Jesse Williams' Parents Were Activists – Facts about Them

Hollywood actor and activist Jesse Williams has his parents to thank for teaching and inspiring him into the world of activism, which earned him a BET Award for his work in seeking social change.

Jesse was born the eldest child of Johanna Chase Williams and Reginald Williams on August 5, 1981. Johanna is of Swedish-American descent and worked as a potter. Reginald is an African American who used to be a factory worker before he became a history teacher later on in his life.

Both parents have been described as activists and significantly impacted getting their son involved in the fight for change. Although Johanna and Reginald divorced, they seem to have remained close to their son, who publicly expressed his love for them. Jesse shares his parents with his two younger brothers.

How Did Jesse Williams' Parents Influence Him?

Jesse spent his early years in Chicago, but after his parents' divorce, he, with his family, moved to reside in suburban Massachusetts. The move came when Jesse had just begun his studies in junior high. Moving to a predominantly white neighborhood was somewhat of a challenge for the teenager who experienced casual racism.

Jesse's biracial background, with his mother being a white woman while his dad is black, made him experience life from both sides of the spectrum and broaden his views on the dynamics of interracial relationships. Their relocation from Chicago to Massachusetts made him go from being the whitest person to the darkest. He explained:

“I have access to rooms and information. I am white and I am also black. I am invisible man in a lot of these scenarios. I know how white people talk about black people. I know how black people talk about white folks. I know I am there and everyone speaks honestly around me.”

Jesse's parents, Johanna and Reginald, were activists who helped him connect to the social justice movement. In Chicago, that was a big part of the community as they fought for social justice, mainly since many lived below the poverty line. While in high school, he was elected president of his school's black students.

Now in his adult life, he has remained active in activism. When he is not making his mark on television, including his famous portrayal of Dr. Jackson Avery in the Shonda Rhimes-created "Grey's Anatomy" alongside Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh, he is on the board of directors for a civil rights organization called the Advancement Project.

Jesse Thinks No One Will Love Him like His Mother

Jesse and his mother appear to be close and give each other so much love. In May 2020, Jesse wrote a long and heartfelt dedication on Instagram to his mother, saying there was no one like her, no person who would love him like her. The words in the post were inspired by "Guess Who," a song by Goodie M.O.B, and it read:

"The Lord had to help her raise me judging from the way I used to be. My momma, the biggest player that I know, I love her so-. Hell, everything I got I owe to my momma. Thank you for caring, thank you for sharing yo' luv (sic)."

Johanna, like Jesse, is a creator and has been since he was young, which perhaps influenced her sons, who are also creators. Mama Williams works with clay to form ceramics and would occasionally let her children create designs with the paint.

Johanna has extensive experience working with clay, having begun her journey in pottery with enrollment at the School of Art Institute of Chicago between 1988 and 1991. She later studied for a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 1996, and the same year, started Johanna Chase Ceramics.

Since then, she has received various grants to advance her ceramics work, and her work has been displayed in several exhibitions. These include the Centennial Arts & Crafts Exhibition at Providence Art Club in Rhode Island in 2001. Since 2007, she has taught sculpture and ceramics at Braintree High School.

Baseball Created a Bond between Jesse Williams and His Father

Jesse's love for his parents doesn't seem to have diminished despite their separation, and he also appears to have remained close to his father. In June 2019, Jesse wished his father a Happy Father's Day and praised his "Love and leadership of heroic proportions" while adding "the disciplinary death stare of death" as an honorable mention.

The father-son duo shares several things in common, including their activism and passion for baseball. Jesse says that the sport played a significant role in his childhood as it helped create bonds with his father and siblings. The family would get metaphorical lessons from the game that could be applied in everyday life.

In 2016, Reginald and his now ex-wife Johanna publicly appeared at the BET Awards. The occasion was remarkable for the family as Jesse received the Humanitarian Award for his efforts and commitment to furthering social change. The parents were shown during Jesse's speech, in which he thanked them.

Jesse Williams' Brothers Are Also Creatives

Johanna and Reginald have two other sons who are also artists but vary in their areas of interest. When asked about his favorite childhood memory with his siblings on "Sydel Takes On," Jesse Williams's youngest brother Matt Williams recalled their younger days saying:

"Jesse used to read books to Coire and I when we were little and would always change the story, make us laugh and stuff. We really, just like, laugh a lot. You know, before 'Grey's Anatomy' and everything, when he first did 'The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants,' they laughed at him real hard."

Matt is an artist who specializes in Editorial and Advertising illustrations and animation. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute. He graduated in 2010 and perfected his craft with a Master of Fine Arts Illustration from The School of Visual Arts. He currently works as a Professor of Illustrations.

The middle child, Coire Williams, is a firefighter and an artist. His choice of trade in the artistry world is woodworking, dry stonework, and landscaping. He started his career in the arts in 2002 when he finished high school. He is skilled in boat building, furniture joinery, and building decks, stone walls, and patios.