Eugene Williams, Jr.

Eugene Williams, Jr. (May 24, 1969 in Miami, Florida) is an American educator, writer, motivational speaker, and entertainer.

Youth

Eugene Williams, Jr. is the son of author and educator, Dr. Eugene Williams, Sr. , and former Democratic Miami-Dade County Mayoral candidate, Helen B. Williams. He is a former child actor who starred in the very first Jello Pudding commercial with Bill Cosby, and played the role of the purple grape in the very first "Fruit of the Loom" back to school ad campaign. In 1976, he was the first black actor to have a major recurring role (Jamie Lawrence) on the CBS soap opera, "Search for Tomorrow". He co-starred with Ossie Davis in "The Man Who Loved The Stars", and played the role of "Gabriel" in a touring production the musical, "Shenandoah", starring John Raitt. Between the ages of 4-12, He appeared in over 14 commercials. At the age of 12, he served as the children's correspondent for "PM Magazine" on WUSA. As a child, he was featured in Ebony Magazine, People Magazine, and Soap Opera Digest. He also appeared on stage and television with such celebrities as Ray Charles, Pearl Bailey, and Stephanie Mills.

Education

He attended The McDonogh School in Baltimore, and Ransom Everglades School, in Miami, where his classmates included Carlos Watson, television host and Lisa Sime McCaffrey (wife of former Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey). He received a Bachelor's Degree in English from Emory University in 1991, and a Master's Degree in Education Leadership from the University of Mary Washington in 2007. During his time at Emory, he became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.

Career

He has served as a secondary school educator and administrator in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Since 1991, he has written five nationally recognized books. His writings and opinions have been featured on CNN, NBC, CBS, and a variety of cable and syndicated talk shows including "Rolonda", "In Person w/Maureen O'Boyle", "BET Tonight w/Tavis Smiley ", and "America's Black Forum". He has also been a guest of radio personalities such as Jim Bohannon, Joe Madison, Julianne Malveaux, Tony Brown, Cathy Hughes, and Armstrong Williams. His most recent book, "I am the Darker Brother", is a novella about a historically black fraternity on a predominantly white Southern college campus that admits its first Jewish member. His books have been featured in the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the Miami Herald, Jet, Sister2Sister, and Black Excellence. He is the president and co-founder of Wiseducators, a motivational speaking and educational consulting firm. He resides in the Fredericksburg, Virginia area.

Books

* "The Raisin-In-MIlk Syndrome: Ten Survival Tips for Black Students At Predominantly White Colleges and Institutions" Comptex Associates (1992).
* "Reflections of A Confused Middle Class Black Youth" Comptex Associates (1994).
* "Grounded In The Word: A Guide To Mastering Standardized Test Vocabulary and Biblical Comprehension" (w/Dr. Eugene Williams, Sr.) Comptex Associates (1997).
* "I Am The Darker Brother" Publish America (2004).
* "It's A Reading Thing..Help Your Child Understand" (w/Robin Bennefield & Dr. Eugene Williams, Sr.) Comptex Associates (1991, 2005)

Notable schoolmates

*Carlos Watson, television host (Ransom Everglades School)
*Marc Fein, sports broadcaster (Ransom Everglades School)
*Toure,African-American writer, cultural critic, television personality (Emory University)
*Stacie Upchurch, "The Apprentice" (Emory University)
*Kendall Wood, fitness model (Emory University)