Juan Antonio Williams (born April 10, 1954) is a
Panamanian-born American journalist and political analyst for
Fox News Channel
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
. He writes for several newspapers, including ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', and ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', and has been published in magazines such as ''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' and ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
''. Williams has worked as an editorial writer, an
op-ed
An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. O ...
columnist, a
White House correspondent, and a national correspondent. He is a registered
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
.
[''Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate'']
Juan Williams; Random House, 2012. p. 30
Williams is the author of ''
Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954–1965'' (1987), a companion to the
documentary series of the same name about the
civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...
; ''Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary'' (2000), a biography of
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme Court's first African-A ...
, the first black American to serve on the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
; and ''Enough'' (2006), which was inspired by a
Bill Cosby speech
Speech is a human vocal communication using language. Each language uses Phonetics, phonetic combinations of vowel and consonant sounds that form the sound of its words (that is, all English words sound different from all French words, even if ...
at an
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...
gala and deals with Williams' critique of black leaders in America. Williams has received an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
and critical praise for his television documentary work and he has won awards for investigative journalism and for his opinion columns. He has been at Fox News since 1997.
Early life and education
Williams was born in
Colón, Panama
Colón () is a city and seaport in Panama, beside the Caribbean Sea, lying near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is the capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's second city. Originally it was l ...
, on April 10, 1954, to Alma Géraldine and Rogelio L. Williams.
Williams' father was from the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
and his mother was from Panama. His family spoke Spanish. In a 2018 op-ed, Williams stated he had legally emigrated from Panama to the United States aboard a
banana boat with his mother and his two siblings when he was four years of age. The family briefly lived in
Pleasantville, New Jersey before settling in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. Williams received a scholarship to attend
Oakwood Friends School, a
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
school in
Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...
.
While at Oakwood, he was elected "student clerk" for his senior year, was editor of the school newspaper, and played sports. After graduating from Oakwood in 1972,
Williams attended
Haverford College
Haverford College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), began accepting non-Quakers in 1849, and became coeducational ...
, graduating with a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
in 1976.
Career
''The Washington Post''
Williams wrote for ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' for 23 years.
Some days after Williams wrote a column defending
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
nominee
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall and has served since 199 ...
against
sworn testimony by Anita Hill charging sexual harassment by Thomas, it was revealed several female employees of the ''Post'' had filed sexual harassment charges against Williams. The paper took disciplinary action against Williams and published an apology by him. On November 2, 1991, Williams wrote: "It pained me to learn during the investigation that I had offended some of you. I have said so repeatedly in the last few weeks, and repeat here: some of my verbal conduct was wrong, I now know that, and I extend my sincerest apology to those whom I offended."
National Public Radio
Williams joined
NPR in 2000 as host of the daily afternoon talk show ''
Talk of the Nation
''Talk of the Nation'' (''TOTN'')
is an American talk radio program based in Washington D.C., produced by National Public Radio (NPR) that was broadcast nationally from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. It focused on current events and controversial issu ...
''.
He then served as senior national correspondent for NPR. In 2009, NPR's president and CEO
Vivian Schiller
Vivian Luisa Schiller (born September 13, 1961) is the former president and CEO of National Public Radio, and former head of news and journalism partnerships at Twitter. She is also the former senior vice president and chief digital officer for NB ...
requested Fox News stop identifying him as an NPR host after Williams commented on ''
The O'Reilly Factor'': "Michelle Obama, you know, she's got this
Stokely Carmichael in a designer dress thing going. If she starts talking...her instinct is to start with this blame America, you know, I'm the victim. If that stuff starts coming out, people will go bananas and she'll go from being the new
Jackie O to being something of an albatross".
NPR
Ombudsman
An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...
Alicia Shepard maintained that: "Williams tends to speak one way on NPR and another on Fox."
NPR terminated his contract on Wednesday, October 20, 2010, two days after he made remarks on ''The O'Reilly Factor''. He had commented, "Look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous." According to NPR, the remarks were "inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR." As to the reason for the termination of Williams' contract, NPR's president and CEO
Vivian Schiller
Vivian Luisa Schiller (born September 13, 1961) is the former president and CEO of National Public Radio, and former head of news and journalism partnerships at Twitter. She is also the former senior vice president and chief digital officer for NB ...
offered the following comment: "News analysts may not take personal public positions on controversial issues; doing so undermines their credibility as analysts..." On October 21, 2010, Schiller told an audience at the Atlanta Press Club that Williams' feelings about Muslims should be between him and "his psychiatrist or his publicist—take your pick."
