From Theater Major to NYC Council: An Interview with Jumaane Williams

“I changed my major from theater to film because, in many of my auditions, I was typecast as a drug dealer or a murderer, and that changed my perception of what people thought a black man was.”

On April 13th, New York City Council Member Jumaane Williams (D-District 45) joined Merion West’s Erich Prince to discuss his primary challenge to incumbent Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, his approach to re-integrating released prisoners, and how Democrats fundraise.

Thank you for joining us at Merion West this afternoon, Councilman Williams. Getting started, can you tell us about some of the early experiences that helped to shape your political worldview?

I’m a New Yorker, and I’m a first-generation American. My parents came here from the Caribbean. I was educated in the public school system, from pre-school (now called pre-K) to master’s. I have lived with Tourette’s Syndrome and ADHD. My life is in Brooklyn, and I happen to be a black man as well.

All of those things definitely influence how you see the world and how the world sees you. I’ve had many other experiences such as traveling overseas, being able to understand other cultures. So all of those things helped me navigate to where I am now. I’ve always had a passion for social justice issues, in particular. Funny enough, my first love is acting, and that is what I was going to school for, but I was always interested in social justice.

I changed my major from theater to film because, in many of my auditions, I was typecast as a drug dealer or a murderer, and that changed my perception of what people thought a black man was. I got very involved in college, becoming aware of the importance of electoral politics.