URBANA — DeShawn Williams will be sworn in as mayor of Urbana this Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Lincoln Square Mall.
He was elected to the position after a two-year campaign, replacing incumbent Mayor Diane Wolfe Marlin.
Williams has a long career in banking and formerly served as the interim Champaign County Treasurer.
IPM’s Kimberly Schofield sat down with Williams to ask what his priorities will be when he takes office. They discussed what it means for him to be Urbana’s first Black mayor, how he hopes to bring the city together and why he plans to spend a lot of time with youth.
This interview has been edited for conciseness and clarity.
SCHOFIELD: What will the first few months of your term look like? And what are your top priorities for Urbana?
WILLIAMS: Yeah, so, you know, one of the top priorities that we will embark on once I get in, it’s going to be the beginning of a search, you know, for a new city administrator. You know, considering that the current administrator will be leaving at the same time as the outgoing mayor. So that’s going to be one of the top priorities. But you know, along with that, it’s, you know, a matter of us just again, changing the culture, you know, within city hall, and, you know, again, really getting folks excited and fired up to, you know, to embark on this new chapter. So we’re going to do a lot of, you know, internal workings and rebuilding, you know, in some spaces, and just really prepare for for this new beginning. So we’re excited. We’re looking forward to it, eager, you know, we’ve already spent the last few weeks, you know, just in the transition and everything so, which has been eye opening, to say the least. But, you know, everything has gone smoothly thus far, so I’m encouraged. I’m looking forward to it and ready to get to work.
SCHOFIELD: You’ll be Urbana’s first Black mayor.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
SCHOFIELD: What does that mean to you and what do you think it means to the city’s residents?
WILLIAMS: You know, it was very clear that they were wanting change. And I know that that is cliche at times, right? Because everyone says that, we hear it all the time, you know, that really hit home in 2008, right? With with our former president, you know, [Barack Obama]. But, it was just one of those things where it was clear that the people wanted something different, you know. And I think that we had a unique opportunity. And I’m grateful they believe that, you know, I brought something new. They believe that I brought something special. And I do believe that, you know, my two years of campaigning paid off, right? Because they were able to see the heart of the man you know, and the servant leader that I like to think that I, you know, I am at times. And I tell folks all the time that two years is a long time to mess something up, right? So, they had an opportunity to see me at work in some capacity, you know. But as far as what that means, you know, just to my community, to the Black community, to the young folks in particular. You know, this is something that, just to let them know, your story doesn’t have to end the way it starts, right? I know there was a time in my life where I was told I would be dead or in jail before I was 21. You know. And that was due to, you know, my behavior, the crowd that I kept, you know, around me, and ironically, one of those individuals that was in that group that was told that is dead and another’s in jail, right? So, it’s just one of those things where I show my young, Black and Brown kids and anything is possible, you know, and you’re not, you’re not subject to what other people believe.
SCHOFIELD: When you were running for mayor, one part of your platform was a proposed education initiative called Urbana U. Can you tell me more about that?
WILLIAMS: Yeah, so, you know, it’s one of those things, what kind of birth that, you know, I tell this, I’ve told this story before. I had got, I was with a group of kids —not kids, well, from the ages, I think … from 11 to 17, I’m sorry — and this particular group, they, I knew, you know, they were responsible for some of the crime and things that had taken place in the city over the last six months or so. You know, I was able to get them, you know, together in an undisclosed, you know, location, because there was a genuine fear of, you know, their ops, finding out where they were and retaliating. And I’m gonna be honest with you, I wanted to go home at night, right? And so, you know, we put them in a space where we, you know, fed them, got them, you know, just comfortable, so that we could just talk, right?
I asked them a few questions. One of the questions, you know, was, when was the last time someone told you they loved you? What do you want to be when you grow up? What’s your biggest fear in life? Just things to shift their mind to so that they were able to turn, turn off the street mentality, right? Turn off survival mode and just become a kid again, right? And there was one young person in particular. He was 11.
