Kam Williams
Kam Williams (December 11, 1952 - May 30, 2019) was an African American film critic, literary critic and entertainment journalist who published nearly 10,000 articles and reviews during his 22-year career. HIs syndicated columns work appeared in over 100 publications.[1]
| Kam Williams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Lloyd Joseph Williams December 11, 1952 New York City |
| 💀Died | May 30, 2019 Princeton, NJMay 30, 2019 |
| 💼 Occupation | Film and literary critic, interviewer |
Early years[edit]
Born Lloyd Joseph Williams in New York City and raised in St. Albans, Queens, he has roots in the Caribbean, with both sets of grandparents hailing from the islands including Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Croix. He earned the nickname "Kam," short for "Kamau" from his friend, jazz musician Sun Ra while a student at Brown University.[1]
Education[edit]
Williams graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in New York City, then earned his bachelor's degree in Black Literature from Cornell University in 1974 and a Master's in English from Brown University in 1975.[1] He went on to get his J.D. from Boston University in 1978.[2] He was a member of the bar in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. In 1980 he earned his M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.[1]
Career[edit]
According to his obituary, Williams initially attempted a career in screenwriting at Chicago’s WTTW, a PBS affiliate TV station, but later pursued an interested in business and entertainment law. After earning his J.D. and M.B.A. and being introduced to the art dealing and antique business by his first wife, Kristina Barbara Johnson, he worked in that area for over a decade. Some guest appearances on The Howard Stern Show led to a film review of Howard Stern’s 1997 biographical film Private Parts for the Princeton Packet, a local newspaper in the Princeton area, where he lived, which eventually led to a new career as a film and entertainment journalist.[1] He was a "Tomatometer" critic at Rotten Tomatoes[3] and chief film critic at NewsBlaze.com[4]. He was also known for his interviews with well-known figures in entertainment, film, and literature, ranging from Cuba Gooding Jr., LeBron James,[5] Denzel Washington,[6] and Will.i.am[7] to Alice Walker[8] and Mark Obama Ndesandjo.[9] An interview with Spike Lee was published in a book collection of interviews with the director.[10]
He was part of the New York Film Critics Online, the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee[11], the African-American Film Critics Association[12] and the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle.[13]
Honors and Recognition[edit]
Williams was voted "Most Outstanding Journalist of the Decade" by the Disilgold Soul Literary Review in 2008.[12] In 2012, he was recognized by the Global Forum on Women’s Empowerment at the United Nations for his coverage of African-American entertainment.[14] Williams received the Daniel Pearl Multimedia Award at the 2013 Pocono Mountains Film Festival.[15]
According to BMORENEWS publisher Doni Glover, "For the uninitiated, Kam Williams is - by far - the finest in the country at what he does." He added, "Nobody writes more consistently and with more preparation than does he. He happens to be African American, but as for entertainment journalism, Kam is world-class. His contribution to the world of media in America and beyond is absolutely priceless. The way he brings the story out is like no other. And even more, Kam's interviewed every black star in the industry - just about!"[14]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Obituaries 6-5-19 | Town Topics". Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ "Kam Williams ('78), prolific film and literary critic dies | School of Law". www.bu.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ "Kam Williams Movie Reviews & Previews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ Gray, Alan (2019-06-26). "Kam Williams, Friend, Film Critic, Remembered". NewsBlaze News. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ "Defender Network » Blog Archive » LeBron James: Gospel Acording to Ja…". archive.is. 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ "Baret News Wire". baretnewswire.org. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ Williams, Kam (2009-05-01). "INTERVIEW Will.i.Am and The X-Men Origins: Wolverine". People's World. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ Williams, Kam (2015-12-01). "Alice Walker: The Color Purple 30th anniversary interview with Kam Williams". Journal of Pan African Studies. 8 (9): 156–161.
- ↑ Williams, Kam (2016-09-01). "An Obama journey: an interview with Mark Obama Ndesandjo". Journal of Pan African Studies. 9 (7): 5–15.
- ↑ Lee, Spike (2002). Spike Lee: Interviews. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-57806-470-0. Search this book on
- ↑ "Kam Williams, Author at AfroPhilly.com". AfroPhilly.com. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Welcome To Kam's Corner". AAFCA. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ "Kam Williams". Philadelphia Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "BMORENEWS Global Forum on Women's Empowerment at UN, 6.15.12 : Sponsored by the Foundation for the Support of the United Nati..." web.archive.org. 2015-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ "Baret News Wire". baretnewswire.org. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
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