Walker A. Williams, Jr.

Walker A. Williams, Jr. (born Walker Alexander Williams, Jr., November 7, 1940 – April 7, 2017) was an education and leadership development activist who worked as a management consultant for governments, corporations, NGOs and multilateral institutions in the U.S. and overseas. He is best known for his non-profit work in the African and

Walker A. Williams, Jr.
Walker_A._Williams,_Jr.jpg Walker A. Williams, Jr.
Born	(1940-11-07)November 7, 1940 Newark, New Jersey
💀Died	April 7, 2017(2017-04-07) (aged 76) Washington, D.C.April 7, 2017(2017-04-07) (aged 76)
🏳️ Nationality	American
💼 Occupation	Businessman, advocate, philanthropist, entrepreneur, nonprofit leader
📆 Years active	1950–2017

Caribbean diasporas.

Throughout his life, Walker was an advocate for countries, groups, individuals and causes that were critically underrepresented prior to his involvement. Walker championed the causes of Africa and the Caribbean when there was a need for a champion. He recognized the importance that real leadership must play in African and Caribbean politics for those regions to begin harnessing their potential. He was a pioneer who built platforms upon which others could stand and constructed a generation of entrepreneurs, heads of government and social justice leaders.

Walker’s many roles and endeavors include: serving as Board Chairman of the Mixed Martial Arts Championship; Senior Business Advisor to New Sports Entertainment, LLC.; Advisor to All-Inclusive Captioning-the country’s first minority-owned closed captioning company; helping the launch of AFRICARE; developing the Peace Corps Caribbean Basin Initiatives programs; serving as a development and management consultant for Nigeria’s FESTAC in 1977; and orchestrating an extensive list of fundraising seminars for a myriad of local and national non-governmental organizations and foundations.

Early Life

Walker's father, Walker Sr. was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1915. Walker Sr. and his mother relocated to Newark, New Jersey around 1925, where he attended Barringer High School. Walker Sr. graduated from Barringer to attend Lincoln University, where he pursued chemical engineering. While at Lincoln, Walker Sr. had the honor of meeting Kwame Nkrumah, who would later lead Ghana to independence from Britain in the 1950s. Compelled to care for his widowed mother, Walker Sr. left the university to dedicate the rest of his life to his family. Though he never returned to finish his college degree, Walker Sr. remained an active champion of the civil rights movement, serving as the President of the local NAACP’s Youth Division. It was through the NAACP that he met Burnell Whigham, his future wife, as they worked to advance the rights of blacks and combat racial discrimination in Newark. Burnell excelled as an honors student in the School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University, graduating in 1937 with high honors as one of the first licensed pharmacists in New Jersey.

On November 7, 1940, in Newark, New Jersey, the late Walker Alexander Williams, Sr. and Burnell P. Whigham-Williams welcomed their first son, Walker Alexander Williams, Jr. into the world. Walker Sr. and Burnell had three more children after the birth of Walker Jr.; Kenneth Williams, Diane Harris, and Elaine Bloom. Walker Sr. and his family lived in Montclair, New Jersey, for several years before relocating to East Orange in 1947.

Walker's parents always reiterated the importance of education as “the way out,” insisting their children find their futures within books and intellectual pursuits. Walker attended local public schools and graduated from East Orange High School in 1958. World-renowned singer Dionne Warwick and actor John Amos attended East Orange High School at the same time as Walker, and were in his circle of friends.

Walker continued his education at Boston University, where he earned a degree in the emerging fields of public relations and marketing in 1962. During this time, he also served as a staffer at the Boston University Affairs Office. Walker also attended Seton Hall and Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Business Administration.          

Career

Following his graduation, Walker went for his first job interview for a large bank in Newark. He was told that while he was qualified for the position, white employees would not “work for a negro.” Undaunted, Walker continued his job search, finally settling as a route salesman for pilsner beer, which involved sales and promotional activities at local retail bars and clubs. Walker quickly became known as “Mister Pilsner” by The Afro-American, one of the longest running black newspapers in America. Around this time, Walker also worked as a special sales representative for Narragansette Brewing Company.

Following his job as “Mister Pilsner,” Walker found employment with the Trans World Airlines (TWA) in New York. From 1964 to 1968, Walker served as Manager of Special Market Sales for TWA.

