[1] Growing up in Lovelady, Texas, a town of Black residents located over an hour north of Houston, she attended Center Grove High School and graduated as both valedictorian and National Merit Scholar.
[3] Impressed with her work, Davidson encouraged her to undertake graduate training, which she pursued at the University of Chicago, where she won a highly-acclaimed Woodrow Wilson fellowship and earned a master's degree in 1973 and a doctorate in 1977, both in political science.
In the course of her career as a research scholar, professor, mentor and activist, Williams worked with many different academic institutions, including the Joint Center for Political Studies, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and the Institute for Policy Research and Education through the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
[5] Williams' research has made significant contributions to the field of political science, particularly in the areas of racial and gender related studies.
[8] Williams' work has shed light on the intersection of politics and healthcare, influencing both scholarly debates and policy decisions.