Taylor Williams Credits HBCU for Voice and Scholarship

Hosts Sandy Pierre and Kathleen Newman-Bremang sit down with actress and activist Taylor Polidore Williams to discuss how she learned to become the mentor she wishes she had when she was younger.

Williams, who gained recognition for starring in the series Beauty in Black and Reasonable Doubt, spoke about her time at Clark Atlanta University and described the campus as a turning point that helped her discover both voice and confidence. The school’s environment, she said, allowed her to focus on her craft without the weight of racial expectations.

Reflecting on the HBCU setting, she noted, “your race isn’t a factor,” emphasizing that the community encouraged artistic risk-taking and open dialogue. This perspective, she added, created space for experimentation that many students find rare elsewhere.

She explained, “When you know yourself, and you’ve had the experience to come into your own and try things out and fail, and having professors be like, ‘you can do better than that,’” highlighting how constructive criticism built her stamina and confidence. Those moments, she said, taught her to view setbacks as stepping stones rather than obstacles.

Looking ahead, the scholarship program she helped launch aims to attract donors who will address housing costs for creative students, potentially easing financial stress for future cohorts at the school.

Williams’ current focus centers on “specificity in my journey,” a theme that includes her collaboration with the Shelter Rock Foundation. The foundation recently established a housing scholarship for three media arts students at her alma mater.

She credited mentors, family members, and the institution for steady guidance, stating that Clark Atlanta University “has carried me through a lot of things in life, because even if you don’t necessarily see a way, there’s always a way.” This acknowledgment shows the lasting impact of supportive networks on personal and professional growth.