Urbana Mayor DeShawn Williams spoke at the University YMCA Friday afternoon in front of community members and students, highlighting Black History Month and community-based power. Williams’ lecture, “Justice Lives in Community,” kicked off the spring series of the Friday Forum + Conversation Café program, a weekly partnership between the YMCA and Diversity & Social Justice Education.
After his nearly 20-minute talk, Williams fielded questions for the rest of the hour from the audience. The questions covered topics including United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, initiatives regarding homelessness and his vision for the future of Urbana.
Jim Hinterlong, executive director of the University YMCA, delivered opening remarks, beginning by recognizing that 2026 marks the 99th year of the Friday Forum series. He added that “at a time when what’s happening globally and nationally can feel overwhelming … community matters.”
Hinterlong introduced Williams as the 51st mayor of Urbana, the first African American mayor of the city, a former member of the Champaign County Board and as a husband and father.
Williams’ lecture spotlighted Black History Month, particularly local Black history, and emphasized the collective power of the community in protecting freedom and justice.
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“Black History Month is not only about the past,” Williams said. “It’s about the work that remains that still needs to be done. For me, that work can be summed up simply … (that) justice lives in community.”
Williams called on multiple local examples of Black history, starting with the Ellis Drive Six, a group of six Urbana neighbors who advocated for school desegregation in the 1960s.
He brought attention to the work of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, a community initiative that has installed markers across the county to educate residents regarding significant people and places in local African American history.
“(It) is a project that ensures these stories will live and live further than what we could ever imagine,” Williams said of the heritage trail. “This is a celebration of lives, contributions and landmarks that have shaped our community for more than 150 years.”
Williams spoke about many other Black historical and community figures: State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-103; Edward A. Green, one of the first African Americans to settle in Champaign County; University alum Preston L. Williams, former superintendent of Urbana School District 116; and more.
Throughout his speech, he engaged in call-and-response multiple times, prompting the audience by saying “Justice lives,” to which they would respond with “in community.”
As he wrapped up the lecture portion, Williams addressed the students in the room, calling on them to decide what the future of the world could look like.
“Every moment in American history has depended on young people — sit-ins, freedom rides, voting rights marches, campus protests, the movement for Black lives,” Williams said. “What kind of world do we want to be? What’s next?”
Questions from the audience
After a round of applause, Williams opened up the floor to Q&A. One audience member asked Williams what he is doing to protect local immigrants, referencing “all the uprising in Minneapolis.”
Operation Metro Surge, the largest immigration enforcement operation in American history, began in January when the Trump administration sent thousands of federal agents to the Minneapolis area. According to a White House press release, over 4,000 people have been arrested as part of the operation.
Williams replied by saying he has stood “ten toes down” on Urbana’s designation as a sanctuary city, a status which limits its cooperation with ICE and federal agents.
“It has been very important throughout the campaign and into my term as mayor to ensure that I give a safe space for our immigrant families … to protect them from our federal government,” Williams said. “The few incidents that we have experienced, we have ensured that we aren’t running; we aren’t afraid.”
In November, Williams confirmed ICE agents conducted operations in Urbana, though he didn’t share specific details of the agents’ actions. In a statement, he wrote that local governments cannot legally interfere with federal officials, yet encouraged residents “to seek assistance from trusted local organizations that provide legal and immigration support.”
Another audience member, student trustee candidate Gabi Stewart, sophomore in LAS, asked Williams how he navigates government spaces as a Black person.
Williams acknowledged that it “shouldn’t be as difficult as it is for Black leaders,” and told Stewart to stay true to herself.
“It’s probably best that you piss a few people off; that way you know you’re doing some work,” Williams said. “I look forward to your win.”
One audience member detailed issues of homelessness they had observed in Urbana, specifically within the Black community, and asked Williams what actions are being taken to address the root cause of the issue.
“We have a lot of amazing community partners who are doing that work,” Williams said. “On top of that, I prioritize relationships with our unions and trades to ensure that Black communities have access to opportunities.”
According to Williams, during his nine months in office working with unions in the central Illinois building trades, minority apprenticeship opportunities have increased 63%.
The last question Williams answered was from an audience member who asked what modes of creative development he is most interested in prioritizing in the coming years.
Williams answered by speaking about the development of Philo Road, which has been a business district for decades but has faced a plethora of closures in recent years.
Speaking hypothetically, Williams listed the possibilities of what the city’s Philo Road Ahead initiative could lead to in the future, including a free health clinic, an independent pharmacy, a community outreach center and more.
“We are absolutely reimagining what the City of Urbana looks like,” Williams said. “We are bringing the cool back for sure.”