Walker then moved to Washington, D.C. in 1969 during the height of the city’s infamous riots. Recruited as a fund-raiser for a newly established non-profit organization Common Cause, Walker quickly rose to the top alongside his friend and future business-partner, Dr. Douglas M. Lawson.

Walker discovered the central importance of D.C and often commented that the city was unique in that most African and Caribbean countries had well-staffed embassies within the District. This concentration of leadership and power presented unique development opportunities for the African and Caribbean Diasporas, which would become a primary focus of Walker’s work moving forward.

Prior to the formation of Lawson and Williams in 1969, Walker was Associate Financial Development Officer for the National Urban Coalition in Washington, D.C. His responsibility was to help generate the necessary funding for the National Urban Coalition and its program, including fundraising assistance to the local Urban Coalitions throughout the United States. Walker served in this position until 1977.

Lawson & Williams Associates

In the 1970s, Walker was a partner in the marketing, fundraising and financial management firm, Lawson & Williams Associates. As co-founder of Lawson & Williams, a national profit-making fundraising firm, Walker set a precedent in the financial development industry and, in its 4-1/2 years of operation, Lawson and Williams successfully completed over 200 projects for its clients.

Walker A. Williams & Company

In 1975, Walker founded Walker A. Williams & Company. Walker A. Williams & Company worked with the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (Stanford University) and Jackson State University to define the collaborative partnership between the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and federally funded labs for the U.S. Department of Education.

Williams & Company also created a Private Sector Plan for the U.S. Department of Education to develop strategies for entrepreneurial partnerships between the private sector and HBCUs. The plan included capital formation strategies, recommendations for mechanisms to create scientific partnerships and proposed inventory of the institutional capacities of HBCUs.

Williams & Company also participated in the National Education Association’s survey/study on alternative methods of fundraising. When the Fundraising Development for the Multi-Cultural Career Intern Program (MCIP) faced a cut in school board funding, which might have forced the multi-cultural, alternative high school to close its doors, Williams & Company worked with the program’s senior management to explore private funding from foundations, corporations, and federal agency funding (from the departments of Labor and Education). Williams & Company initiated discussions with the Washington, D.C. School Board, the Washington, D.C. Board of Education, and community leaders, it resulted in renewed funding, allowing the program to continue.

Additionally, Williams & Company assisted Ed Murphy of Murph's Hotel Corporation in the packaging and financing for the Harambee House Hotel in Washington, D.C., at the request of the Department of Commerce... This effort at building, staffing and operating the hotel created more than 150 jobs in the Washington tourism/hospitality industry.

Williams & Company was also instrumental in the creation of an internal system of fundraising and the establishment of the Smithsonian’s development office, and raised funds for the Smithsonian's annual Folklife Festival.

Williams & Company assisted Adkins Enterprises in the business plan development and financial development for the creation of The Mansion on O Street in Washington, D.C. 

America’s Black Forum (ABF, Inc.) and The Mansion on O Street

Walker created, produced and provided full business plan development for the first nationally-syndicated commercial public affairs television program owned by a minority, beginning in 1977. America’s Black Forum (ABF) was originally broadcast from the Mansion on O Street until relocating to TV One in the 1990s. The unspoken power of these news credentials and the ability for people of color to speak through this medium in the nation’s capital increased Walker’s access to powerful, influential circles. Walker was a board member of the Mansion on O Street for over 30 years.

Caribbeana Council

In 1977, Walker co-founded the Caribbeana Council to raise the profile of Caribbean issues in the United States.  The Council’s programs included: tourism, business development, agriculture, transportation, communications, and training. Walker and the Caribbeana Council played a major role in securing the passage of the initial Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) in 1983, and led U.S. business trade missions to Jamaica, St. Kitts-Nevis, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, St. Lucia, and Antigua and Barbuda.  Walker was instrumental in establishing several joint ventures between minority and Caribbean businesses, and served as the Executive Director of the Caribbeana Council until 1985.

UniWorld

Mr. Williams was President of UniWorld Washington where marketing and public affairs equaled access and advocacy for UniWorld clients who included AT&T, Burger King, Sun International and the Institute for Multi-Party Democracy. UniWorld, which was founded by Walker’s friend and colleague Byron Lewis, is a full-service communications and management-consulting firm specializing in public affairs, legislative guidance, event management, fundraising, and tourism development. UniWorld Group, Inc., (the parent company of UniWorld entertainment, UniWorld Hispanic and UniWorld healthcare) was housed in the Mansion on O Street until 1990. 

