A Call to Action
Photos by Andrew Williams '08.
by Andrew Williams '08
In the days and weeks following the heart-wrenching murder of George Floyd, the exploration of race and identity I engaged in as a Dickinson student reverberated particularly loudly. By June, I was compelled to tell my story. The words capturing my thoughts, emotions and hopes spilled out. My fingers took on a life of their own and produced the piece “Facing My Own Blackness,” published in CYTIES, a men’s lifestyle magazine for which I freelance. My tracing of the experiences that awakened me to the dangers of being a Black man in America was cathartic. It was also one of the most consequential things I’d ever written.
Months later, after summoning the courage to share my reflections on LinkedIn, I was invited onto a podcast to discuss the process that went into developing my article. Plunging into that creative space was the result of the many lessons I learned at Dickinson, including how we were implored to engage the world. For me that translated to cultivating a love of lifelong learning and choosing to be an active participant in overcoming the challenges we continue to face as a society, none of which is more important to me than the pursuit of racial justice and the realization of a future where the humanity and diverse lived experiences of Black people are fully valued.
I dedicated the better part of my academic journey in college to studying the intersecting topics of race, class, gender and sexuality. And while I agonized over the decision to forgo an English major, I ultimately chose American studies—a decision I would make a thousand times again. Nearly three years of intensely investigating the nature of “Americanism”—learning about the “other,” racial hierarchy and the perpetuation of structural racism—prepared me to face an increasingly complex and unpredictable world. Even more, as a young Black male, it equipped me with the tools to articulate the unique lens through which I view (and walk through) that world.
What sets American studies apart from other majors is the rich patchwork of courses I could access. I vividly remember the ones that I still reflect on today, including Representations of Blackness; Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality in Reality TV; Black Feminist Thoughts; and American Capitalism. This all culminated in me writing a senior thesis titled The Myth of the Black Quarterback. Over two semesters, I explored the legacy of racial integration in sports and how Black and white quarterbacks are portrayed in commercials.
Without my Dickinson experience, I question if my CYTIES article would have ever come to fruition.
Since my time at Dickinson, I’ve worked for a grassroots racial justice organization, raised funds to support the eradication of global hunger and supported partnerships targeting the building of playgrounds for kids in underserved communities. I’m now a communications professional at an organization focused on reinventing education, where the diverse interests of young people and equity are at the center.
I’ve also been inspired this year to dive into photography and examine the nuances of visual storytelling. Blending that skill with my writing unleashes so many opportunities to craft more impactful and vivid stories about the Black experience. This is part of my commitment to continually living out Dickinson’s call to action to engage the world.
Andrew Williams ’08 is a writer and communications manager at Education Reimagined, in Washington, D.C., and is a freelancer for CYTIES. Born in St. Petersburg, Fla., and coming to Dickinson after attending St. Andrew’s School in Delaware, Williams is also a proud former member of Dickinson’s Alumni Council, in addition to being a lover of travel, an amateur photographer and mixologist and a now (sadly) retired marathoner. Learn more about Williams at https://ajwthethird.squarespace.com.
Read more from the winter 2021 issue of Dickinson Magazine.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published February 15, 2021