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Juan Williams
New York Times Best-Selling Author, Fox News Political Analyst & Award-Winning Columnist
Juan Williams
New York Times Best-Selling Author, Fox News Political Analyst & Award-Winning Columnist
Biography
Widely regarded as one of America’s top speakers, New York Times Best-selling Author, Fox News Political Analyst and Award-winning Columnist Juan Williams has a talent for motivating and inspiring audiences. He does this with his exceptional storytelling and deep knowledge of the media, civil rights, politics and American history. He is truly one of the nation’s leading public intellectuals and has an unflinching dedication to giving people the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves, their families and their communities.
His deep knowledge comes from years of experience and always striving to do the best. Williams spent 23 years as a reporter, award-winning investigative journalist, White House correspondent, editorial writer, columnist and magazine writer at The Washington Post.
While at the Post, he covered every major political campaign from 1980 to 1996. He interviewed Presidents, including Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama. He has also interviewed members of the Supreme Court and Congress, as well as civil rights leaders and global leaders, including Nelson Mandela.
At NPR [National Public Radio], Williams hosted “Talk of The Nation,” the network’s afternoon talk show from 1999-2002 and brought the show’s ratings to record heights. He hosted a prize-winning series of town halls across the country for NPR’s “Changing Face of America,” series at the start of the century. He later served as NPR’s senior national correspondent.
For a decade he hosted “America’s Black Forum,” a weekly national show on news focused on race relations. He has appeared on TV news programs framing from “Meet the Press” to “Oprah” and “Inside Washington.” He was a substitute co-host on CNN’s “Crossfire” from 1990-1997 and from 1995-1997 the host of “Capitol Gang Sunday” on CNN. He was a political analyst for CBS News from 1990-1993. He was a featured commentator for the ESPN series “Top Athletes of the 20th Century.” He wrote Oprah Winfrey’s first primetime television special “No One Dies Alone,” which was based on a story he wrote for The Washington Post Magazine.
He has written for magazines ranging from The Atlantic to The New Yorker, GQ, The New Republic and Ebony. He is currently senior political analyst for Fox News Channel and a weekly columnist for The Hill.
In his follow-up to Eyes on the Prize, Williams turns his attention to the rise of a new 21st-century civil rights movement in New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America's Second Civil Rights Movement. In his book, What the Hell Do You Have to Lose?: Trump’s War on Civil Rights, Williams adds to his stellar reputation as a civil rights historian. In this book, he sounded the alarm over President Trump’s efforts to trip up the tremendous racial progress made by historic figures, from Dr. King through President Obama.
The book follows Williams’s multiple best-sellers, including Eyes on the Prize; We the People: The Modern-Day Figures Who Have Reshaped and Affirmed the Founding Fathers’ Vision of America; Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary; Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America—and What We Can Do About It; This Far by Faith; Stories from the African American Religious Experience; and Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate. As a speaker, Williams has earned a sterling reputation for graciousness, consummate professionalism, entertaining storytelling and a commitment to partnering with event leadership. Known as much for his preparation as his performance, he gets to know your organization and the goals of the event, delivering a keynote experience that is personalized, inspiring, authentic and unforgettable.
Speaker Videos
Speaking Highlight
The Divided Country
America's Crisis in Education
The Power of Voice
Adapting to Globalization
Speech Topics
New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America's Second Civil Rights Movement
Bestselling author Juan Williams turns his attention to the rise of a new 21st-century civil rights movement. Juan shines a light on this new movement. Who are its heroes? Where is it headed? Today’s movement is dealing with new realities. The new generation is social media savvy, and they have an agenda fueled by discontent with systemic racism and the persistent scourge of police brutality. Today’s activists are making history in a new economic and cultural landscape, and they are using a new set of tools and strategies to do so. Williams brilliantly traces the arc of this new civil rights era and gives a call to action, urging Americans to get in touch with the progress made and hurdles yet to be overcome.
The Changing Face of America
In almost no time in history has there been as many changes as right now. The U.S. is becoming much more racially and ethnically diverse and societal norms are shifting on nearly a daily basis. So, what does this mean for the future? As a longtime journalist, political expert and civil rights historian, Juan Williams dives deep into what he calls “the second movement” — the changing face of America — and what it means to all of us.
Williams customizes his content for specific audiences, including:
Business: To thrive and stay competitive, companies—no matter the industry—must recognize America’s shifting demographics, where the faces of their customers and employees are drastically changing, cultural issues abound and more divergent voices are being welcomed into the marketplace. In this keynote, Williams shares why it is critical to be aware of these shifts, the importance of DEI and what it means for businesses going forward.