First U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial in Morocco

In 1992, working with the U.S Department of Energy, Mr. Williams organized the first U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial in Morocco.

Mr. Williams also played a pivotal role in assisting the U.S. Department of Energy with the first Western Hemisphere Energy Ministerial in New Orleans in 1999 which directly focused on Caribbean issues.

Leadership Africa USA assisted the governments of Ethiopia and the United States to co-host a historic U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial (AEM) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia --- ‘Catalyzing Sustainable Energy Growth in Africa’ in June 2014. The AEM focused on the need for increased investment in Africa’s electricity and energy sectors was attended by energy and power ministers from over 40 African countries, over 130 U.S. and African businesses, and a U.S. Delegation led by former Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz that included EXIM Bank, USAID, OPIC, USTDA, MCC, the State Department and the Administration.

Advisor to Trinidad & Tobago

Williams served as an Advisor to Trinidad & Tobago’s consulting team for seven years during which time several milestones were accomplished with U.S. Department of Energy, including two Energy Ministerials for CARICOM countries and the ‘Summit of the Americas,’ which was held in Trinidad & Tobago and was attended by President Barack Obama. Additional activities included multiple Trade & Investment Missions to all of the CARICOM member countries. 

Alternative Marketing Access (AMA)

Walker founded the multi-service consulting firm, Alternative Marketing Access (AMA), in 1996.  AMA began as a financial development firm working to strengthen the institutional capacity of public and private organizations (both in the United States and abroad), and currently provides comprehensive expertise in strategic planning, institutional development, issue advocacy and representation, educational services, communications, and public relations.

AMA's most recent projects have been in the areas of planning, financial and management development, technical assistance, organizational development, and marketing.

With Walker’s leadership, AMA provided consulting services to national and international clientele, including: U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. State Department, BP, ChevronTexaco, several municipalities and many foreign governments and ministries. Walker worked with more than 100 NGOs actively involved in the following development issues: power and energy, trade, leadership, gender equality, economic development, education, agriculture, water, environment and health issues. In 2015, Walker and AMA provided key leadership for the initial passage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2015

Education Africa & Education Africa USA

Walker founded the non-profit organization Education Africa USA in 1992, which was created to address critical educational challenges facing South Africa’s first democratically elected government, and to re-establish a culture of learning in the new South Africa. 

Walker also facilitated the Education Africa Presidential and Premier Education Awards, the Walter Sisulu Scholarship and Training Fund, and fundraising support for Education Africa’s programs. 

In 1995, Walker played an integral role in the launching of the Nelson Mandela Presidential Medallions with Nelson Mandela, the president of South Africa, that served to not only commemorate his 1994 inauguration, but to revive the importance of education in the country.

Walker served as the president of Education Africa USA until he founded Leadership Africa USA in 2007.       

Leadership Africa USA

In 2006, Walker founded Leadership Africa USA (LA USA), a 501 c3 non-profit tax-exempt, non-governmental organization that provides quality leadership training opportunities and empowers African youth, promoting private-public partnerships among local strategic players to achieve sustainable peace and democracy throughout the African continent. Walker served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of LA USA until his death in April of 2017

In 2016, Walker expanded Leadership Africa USA’s mission founding Leadership Global Inc.

Other Affiliations

During his life, Mr. Williams served on numerous boards and committees for various organizations which include Casey Trees, NiQuan Energy, Phytica Inc., and the Mandela International Film Festival. Walker also provided strategic counsel and communications skills to several public and private sector companies, including Chevron, British Petroleum (Trinidad & Tobago), and AllAfrica.com. 

Death

On April 7, 2017, Walker A. Williams, Jr. passed away peacefully in his Washington, D.C. home at 76 years old. The private memorial service for his close family and friends was held at the Mansion on O Street in April of 2017, followed by a more public celebration of his life held at the Lincoln Theatre in June of 2017.

Personal life

Walker is survived by his two children Walker A. Williams, III (aka “Lex”) and Bryn Williams-Meyers, as well as his partner Jan Smith. Walker and Jan had a dog named Chance, who was particularly fond of Walker, and who met him at the door each night after work.

Works

• Africa’s Youth Define Leadership

References

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