About Me
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR | SPEAKER | BEHAVIORAL EDUCATOR | TRAINER
There aren't 50 speakers in America with the ability to intimately connect to the core of a marginalized group's spirit like Reginald Williams can. A motivational speaker he is not. Reginald maintains that "Motivation in most situations is a temporary high that fails to address the root of the problem. Rarely does it offer any long-term impact." Instead, the self-proclaimed disrupter, delivers messages of healing, which he coins "Healspirational." His new book, A Marginalized Voice: Devalued, Dismissed, Disenfranchised and Demonized, challenges America to understand the hurt of young Kings so that they can begin to heal from their hurt.
With his unique way of communicating concepts, Reggie, over the course of his 17-year career, has impacted thousands of lives. Adam Alston, sentenced at 18 to serve 25 years in the federal penitentiary, became Reggie's mentee after his release from prison. Alston offered this about his mentor: "Mr. Reggie has been a positive influence in my life since our first encounter, either through direct enlightenment or connection through his network of peers. I have gained an invaluable pool of knowledge that has allowed me to awaken the greatness instilled in me." Robert Colbert adds this about Reginald. "After spending most of my adult life in prison, Brother Reggie helped me remove all the mask I had become accustomed to wearing."
Known for delivering light to dark situations, Reggie specializes in emotional identity and cognitive behavior. His mission is seeded in stimulating provoking thought that leads to authentic wellness, not providing stirring speeches and or presentation that produce praise. Reginald refuses to embrace the narrative that he is an expert in anyone's restoration. Instead, he prefers to assume the role of a partner - making himself available to walk with his clients in the discovery of their truth.
By his leadership, this native New Yorker (raised in Chadbourn, N.C.) proves to be one of the nation's foremost activist and advocates for marginalized citizens. Reggie persistently led coalitions of returning citizens to Annapolis, Maryland to confront legislators on Senate Bill 4 "Ban the Box," a bill signed into law by then Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Donna Edwards, the former United States Representative, bestowed a Congressional Recognition Award on Reggie for his outstanding and invaluable service to Maryland's 4th Congressional District. Her distinction credits him with "Improving the quality of life for men, women, and families." Reginald partnered with Prince George's County Police Department and the State Attorney's Office to create the Violent Offender Call-In. The initiative identified a population of violent offenders, and through the intersectional collaboration, produced a system of care purposed to reduce the rate of future violent offenses. During the three-year initiative, violence assaults among that population dropped by 62 percent. Reginald's contributions to the program did not escape the attention of former Prince George's County Police Chief Mark Magaw. Standing before the entire Prince George's County Police Department, State, and Park Police, Magaw honored Reginald for his contributions.
Reginald is also responsible for implementing the Safe Neighborhood Initiative for Prince George’s County. The evidence-based Cure Violence model is an initiative to end the violence between at-risk youth ages 14 to 24. The model deploys outreach workers and violence interrupters, called credible messengers, to mitigate conflict before it turned violent.
Growing up, Reginald had an intense thirst to play professional basketball. But being in the company of his paternal grandfather Mr. Casey, Reginald was unknowingly infected watching him serve his community. Eventually the desire to impact people and communities usurped his N.B.A. aspirations. Fascinated by his grandfather's presence, Reggie would often sit and listen to the compelling stories narrated by his grandfather. Like his grandfather, Reggie utilizes the gift of storytelling to introduce concepts into consciousness.
Reggie's voice has resonated over audiences in churches, college classrooms and auditoriums, hotel ballrooms, community centers as well as behind prison walls. His words of wisdom are featured in the documentaries Striving for the Extraordinary: A Journey of Hope and Transformation; Men Ain't Boys, and You Saved Me. He appeared on Season 6, Episode 67 of House of Cards. Reggie is an Award-Winning journalist. He has served as the editor for the Washington Afro-American Newspaper, and the managing editor for the national distributed Gospel Today Magazine. His bylines have appeared in publications through the nation.
Mr. Williams is the founder of Seeding to Harvest Group, a collaboration of entrepreneurs committed to planting seeds into impoverished communities. He is curator and host of Creating the Narrative, a podcast that challenges unchallenged paradigms. Mr. Williams served eight years as an advisory board member for the Diverse Male Student Initiative, an initiative of Prince George's Community College supporting the academic journey for its male students. He is currently a board member of D.A.D.S (Depression And Daily Solutions). This platform provides men with a safe space to discuss those deep thoughts hidden in dark spaces.