Educators: Why is the changing face of America such an important issue for educators? In this talk, Williams shares how understanding a school’s demographics can inform conversations around school segregation, redistricting, funding and equity—all critical issues for schools and the students they serve—and provides solutions to deal with these changes.
College: It’s a fact. Our country right now is more divided than almost ever before. Add to that, our shifting demographics and social issues and it’s easy to see we are all living in incredibly complicated times. And yet, it’s not all bad news. Change can be good. Examining the issues through an historical lens, Williams shares why we are seeing a “second movement,” the importance of CRT, Black Lives Matter and the rise of minorities and women as leaders and how we can make the most of these times.
Healthcare: Williams gives an insider’s view on healthcare in America and what needs to be changed to provide equitable treatment that positively impacts patients’ lives.
The Leadership Challenge
What does it take to be a great leader in a time of tremendous change in America? Using examples of historical figures who were models of leadership, Juan Williams takes you on the journey of how today’s leaders can not only survive but also thrive. This is a time when corporate leadership is being tested. With this talk, you get the tools you need to become a highly effective leader who others will follow.
An American Revolutionary
When it comes to biographies on civil rights leaders, none has made more of an impact than Juan’s Williams’ Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary. Described by Time magazine as a “magisterial work of American history,” it was listed by BookBub as one of the 40 Best Biographies of all time. In this talk based on his celebrated book, Juan Williams reveals why Marshall was the 20th century’s great architect of American race relations, from Marshall’s victory in the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the landmark Supreme Court case outlawing school segregation in the United States, to being appointed as the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court, and how his actions still impact us today as we continue the fight for civil rights and justice.
Eyes on the Prize
The Civil Rights years are widely considered to be the most turbulent time in recent American history. This struggle has evoked the full spectrum of human behaviors—from compassion to oppression—setting the stage for sweeping reform in race relations.
Juan Williams's most acclaimed book, Eyes on the Prize, is not only an inspiring chronicle of the movement, it stands as the definitive history of the era, and as required reading in our schools as one of the basic texts on civil rights. Now, more than a quarter of a century later, Eyes on the Prize, which has been selling consistently all these years, has not only led to more understanding about racial equality, but it has also led to a personal interview with Nelson Mandela shortly after his release and a permanent place in the White House library.
In this presentation, Williams discusses the amazing situation he finds himself (and the nation) in. He not only created a true landmark book, he has also created a quarter-century of dialogue and awareness about our nation’s history, which to this day is not only relevant but also repeating itself in clashes between African Americans and the institutions we expect to police crime — not color. Today, people from all walks of life are rediscovering Eyes on the Prize and now have the unique opportunity to connect with its author, ask the tough questions, and truly see where we are, how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.
The Latest from Washington: An Insider's View
The dance of politics is no game. Its players control the rhythm of the nation. And the decisions they make can get so personal, a bad one sometimes feels like somebody’s stepping on your toes. Today’s politics are so complicated and confusing, it’s all just a cacophony of corporate interests, special interest groups, partisanship, stagnation, scandals, etc.
The media sure doesn’t help. Every issue’s solution varies from channel to channel, and paper to paper—each expressing its own interests. It has gotten so bad that the media is now alienating instead of informing, making us all feel like wallflowers. Well, when it comes to the Potomac two-step … Juan Williams doesn’t dance.
Whether Williams is at the White House dinner table or in the back booths of Washington, he always gets the scoop. Williams equates his insider position to being in the dug-out, rather than the stands, where most journalists are—in the cheap seats with us, the public. William’s dug-out analogy is perfect, as he is always close enough to the “deciders” to hear their game plans, see what’s coming and feel the pressures they are under. Williams is always in the right place at the right time to give us the understanding that very few have. In this keynote, Williams exposes and illustrates the whole story because of his position behind the scenes. This has consistently been one of the most popular speech programs in America, year in and year out.
The Fierce Face of Moderation: Battering Ram & Gridlock Buster
Moderates have long been castigated as "softies" with little willpower of their own. But as Republicans and Democrats in Washington further dig their heels on opposite sides of every major political issue, we must realize that extremism prevents us from moving forward as a nation and as a global economy.
Speaker Juan Williams proves that problem solvers and negotiators—moderates—are, in fact, radicals whose beliefs align with those of the majority of Americans. In this presentation, he discusses such major national issues as healthcare, education, government debt and social problems and provides solutions to these based on compromise. He also identifies the key national issues that will impact your specific organization and provides solutions to navigating those changes.
Williams embraces our nation's legacy of compromise—one that has allowed us to achieve some of our greatest accomplishments—and urges us to champion moderation as a way to move forward into new and exciting territory.
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