We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Victoria Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Victoria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
I’ve spent years doing internal work to understand myself, my core values and my mission. Discovering your purpose is a process of learning more about who you are at your core: what makes you light up, what you would do if you were never paid and what you truly believe in. I’m learning more about my purpose each day I have the opportunity to wake up.
I hope through my work and my life, I can inspire Black girls and women to be everything they dream of being. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan in a single parent household and having lost my father to gun violence, there was a societal expectation set for the trajectory of my life. In my adulthood I learned that this trajectory is rooted in bias, racism, sexism and statistics about fatherless girls from underserved communities.
I learned the importance of perseverance, having faith and developing self-confidence from my mother, Anita. I’m lucky to have a mom who told me that anything was possible and all I had to do was believe it. Not only did her encouragement and dedication to my development build a strong sense of self, but it prepared me for all the barriers I would face in my life. Since I can remember, I’ve been told that my ideas are too big, I need to be more realistic and that my goals some way – probably won’t happen for someone like me.
Through access to higher education, I developed a passion for storytelling. The unique stories of individuals and how they shape the world we live in pushes me to learn and do more in my on-air career. Media professionals are still, and I believe will always be essential to our society. The television news Anchors and Reporters I grew up watching on my local stations still hold a significant place in my heart. Simply showing up in the fullness of their identity on television was the representation I needed. This is the impact I hope to make in the lives of others as a News Anchor/Reporter through community engagement, inclusivity and advocacy.
Victoria, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
After graduating from DePaul University’s Public Relations and Advertising program, I spent a short amount of time working in the PR space and I decided I wanted to make a professional jump: into the world of broadcast journalism. I reached out to my local National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Chapter and my church’s media team, then began recording our church announcements in a news segment format. This opportunity opened my eyes to a deeply neglected interest rooted in fear of the unknown, failure and a lack of job security.
Stepping out on faith and building local connections in TV news provided a pathway to an internship with ABC7 Chicago’s Emmy-award winning Anchor/Reporter Samantha Chatman. After having this internship opportunity extended, I had a chance to work in the #1 newsroom in Chicago. At WLS-TV, I managed story
assignments, responded to breaking news, provided editorial support and coordinated crew
logistics. In addition, I field-produced coverage of news events for ABC7 Chicago segments.
As a social media board member of National Association of Black Journalists Chicago Chapter, I hosted a digital podcast titled #OnTheGrind to bridge the gap between emerging journalists and
industry professionals. I most recently joined the WEEK-TV 25News Weekday Morning team as a Breaking News Anchor and I am ecstatic to serve Central Illinois in my first on-air role.
I am a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first historically Black Greek-lettered sorority,
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Shared in the previous question!
I went a bit over in verbiage.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of working in a creative industry is being able to watch myself grow, become a more effective communicator and lively storyteller.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vwilliams_tv/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094679370331&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriarw/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/VWilliams_TV