| State Representative Al Williams serves the citizens of House District 168. In 2002, he was elected to the Georgia General Assembly after a life of civic and political involvement, and he was sworn in among 52 freshmen state representatives on January 13, 2003. Rep. Williams can be described as a devoted family man, dedicated church leader, military veteran, businessman and a friend of hard working people in Georgia. In the Georgia House of Representatives, Rep. Williams serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee for Public Safety and the House Rules, Economic Development and Tourism, Creative Arts and Entertainment, Transportation and Game Fish and Parks committees. He also serves on the Georgia Joint Military Defense Commission. He is past chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, which is the largest Black caucus in America. Rep. Williams has received numerous local, state and national awards, including the nationally recognized Trumpet Award in 2008. Rep. Williams' political involvement started at 13 years old when he was a door knocker for John F. Kennedy in 1960. He then received his first NAACP card and became the first NAACP Youth Council president for the Liberty County Branch. He later served as State Youth Council vice president for Georgia, the first African American national committeeman for the Young Democrats of Georgia, as well as the first African American state representative from Liberty County since Reconstruction. He also served as a political advisor and session aide to Zell Miller and to the late Senator Glenn Bryant. In 1963, Rep. Williams marched at the first "March on Washington" and he marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. He was jailed 17 times during the Civil Rights Movement. He has served as a delegate to six Democratic National Conventions (DNC) and was on the Rules Committee for the DNC in Philadelphia. Rep. Williams is also the vice chairman of Fair Fight Action and serves as a founding board member with Stacey Abrams. He is a NAACP Silver Life Member and also serves as a member of the Liberty County Democratic Committee, Liberty County Chamber of Commerce, National Association of State Legislators, National Black Caucus of State Legislators and the Georgia Legislation Black Caucus. He is the vice chairman of Liberty County's development and tourism authorities. Exemplifying the best qualities of leadership and public service, Al is deeply rooted in the community which he represents. Rep. Williams was born and raised in Liberty County to the late Alexander and Carrie Williams. Al, along with his twin sister and two other siblings, was reared in a family with strong church and community ties. Al's father was employed as a laborer while his mother taught in the Liberty County School System. His grandfather, the late Rev. W. C. Shipman, was the first Black registered voter and first member of the NAACP in Liberty County. Rep. Williams is a Vietnam War veteran, and he attended Saint Leo University and John Marshall School of Law. He was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Trinity Bible College. Rep. Williams is the chairman deacon at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Richmond Hill. One of his most cherished memories includes visiting the Holy Land in 2000 with his wife of Olivia. He and his wife have been married for more than 40 years and have five sons. |