He had been to [juvenile detention center] already, suspended from two schools already. He wasn’t participating. And I’m gonna be honest with you, I was like, I kind of got offended, I’m like, ‘Man, I fed you. You know, we chilling, kicking it. You know, the least you can do is answer some questions for me, right?’ But he didn’t participate. He didn’t want to answer any questions. He didn’t want to read anything. And at the end, we were able to talk, and I found out he couldn’t read, he couldn’t write, right? So I said, ‘Oh, I see what’s happening. He’s overcompensating a lack of from an educational standpoint, by being a tough guy, in the classroom or in the streets, right? So he’s in survival mode. So I understood that because, you know, there was a point in time, I tell people all the time, I had a learning disability. I had a short attention span, right? I was fortunate and blessed to have learned how to use that to my advantage, you know, hence why I’m able to do multiple things and things, right? So with him, I said, ‘All right, well, there’s still clearly a negative, you know, connotation around in-school learning at times, right? And while there are some amazing, amazing alternative programmings, like Tiger Academy in particular, like I’ve truly grown to appreciate the work that they’ve done, you know, and that they continue to do. There’s still a space for folks to not want to or not feel comfortable in being around a group, because their learning capabilities just aren’t to par with the other people, right? So the ideal around this was, you know, for people of all ages, right, not just our youth, but through, you know, adulthood as well. You know, to have access to an educational space on their own time, you know, at their own pace, right? The idea of this is to have this, you know, being taught by, you know, by local educators and things of that nature. So people that they know, you know, will provide a video, you know, around the subject matter, and they will be able to do this on their own time, at their own pace, without any surrounding questions, or, you know, anything like that. So that was the the thought around it. And I’ve already been in conversation, you know, with some of our local, amazing educators and professors, and this is something that we are absolutely going to put forth.
SCHOFIELD: I imagine just being in a more comfortable environment would definitely encourage, even just an eagerness to learn.
WILLIAMS: Absolutely, absolutely. And it’s, it’s my hope that, you know, at a point in time, you know, we’ll be able to partner with, you know, with some of the — I’ve had conversations with the school districts too, that will allow for them to receive the same recognition as the normal, you know, normal learning process.
SCHOFIELD: DeShawn, this next question is kind of an expansive question.
WILLIAMS: Okay.
SCHOFIELD: Public safety has been a contentious issue in the community. There have been calls to combat crime and prevent gun violence. You mentioned in your previous answer just about even youth who are involved in some crime. But there have also been debates in city council about the department’s use of force policy. How should police handle mental health emergencies and the treatment of African Americans? How do you plan to navigate those desires to reduce crime while acknowledging concerns about over policing?
WILLIAMS: Sure, no, that’s a great question. Yeah, that was a hot topic, you know, throughout the campaign, right? And I’ve said from the very beginning, you know, we’re going to involve everyone in these decisions moving forward, right? So, from our council to our police department to our community, right? My thought process, we’re going to build consensus around any and everything that we do moving forward, not just policing, right? And I know that, you know, the tension in the spotlight narrowed down to the policing, which, again, it’s understandable, but you know, for me, I’ve always said it’s going to be really hard for anyone to argue with the work. So you know, whether or not — I was in support of, you know, providing a surveillance, you know, an ordinance, right, around accountability and things of that nature, as far as the, you know, the surveillance piece is concerned, and I still believe that, right? I do feel that there needs to be, you know, accountability held and transparency around those things, right? And I, from my conversations, I have heard and had conversations with the chief and other officers. They are, they’re in agreement with that, right? So now we need to find that middle ground. So now we need to understand what, you know, what the council, what they’re attempting to do and present, right, to ensure that, again, they’re working and speaking in regard to their constituents, right? So we need to understand what they are wanting so that we can present it to the police department. They all need to be in that conversation though. It can’t be one or the other, right? We all have to be a part of that conversation.
