22 caliber hand gun on campus and to gatherings that him and his gang ventured to. He detailed his transitioned as a thug to scholar, in his popular book, From Thug to Scholar. His book has been discussed on Good Reads[8] and as well as many radio mediums, such as WUOT.[9]
It was an incident where he attempted to shoot somebody at age 19 that changed his life.[10] He knew a change was needed because he did not recognize the man who was wearing the mask in the mirror. Shortly after James joined the US Air Forces as a dental hygienist and met his wife, La-Toya Williams, one of his friend's from the BLOODS, Calvin Bouldin [11] was killed in November 1999. He died three months after James joined the military. Calvin introduced James to the concept of Five-Percenters,[12] and he made James feel accepted because James was the shooter, known for carrying the gun. When James left Fayetteville in March 1999, he enlisted in the United States Air Force on August 25, 1999. James was stationed at Holloman AFB[13] for four where he entered two associate degrees and one bachelor's degree. He has earned a total of six degrees, including two doctorates. In 2011, while completing his PhD at Iowa State University, James played as a running back for the semi-professional DesMoines Blaze.[14] This team won their league championship and was ranked number 1 in America.[15]
He also played professional arena football for the Raleigh Rebels from October 2004 to May 2006, and in 2019 was recognized in the Top 15 Emerging Scholars out of 1,000 of scholars throughout the academy, domestically and internationally by Diverse Education[16] The Raleigh Rebels played their home football games at Dorton Arena, and they were created to capture the fans of the Carolina Cobras arena football team who previously played at Dorton Arena prior to move to Greensboro, NC. James scored a 25 yard touchdown run against the Canton Legends in their inaugural playoff game in 2005. James received an invite to tryout for several All American Football League in Houston, TX, Knoxville, TN, and Atlanta, GA; but the league ran into financial issues prior to its start date. James received one more invite to tryout for the Canadian Football League, but he turned down the invite and matriculated into graduate school, earning his first doctorate's of Management/Organizational Leadership from University of Phoenix. The following year upon completing his doctorate's, James matriculated into Iowa State's University PhD program. Graduating with a PhD in Hospitality Management in 2012.
James spent his first two years at James Madison University[17] before eventually leaving to earn tenure at University of Tennessee, where he serves as an associate professor. Williams has spoken about his experiences in media interviews[18] and through his international speaking career.[19]
His other books include From Flab to Abs[20] published in 2017. He also started his own publishing company (UnmaskYTP Publishing), and recently, he published Check Your Life: Be Limitless.[21]
He has a fourth book Let’s Talk Some Leadership expected to be published in December 2020.
He has worked as an actor,[22] featuring in episodes of Fatal Attraction, Homicide Hunter, and Snapped: Killer Couples. James most popular starring role was as Waco Collins on "IMDB Murder Chose Me". [23] James has a podcast[24] that has an audience domestic and international audience. His audience spreads to Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, Colombia, Belgium, Mexico, Germany, Canada, and Singapore. He shares his paradigm shift from a thug to a scholar.
References[edit]
- ↑ "tenured professor".
- ↑ "CFB".
- ↑ "From Thug to Scholar: An Odyssey to Unmask my True Potential". College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, University of Tennessee. 12 February 2016.
- ↑ "UDC Forum: From Thug to Scholar". UDC-TV.
- ↑ "James Williams | Faculty Appreciation Week". faw.utk.edu.
- ↑ "James Williams | Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management". rhtm.utk.edu.
- ↑ "Undergraduate Schools & Graduate Programs". Methodist University.
- ↑ Good Reads. Search this book on
- ↑ "Radio".
- ↑ "Dr. James Williams: Defying Stereotypes". Diverse. 13 February 2019.
- ↑ "Man shot by police officer during traffic stop".
- ↑ "Five-Percenters Nation".
- ↑ "Fueling air superiority". Holloman Air Force Base.
- ↑ "James Williams - Player Profile". HomeTeamsONLINE.
- ↑ "Blaze Win First MFA Title 41-10". HomeTeamsONLINE.
- ↑ "2019 Emerging Scholars".
- ↑ "Professors overcomes dark past".
- ↑ "UT assistant professor tells story of rise 'from thug to scholar'". Knoxville News Sentinel.
- ↑ "Check Your Life by James Williams". TEDx Talks.
- ↑ Williams, James Arthur; Crawford-Margison, Emily (5 June 2020). From Flab to Abs Paperback – June 5, 2020. ISBN 978-1735106335. Search this book on
- ↑ Williams, James Arthur (4 July 2020). Check Your Life: Be Limitless: The Power Behind the Words – July 15, 2020. ISBN 978-1735106304. Search this book on
- ↑ "James Arthur Williams". IMDb.
- ↑ "James Williams, First-Generation Assistant Professor". University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
- ↑ "Check Your Life: Be Limitless" (Podcast).
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