Patricia Williams
Patricia Williams is the proud mother of Jumaane Williams –who has been elected as the new Public Advocate of New York City.
Her son, a Democratic councilman from Brooklyn will be taking the place of Letitia James.
As a council member, Jumaane represents the 45th Council District in Brooklyn. He was elected in 2009, re-elected in 2013 and again in 2017.
Born May 11, 1976; the Brooklyn native is of Grenadian heritage thanks to his mother, Patricia Williams who grew up in the Caribbean island of Granada.
Patricia and ex-husband Greg Williams, are also the parents of Jumaane’s sister, Jeanine –who is a nurse.
At 18, Patricia left her country and followed her boyfriend Greg, to the US and enrolled at Howard University. In 1968 they arrived in Brooklyn where she rented a room in a boarding house. At the time she worked in an office, inputting numbers for a bank and went to school in the morning. She graduated with a degree in pharmacy, worked as a sales representative for Abbott Laboratories for 30 years.
The couple ended up getting married but two children later they got a divorce.
Patricia ‘Pat’ Williams has been very supportive of her son’s career. She’s been encouraging him since he was diagnose with Tourette syndrome in his teens. In return, Jumaane encouraged Patricia to start attending local meetings when he was 18 and soon after she became a local activist.
She’s also been active in his campaigns, first when he ran for New York State Lieutenant Governor and later for Public Advocate. In fact, she influenced him greatly. She used to take her children to marches in support of Nelson Mandela. She’s also been active in marches in Brooklyn and has been in fact arrested along with Jumaane for protesting.
During an interview she sums it all up by saying “I just thought it was the right thing to do.”
She also said she would’ve want her son to become a lawyer quickly adding “but it’s in his blood. He lives and breathes politics.”
Nowadays, according to the website We Are Brooklyn –Patricia Williams who is now retired, enjoys traveling, writing poetry, painting, crochet and playing steel pans.
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