So, you know, for me, it’s going to absolutely be a matter of us getting into the streets, you know, something that I, you know, had a conversation with, with [Chief Larry Boone]. I want us to literally get in the streets, touch the youth. Have these, have these training, these conversations around what this looks like, to turn things around. If we’re going to be honest with each other, the majority of the violence and things that [have] taken place over the last few years have been at the hands of our youth, you know. So that is all, you know, that’s been my approach. I’ve said, ‘I don’t want us to solely be reactional.’ That’s the problem, right? And I do believe that that has been the case over the last, however, many years now, we’ve been reactional. So the moment we can shift that and really focus on preventatives, that’s when I believe that we are going to see a shift, you know, that’s when I believe that we’ll see, you know, we’ll curb the violence in a sense. It’s not to take away anything.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for our police chief, you know, he’s put in a lot of work over the years. I have a tremendous amount of respect for, you know, for our department. I think anyone can say that if they want, if they call 911, they want someone to come, right? Because there’s a reason they called, and they want someone to respond, right?. I will just go ahead and say this publicly, you know, the thought of, ‘we don’t need any more,’ that’s insane, right? You know, I can’t agree with that personally, you know. But, and again, while I appreciate and respect, you know, the desire to want to protect Black and Brown people, I’m Black and Brown. You know what I mean. I wear a suit three days out the week, but the other few days my tattoos are out. I got Jordans on my feet. I got 5% tint on my windows, on my car, right? I look like the stereotypical, whatever, and I can become a hashtag at any given time, you know? So for me, I just, I really want a community-focused approach. I do want to see the the alternative response develop … it’s developed, but I want to see it put into place now, you know what I mean? We’ve had the meetings, we had the conversation, so now it’s time for the action, right? Let’s put in the work, and as I said earlier, let’s get into the streets and make these things happen. Right? They’re not going to be able to go on every call, they’re not going to be able to solve every issue, but to have that as an option is going to be huge for our city, and I do believe that we have an opportunity to lead the way in that.
SCHOFIELD: Urbana has a number of construction projects that the city has been planning for, including improvements along Florida Avenue, new bike lanes, pavement on Lincoln Avenue, among others. How do you plan to pursue those projects under the Trump administration, which has been clawing back some federal funds and is also being more selective with local grants?
WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, there’s a lot of uncertainty, you know, around this current administration, as far as the the president is concerned. And there, there’s a lot of concern, you know, around that, you know, especially considering the cuts from [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] and all of those things, right? You know, we’ve been, we’ve already started working through, you know, some of the budget, you know, line items and things of that nature. And you know there, there are going to be spaces in that where I will have to say no, right, to ensure that we are conservative and have the necessary resources to ensure that our current programs, and, you know, things of that nature that’s going to help people, help our community, make sure that they’re able to still function in the case that we are cut, you know, from a federal funding standpoint. I think that is going to be ever the more necessary for us to have the relationships in our state level, you know, our state government, you know, from our our state legislators and our governor. I am encouraged by having the relationship and the governor that we have, you know, to in place someone who’s not afraid to go up against, you know, our national problems, right? So, you know, those, those relationships, are going to be very important as we move forward. Because while, you know, there’s the cut at the very top, you know, there are still, you know, opportunities, as far as funding and things of that nature is concerned from a state level. So we’ll, we’re just going to have to, you know, we’re going to have to really thread that needle. But I think that it’s going to be possible. But what we will do is ensure that we have a conservative approach to ensure that we’re not, you know, in the negative space, as we move forward.
SCHOFIELD: What would you like to see change in the city of Urbana by the end of your term in office?
WILLIAMS: That is a good question.
SCHOFIELD: Big question.
WILLIAMS: It’s a big question. You know, in all honesty, by the end of my term, I It’s my hope that we can bring multiple sides to the center, you know. And let me clarify. I’m not saying center politically, right. But there’s, there’s, there’s some division out there right now. Unconsciously, too. That’s the, that’s the unfortunate part, because — and I realized this throughout the campaign. We’re divided, and we don’t really realize it, right? I am hoping that we will — again, the youth is, that’s my that’s my core, that’s my heart, right? I’m hoping that we will see an increase, you know, in not only Black and Brown kids being able to be successful from an educational standpoint, but understanding that, you know, college and things of that nature is not for everyone, right? College and universities, it’s not for everyone. So, you know, I’ve worked really hard in bringing the trades, you know, and things of that nature to the community, and ensuring that that message is strong.
So for me, it’s, it’s my hope that we’re able to bring all sides together, and knowing that we are, we’re one team. This is the city of Urbana. They’ve grown to be known for, you know, their culture, and the fun, the excitement, the art, them being together. And I think that we’ve lost sight of some of that. And it’s due to political nature, right? For over the last, you know, few presidential terms and things of that nature. So, you know, it’s my hope that that will will bring some unity, to the community, as cheesy as that sound, but, you know, bring some unity and really just put forth, you know, some tangible, tangible outcomes and goals. And just that we, again, we’re going to be known for action. I say it all the time. I don’t want to attend too many more meetings, you know, because if we’re not looking to put the action and put the work in, what are we what are we really talking about, you know? So, that’s what I am hoping the end of my term, you know, will be a reflection of, like, they put in the work. They put in the work, they made the change. The change was evident from the work that they put in.