In the fall of 2018, political newcomer, Brian Williams, won a closely contested race over two fellow democrats to win the democratic nomination for senator of the 14th district in the state of Missouri. Following that came an unopposed election which saw Williams become elected to the Missouri Senate. Since then, he has been working with his colleagues and his constituents in order to make Missouri as great as it can be. It just so happens that this senator is also my uncle and afforded me some time to sit down with him to find out what a senator really does.

After officially becoming a senator in January of 2019, Williams went right to work and hasn’t stopped since then. Through his learning and understanding of the Missouri senate, Williams has been able to use those experiences to guide him through the craziness that is politics. 

“I would say that first I spent time learning and understanding the process, and the rules and the procedures of the senate. Learning those was very important to get things done, so just truly understanding how the body worked was critical. The second most important thing that I did was taking time to learn members and colleagues of mine to really work on building relationships because there are only 34 members including myself, so it’s good to know folks and it’s cool to learn about their districts and things they are passionate about,” Williams said.

Perhaps his biggest bill that he passed was a police reform bill which received bipartisan support from the senate body. The bill banned police chokeholds as well as a new authority to vacate wrongful convictions. This bill was signed into law by Governor Parsons in June of 2021, and even gained support from Williams’ best friend, former Cardinals and current Yankees player, Harrison Bader.

“I brought people together that never really spent time with each other such as: activists, law enforcement, and people from the community, and other citizens that wanted to see some constructive conversation about it and not just divisiveness. Bringing those folks together allowed us to have a very constructive conversation that law enforcement has a very difficult job, and we need to be doing everything we can to make their job easier by giving them the tools they need to help make each community better,” Williams said.

Working with people from so many different backgrounds across the state allows one to see every side of Missourians, which can be very valuable for an upcoming senator. It’s very easy to gain some valuable life lessons through working with so many people. 

“It taught me the importance of leadership. I thought I was a leader prior to being elected, but like most people, I’ve only really led groups of people that agree with me. Going to the Missouri senate taught me how to do something that I don’t think most people get an opportunity to do, and that’s being a leader among people who don’t always agree with you or see the world the way you do. Building trust among people who come from different backgrounds allowed me to really become a leader,” Williams said.

Representing the 14th district means representing a very wide range of people from some of the poorest communities in St. Louis to some of the richest in the city. Representing such a contrasting district has its challenges, but Williams is always able to find joy in it. 

“I like to consider it to be a model of the state. We have some of the wealthiest communities like Clayton and Ladue, but we also have many poverty stricken communities as well. To be able to represent such a diverse district that has so many different perspectives, and so many different challenges, while also being able to provide every community and every person with a voice is very cool,” Williams said. 

Williams has long been an advocate for minorities across the state because of his true belief that everyone deserves a voice, and everyone deserves a spot at the table. This has been the foundation for so much of what Williams has done in his career so far, and why he even decided to run for office in the first place.

Williams became the first African-American male to be elected to the Missouri Senate in 20 years, a fact that holds a special meaning to him.

“It is an opportunity to ensure that we advocate for policies that keep a diverse population of people in mind,” Williams said. 

Williams recently became a father to a baby boy, and he believes that it has helped him be able to separate the work life from the family life because when he gets home his job is to be a dad and not a senator. Williams believes that because of that it has grown the flame to keep fighting for children and families. Just a few weeks ago, Williams was awarded for his advocacy for children by Children’s Hospital. 

“For him(his son) to see me just receive an award from St. Louis Children’s Hospital for advocating for families, children and babies was really special and full circle moment. It really just motivates me to be the best leader I can be,” Williams said.

Williams isn’t sure what the future holds, but knows he will continue to fight for all Missourians day by day, which is what he has been doing from the very beginning.