Beyond his family and friends, few things are as crucial to Mayor Anthony Williams as the Abilene community, smoking meat, playing dominoes, or his beloved Abilene High School Eagles. A graduate of the AHS Class of 1987, Williams has served Abilene as a city councilman and, since 2017, as the mayor. In early November 2022, Williams announced that he would not seek a third term, stepping away from public office after serving for more than two decades.

During his tenure as the 36th mayor of Abilene, Williams led the city through the cleanup from a May 2019 tornado, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. He also helped navigate critical discussions about race after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. It’s no wonder Williams is ready for a break to spend more time with his family.

“I have some opportunities if I choose to do some things beyond Abilene, and I may choose to investigate them,” he said recently. “But over the last 30 years, I’ve not always been the best husband to my bride of 33 years or the best father to my children. I want to pause, fortify my family relationships, and do a better job honoring my wife and fathering my adult children. That doesn’t mean I won’t do a few things down the road, but it does mean that’s not the priority.”

With his tenure as the mayor winding down, Williams sat down with us for a question-and-answer session to look back on his leadership in Abilene.

Q: What do you remember about growing up in Abilene and your experiences with Abilene ISD and the teachers who influenced you?

Williams: I grew up in northwest Abilene and went to Lee Elementary School, which is now, of course, Stafford Elementary School. I grew up in a ‘low-mod’ (low-to-moderate income) neighborhood, so attending school was my salvation. I had an opportunity to be around some great educators. Judy Credicott was a fifth-grade teacher, and she made a big impression. My third-grade teacher, Mrs. Friday, was the first African American teacher I ever had, and she made a big impression on me. Roger Decker was another who made a mark on me. All those educators made such a difference in my life. 

I had unfortunate circumstances with my family, and school was a space where I could feel good about myself. At Abilene High, where I graduated in the Class of 1987, I encountered hard-working people who allowed me to see the world differently. One of the people who changed my life was Johnny Taylor, my position coach. He went on to be the head coach at Idalou High School and won a state championship there. I was talking to him three or four years ago about my appreciation for him and what he did for me and inspiring and motivating me. He gave me a speech one time about not giving 100 percent. He told me, “You can have talent and desire, but nothing you want will ever come to be without effort.”

Something about that moment on the practice field in the heat of August planted some things in me that have stayed with me. I was not an NCAA Division I-caliber athlete; I gave effort and tried, but I wasn’t going to go to the NFL. However, I learned for the very first time that preparation, hard work, and sacrifice lead to success. I achieved my football goals, and I’ve carried some of that framework into my personal life. In that same conversation, he told me he would go to his freshmen and tell them my story every year. I’m a grown man and a grandfather, but when he said that, it brought tears to my eyes – that my position coach from 35-plus years ago would share that story. I’ve lived my life trying to motivate and encourage others. But what he conveyed returned me to my appreciation for the women and men who took the time to love a little boy with no dad – a boy that needed infrastructure and hope, and I was provided that in the Abilene Independent School District.

Q: What’s one thing you want AISD students to take away from their time in the school district?

Williams: I want them to know that they can. Life is like a race. Some people start at the starting line, while others might begin ahead because of other variables. But the message is that you can win the race no matter where you start. It takes more effort for some. I want every little boy and girl to know that they can become the person they were created to be and live the life they were created to live. Regardless of who your parents are, where you live, or what your parents have in their checking account, if you try to work hard, make sacrifices, and be dedicated to what you’re doing, you can win your race.

Q: What drew you to public service in Abilene?

Williams: My father was murdered here in Abilene when I was four years old, and many people – family, friends, teachers, and coaches – continually invested in me. Anyone who did anything didn’t get there with their wherewithal; it’s because people invested in them. And from an early age, I wanted to live my life where I made a return on those investments. Part of what made me want to serve the public as an elected official was to try and pay back the generosity that was extended to me and, in a small way, contribute to this community.

Q: How does something like the murder of your father at four years old shape you over the next 50 years of your life?

Williams: There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t think about my father’s murder. Not that I think about it all day, but something triggers that, and I think about it. By the way, I’m not unique. Some people have had horrific things happen to them, and they’re hurting. And they’re people who have been put in positions where life has created obstacles that make it more challenging for them to be successful. What I try to do when I think back to that incident is to be mindful of that and those people. Everybody has their own story, but life is not fair. Life has never been fair. But it also allows us to react to one another by offering grace, mercy, and love. 

Q: What do you tell young people about serving the community you grew up in and the importance of community service?

Williams: Abilene is my hometown. I’m on Team Abilene, and nobody on a team wants that team to fail. To succeed as a community, we all must contribute, and I must convey that message. My contribution might not be your contribution and vice versa. But we all have a part to play on this team.

Q: Early last month, you announced you weren’t running for re-election. What led you to that decision?

Williams: I can’t think of a more stressful time to be a mayor of a city than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking back, I’ve not always made the best decisions, but I’ve always given effort. We’ve done well in Abilene, and I’m proud of my service. For most of my adult life, I’ve been an elected official. I would rather leave too early than stay too long. When I look back at what we wanted to do, without exception, we’ve accomplished every one of those goals, and I believe our tradition in this community is making room for the next generation. For the next mayor or city councilperson, I hope that in my service – formally for the last 21 years and voluntarily for the previous 30 years – my example has been consistent with those that came before me.

Q: What are you most proud about accomplishing during your six years as the mayor of Abilene?

Williams: I can think of several things, but at the forefront would be that we’ve secured water in Abilene for the next seventy years, we have a program for street improvements, and the future of Dyess Air Force Base is secure. The most important thing is economic viability. More jobs have been created and retained in the last four years than in the previous fifteen years. And there have been more capital investment dollars in Abilene in the last three years than in the previous thirty years. We have 700 new jobs in my five years that will pay north of $50,000 per year. For some, that might not be much money, but the median income in my old neighborhood where I grew up is $20,000 a year. Those added jobs provide an opportunity for a woman or a man to have dignity because they can make a good living for their families. And when they have dignity, their whole family has dignity. And when families have dignity, they will engage in ways they couldn’t without that dignity. More people in our community have dignity, and we’ve been a part of essential efforts that have allowed that to come to fruition, and I’m the proudest about that effort.

Q: You are the first black mayor in Abilene’s history. How much responsibility came with that distinction?

Williams: During my first campaign, race wasn’t a big issue. After we were successful, it became a big issue. Since 1883, every Abilene mayor had been a white male. I was the first non-white male [to be elected mayor]. As a young black man, it was hard for me to identify positive role models on television or in magazines because black men were not portrayed that way, so I took my role very seriously in how I presented myself, knowing that all eyes were on me, and knowing that if I took a misstep, it would be challenging for the next African-American male or female that would rise up in this community. So I took that responsibility very seriously. I’ve never led with race driving the conversation. Still, I’ve never denied how significant my election was and is regarding inspiring and motivating those who have not always been at the table of conversation.

Q: How were you able to navigate difficult situations that arose during your time as mayor?

Williams: I’ve never wanted to be an individual that perverted their religious beliefs because it reduces your testimony’s potency. I have faith in God, and God has been so good to me. There was no example for us to follow in some of these situations. Regarding COVID-19, I spent much time in meditation and prayer, allowing God to lead me as I led the city. We’ve received many accolades for things we’ve done. Still, I would be remiss if I didn’t pause and recognize God’s faithfulness in providing this community with blessings and opportunities we otherwise wouldn’t have received.

Thank you to Mayor Anthony Williams for contributing your time and thoughts to this article!