Schiller later apologized stating, "I spoke hastily and I apologize to Juan and others for my thoughtless remark."
Some observers have questioned whether NPR actually fired Williams for making the comments on Fox News, as opposed to making them in another forum.
William Saletan of
Slate.com compared the Williams situation to that of
Shirley Sherrod, saying that both Sherrod and Williams had their words taken out of context in a way that made them appear racist and led to the loss of their jobs, except that Williams was victimized by liberals, rather than conservatives as in Sherrod's case.
[William Saletan]
The left is doing to Juan Williams what the right did to Shirley Sherrod
Slate.com, 21 Oct 2010. Retrieved 27 Oct 2010. Saletan said that while Williams' confessed fears of Muslims were "unsettling", the context was Williams' argument that such fears should not be used to curtail the rights of Muslims or anyone else, and that Williams consistently argued that Muslims in general should not be blamed for the terrorist activities of Muslim extremists.
NPR has been criticized by Williams and others for practicing a double standard in the firing, compared to their not firing
Cokie Roberts
Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne "Cokie" Roberts (née Boggs; December 27, 1943 – September 17, 2019) was an American journalist and author. Her career included decades as a political reporter and analyst for National Public Radio, PBS, ...
,
Nina Totenberg and other NPR reporters and analysts for their opinionated statements.
Fox News Channel
Williams has been a Fox News Contributor since 1997.
He has appeared on ''
Special Report with Bret Baier
'' Special Report with Bret Baier'' (formerly ''Special Report with Brit Hume'') is an American television news and political commentary program, hosted by Bret Baier since 2009, that airs on Fox News Channel. It is broadcast live each Monday thr ...
'', ''
FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace
''Fox News Sunday'' is a Sunday morning talk show that has aired on the broadcast Fox network since 1996, as a presentation of Fox News Channel. It is the only regularly scheduled Fox News program carried on the main Fox broadcast network. Host ...
'' and was a regular co-host of ''
The Five'', until announcing on 5 May 2021, that he would leave the New-York office to work in the D.C. office in order to spend more time with his family in D.C.. He also appeared on ''The O'Reilly Factor'' and occasionally served as a guest host in O'Reilly's absence.
After NPR announced his termination from their network in October 2010, Fox News offered him a new $2 million (a "considerable" raise
) three-year contract and an expanded role at their network that included a regular guest-host role Friday nights on ''The O'Reilly Factor''.
["Fox News Gives Juan Williams $2 Million Contract." ]
Article at www.npr.org, Folkenflik, David, 22 October 2010
Following his firing from NPR, Williams appeared on ''The O'Reilly Factor'' and discussed his thoughts on how his role at Fox played into NPR's decision: "I don't fit in their box. I'm not a predictable black liberal. You
'Reillywere exactly right when you said you know what this comes down to. They were looking for a reason to get rid of me because I'm appearing on Fox News. They don't want me talking to you."
[ On December 9, 2016, on Fox Business Channel, ]Stuart Varney
Stuart A. Varney (born July 7, 1948) is a British-American talk show host and conservative political commentator who works for Fox News and the Fox Business Network. Born in the United Kingdom, he worked as a journalist before joining Fox News in ...
asked Williams, "Do you see yourself ever joining the Republican Party?" Williams answered, "I have two sons in the Republican Party, so, yes."
Television
Williams is the recipient of an Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for his work in television documentary
Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries.
Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film.
*Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...
writing and has earned critical praise for a series of television documentaries including ''Politics: The New Black Power'', ''A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom'', ''Civil Rights and The Press'', ''Riot to Recovery'' and ''Dying for Healthcare''.
Williams' 1988 book, ''Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954–65'', was written with the Blackside production team as a companion to the first season of the PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
series ''Eyes on the Prize
''Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement'' is an American television series and 14-part documentary about the 20th-century civil rights movement in the United States. The documentary originally aired on the PBS network, and it also ...
''. His 2003 book, ''This Far by Faith'', is also a companion to a PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
series.
Williams is a contributor to a number of national
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
magazines, including ''Fortune
Fortune may refer to:
General
* Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck
* Luck
* Wealth
* Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling
* Fortune, in a fortune cookie
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Fortune'' (1931 film) ...
'', ''The New Republic
''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hum ...
'', ''The Atlantic Monthly
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'', '' Ebony magazine'', ''TIME
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' and '' GQ'' and frequents a wide range of television programs
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
including ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
's ''Nightline
''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News' late-night television news program broadcast on ABC in the United States with a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. Created by Roone Arledge, the progra ...
