T Williams

Timeless Lessons of Community Leadership and Partnerships

Long-time Minneapolis activist T Williams discusses how the successful community coalitions of the past should be models for positive social change today.

An interview in the series: “Restoring Trust in Our Minnesota Institutions”

July 8, 2025

Featuring: T Williams, long-time Minneapolis community activist, former executive director of the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center in North Minneapolis, a co-founder of the Urban Coalition of Minneapolis, Minneapolis School Board member, and Minnesota’s first corrections ombudsman.

Panelists: Paul Ostrow (moderator), Paul Gilje, Janis Clay, Samhita Krishnamurthy, Ipshita Tiwari

Summary

T Williams believes the foundation of social change and community progress lies in inclusive leadership and the strengthening of public institutions. Drawing on more than 50 years of civic activism — from directing the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House to founding the Urban Coalition — Williams emphasizes that true leadership begins with listening, learning from differences, and building networks across lines of race, culture, power, and experience. His message to future leaders: trust is earned by bringing people together, taking risks, and being patient enough to stay the long course.

Williams champions relationship building, intergenerational mentorship, and institutional integrity as timeless tools for change. He pointed to the power of multiracial coalitions in Minnesota that fostered housing equity, education reform, and economic opportunity through direct engagement, especially in North Minneapolis. He warns against dismantling past gains in diversity, equity, and inclusion, cautioning that progress, once undone, cannot be easily recovered.

Background

T Williams has been at the center of Minnesota’s civic life for decades. Born in segregated Mississippi, he moved north with his family as part of the Great Migration, later arriving in Minneapolis in the mid-1960s. He quickly became a force in community development, serving as executive director of the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House, co-founding and driving the Minneapolis Urban Coalition, and serving on the Minneapolis School Board. In 1972, he was appointed by Gov. Wendell Anderson to be the first corrections ombudsman in Minnesota  — and first in the nation. His memoir “Rewind: Lessons from 50 Years of Activism,” co-authored with David Lawrence Grant, has just been published by the MNHS Press and reflects his belief in institutions as engines of opportunity and equity.

Discussion

What shaped Williams’ leadership style?
Williams attributes his leadership growth to exposure to differences. Growing up in the segregated South, then moving to Maine, Chicago, and finally Minneapolis in the 1960s, he confronted starkly different worlds — and learned to listen, adapt, and build alliances. Teachers, mentors, and peers challenged his assumptions and broadened his vision. His early leadership lessons: “You learn more from people who are not like you. Build networks. Don’t always need the credit.”

Why institutions matter
Williams warns against today’s trend of undermining public institutions. He recalls a time when institutions — schools, nonprofits, public agencies, business community — were engines of justice and upward mobility. His life’s work focused on strengthening those spaces, not tearing them down. “Strong institutions build strong communities. If we destroy them, we all suffer.”

How can youth lead today?
Williams encouraged youth to challenge power structures respectfully but boldly. He acknowledged today’s young people face overwhelming social crises — from violence to racial inequity — but insisted they must still show up and lead. “Never underestimate the power of one. Even if you’re the only one like you in the room, your presence changes the conversation.”

What made the Urban Coalition effective?
The Urban Coalition, co-founded by Williams in 1968, brought together corporate executives, civil rights activists, and community members to address racial and economic disparities. What made it work was trust, candor, and shared risk among all the stakeholders. “These CEOs didn’t know what they were doing; they knew they needed help. And they listened.” The coalition fostered enduring institutions like the Legal Rights Center and the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), and catalyzed corporate introspection that diversified boardrooms, opened economic doors, and brought quality jobs in underserved neighborhoods.

Are the old lessons still relevant?
To those who dismiss past models as outdated, Williams says: Think again. While today’s tools and obstacles may differ — such as social media and fractured attention spans — the core principles remain. “You don’t need to go back to the 1960s. But ask: What about those years can still work today?” For Williams, the answer is clear: show up, listen, build coalitions, take risks, and be persistent.

Final Thoughts

At 91, T Williams is not a symbol — he’s still an active leader. His call to future leaders: restore trust by restoring purpose. Whether building a nonprofit or launching a student initiative, effective leadership demands humility, vision, inclusivity, and relentless engagement. “Half the battle is showing up,” he reminds young people. “And when you show up — even alone — don’t forget: you matter. You make people think twice. That’s how change begins.”