Rhonda Y. Williams

Rhonda Y. Williams is the Coleman A. Young Foundation Endowed Chair and Professor in the Department of African American Studies at Wayne State University. Previously, she held the inaugural John L. Seigenthaler Chair in American History at Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on low-income Black women, marginalized communities, urban inequality, and social justice activism. Williams is renowned for her award-winning works, including The Politics of Public Housing (2004) and Concrete Demands (2015), which critically examine Black resistance and power dynamics.

Her research interests span urban history, civil rights movements, and the intersection of race, gender, and class. Current projects include A Black Power History of the United States and a study on illicit narcotics economies. Williams co-edits the award-winning Justice, Power, and Politics book series at the University of North Carolina Press.

She has established impactful initiatives like the Postdoctoral Fellowship in African American Studies and the Social Justice Institute at Case Western Reserve University. Williams’ advocacy extends to documentary contributions, including Netflix’s 137 Shots, and her work bridges academia with grassroots social justice efforts.