Michael K. Williams was best known for his five time Emmy nominated role on "The Wire" and for his role on "Boardwalk Empire." I was not familiar with Williams or his work until I heard his interview with Terry Gross on NPR's "Fresh Air in Memory" (March 2023). Williams shared his life and his struggles with drug addiction starting as a teen in Brooklyn and his fortuitous breaks into professional acting and getting his life back on track. Williams writes with a clear and deft hand. We learn about his early childhood centered on the outdoor public space in the apartment complex. Everyone knew everyone and his mother kept a constant eye on him at all times. Despite the overprotective eyes of a loving and highly respected mother in the community, Williams succumbed to illegal drugs. His battle with drug addiction ended in an overdose in Sept. '21. Despite his struggles, he was committed to providing opportunities for breaking the cycles of poverty and destruction. Williams found support and a way out of a downward spiral of self-destruction into a successful acting career. He acknowledged that difference one caring person provides. He was fortunate in befriending Dana, a.k.a. Queen Latifah. Williams is determined to become a guiding hand for his nephew sentenced to prison as a teen, and to young people providing safe and empowering options to avoid the prevailing pratfalls of poor and underserved communities. Williams tells us "At the core of my work is service. Getting a second chance at life is about service. Wanting to use my time and platform to give back keeps me sane, keeps me balanced". He tells us the solution is simple, "This is not rocket science. We know what these kids need. Just to be seen. And loved. And told they matter. For some kids it takes just one adult to care about them, take an interest in them." Williams is candid about the work he needed to do for himself. "The work requires you to look in the mirror, and you can't do that until you put the drugs down...I got into therapy and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, reconnected with my sponsor, and addressed my trauma head-on. I've accepted that I cannot let up. " In Williams articulate NPR interview with Terry Gross, I was taken by his honesty, pride and enthusiasm for life and enthusiasm for being a beacon for others. I was saddened by his death from an overdose. He died before completing his memoir. I had hope to understand what transpired causing his life to implode. Don't read this engaging, self-reflection hoping to obtain this answer, you'll be disappointed. Rather, read this with an open mind and heart. "The permission to love yourself is so important. You don't have to get scarred up in your face and go through endless rehabs and almost die and overdose to finally understand that you're worth something."
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