'', '' Washington Week'' on PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
, and ''The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
''.
Williams has spoken at the Smithsonian's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
's '' Brown v. Board of Education'' decision, which ended legal segregation in public schools, and was selected by the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
as moderator of its first program beginning its 2010 effort. He has received honorary doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
s from Lafayette College, Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. It has 1,326 full-time students representing 33 states and 9 foreign countries. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
...
, and Long Island University
Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...
, among other institutions.
Criticism
In October 1991 Williams was accused of sexual harassment by four female Washington Post colleagues. His colleagues recalled him making sexually suggestive comments about them. William published an article apologizing for his comments.
A February 2013 column written by Williams for '' The Hill'' was found to contain content that had been plagiarized. Williams asserted that a researcher was responsible for the plagiarism and that he himself had been unaware of it.
Personal life
Williams married Susan Delise in July 1978. They are the parents of one daughter, Rae, and two sons, Antonio ("Tony") and Raphael ("Raffi"). Tony, who was a Senate page
A United States Senate Page (Senate Page or simply Page) is a high-school age teen serving the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. Pages are nominated by senators, usually from their home state, and perform a variety of tasks, such as delive ...
and intern for GOP Senator Strom Thurmond
James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Prior to his 48 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Caro ...
from 1996 to 1997, was a speechwriter and legislative correspondent for Republican Senator Norm Coleman
Norman Bertram Coleman Jr. (born August 17, 1949) is an American politician, attorney, and lobbyist. From 2003 to 2009, he served as a United States Senator for Minnesota. From 1994 to 2002, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. First elected ...
from 2004 to 2006; in 2006, Tony ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia, the capital of the United States. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the district is not part of any U.S. state ...
, losing to Tommy Wells
Thomas Clayton Wells (born February 27, 1957) is an American politician, social worker and lawyer from Washington, DC. He was a member of the Council of the District of Columbia where he served as a Democrat representing Ward 6. Wells is now the ...
. The younger son, Raffi, studied anthropology and played lacrosse at Haverford College
Haverford College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), began accepting non-Quakers in 1849, and became coeducational ...
, his father's '' alma mater'' in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. He has worked for the House Rules Committee and as the communications director for Michigan Republican Dan Benishek
Daniel Joseph Benishek (April 20, 1952 – October 15, 2021) was an American physician and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2017. He was a member of the Republican Party.
Early life and education
Benishek was b ...
's successful 2012 congressional campaign, and was a deputy press secretary for the Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
. Raffi served as press secretary to former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.
Williams is the grandfather of twin girls, Pepper and Wesley.
Williams has described himself as "a black guy with a Hispanic name", and identifies as Afro-Panamanian
Afro-Panamanians are Panamanians of African descent. The Afro-Panamanian population can be mainly broken into one of two categories "Afro-Colonials", Afro-Panamanians descended from slaves brought to Panama during the colonial period, and "Afro-A ...
.
Williams has been active on the Haverford College
Haverford College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), began accepting non-Quakers in 1849, and became coeducational ...
Board of Managers, in the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program, and in the Washington Journalism Center. He sits on the board of directors of the New York Civil Rights Coalition.
Awards
Williams has received many awards, including honorary doctorates from Haverford College
Haverford College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), began accepting non-Quakers in 1849, and became coeducational ...
and State University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
.["Juan Williams." Contemporary Black Biography. Vol. 80. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Biography In Context.]
See also
* New Yorkers in journalism
Selected bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
References
External links
Juan Williams: Fox News Biography
A Conversation with Juan Williams
nbsp;— Video from researchchannel.org
*
''Booknotes'' interview with Williams on ''Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary'', October 11, 1998.
''In Depth'' interview with Williams, August 2, 2009
C-SPAN ''Q&A'' interview with Williams, July 31, 2011
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Juan
1954 births
Living people
20th-century American journalists
20th-century American non-fiction writers
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American journalists
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American male writers
African-American journalists
African-American television personalities
African-American writers
American columnists
American male journalists
American people of Panamanian descent
American people of West Indian descent
American political commentators
American political journalists
American political writers
American radio journalists
Emmy Award winners
Fox News people
Haverford College alumni
Hispanic and Latino American journalists
Hispanic and Latino American people in television
New York (state) Democrats
The New York Times writers
Panamanian emigrants to the United States
People involved in plagiarism controversies
The Wall Street Journal people
The Washington Post journalists
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American people