
Dr. Thad Williamson is a sought-after professor and civic activist. His research focuses on the intersection of theories of social justice and public policy, particularly as applied to urban politics and economic policy. He writes regularly on current issues for a wide variety of popular and scholarly publications.
A recognized community leader on poverty reduction efforts in Richmond, Williamson served as the first director of the city’s Office of Community Wealth Building while on leave from the University during the 2014–15 and 2015–16 academic years. The Office is charged with implementing a comprehensive poverty reduction initiative encompassing education, employment, housing, and transportation. In December 2015, the Office was ratified as a permanent city agency. The Office of Community Wealth Building has been recognized nationally (including grant support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation) as a promising municipal model for tackling systemic poverty in urban communities.
Williamson previously served as a member of the mayor’s Anti-Poverty Commission and principal author of the commission’s final report and as co-chair of the Maggie L. Walker Initiative for Expanding Opportunity and Fighting Poverty.
Following the November 2016 municipal elections, Williamson served as transition director for Mayor-elect Levar Stoney. Between January 2017 and June 2018, Williamson served as senior policy advisor to Mayor Stoney in a part-time capacity, while continuing to teach at the University. He led the development of the RVA Education Compact, a systematic collaboration between the Mayor’s Office, School Board, and City Council to address the needs of schools and families in Richmond. He also led the development of the city’s new Performance Management Office, aimed at facilitating improved operations for all city agencies and implementation of Mayor Stoney’s “One Richmond” agenda.
He is currently engaged in two research projects. The first focuses on community wealth building as a national policy paradigm capable of developing practical solutions to long-standing, racialized inequalities of wealth and power that have undermined democracy in the United States. The first publication from this project, an op-ed with Melody C. Barnes of the Aspen Institute, was published in The Hill in July 2018.
The second is a book-length study of contemporary Richmond, in collaboration with Dr. Amy Howard, assistant vice president of community initiatives and the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond. The book will assess the role of leadership in addressing the city’s most pressing problems over the past generation.
Williamson’s previous academic work focuses on the application of contemporary theories of social justice to political and economic institutions. Williamson co-edited (with Martin O’Neill) and contributed to "Property-Owning Democracy: Rawls and Beyond," published in 2012 by Wiley-Blackwell. Other recent books include "Leadership and Global Justice," co-edited with Douglas A. Hicks and published by Palgrave Macmillan Press, and "Sprawl, Justice, and Citizenship: The Civic Costs of the American Way of Life," published by Oxford University Press.
Williamson serves on the boards of Richmond Opportunities Incorporated (serving Richmond public housing residents) and the Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation (serving RPS students and schools). He is a reviewer for numerous academic journals and university presses and a series editor for the Jepson Studies in Leadership book series.
Property-Owning Democracy: Rawls and Beyond (New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012).
Leadership and Global Justice (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).
Sprawl, Justice, and Citizenship: The Civic Costs of the American Way of Life (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010).
Making a Place for Community: Local Democracy in a Global Era (New York: Routledge Press, 2002). Co-author with David Imbroscio and Gar Alperovitz.
“Who Owns What? An Egalitarian Interpretation of John Rawls’s Idea of a Property-Owning Democracy.” Journal of Social Philosophy 40 (2009): 434-453.
“The Good Society and the Good Soul: Plato’s Republic on Leadership.” Leadership Quarterly 19 (2008): 397-408.
“Sprawl, Spatial Location, and Politics.” American Politics Research 36 (2008): 903-933.
“Local Policy Responses to Globalization: Place-based Ownership Models of Economic Enterprise,” Policy Studies Journal 31 (2003): 231-252.
“Beyond Sprawl and Anti-Sprawl.” In Jonathan Davies and David Imbroscio, eds. Critical Urban Studies: New Directions. (New York: SUNY Press, 2010).
“Leadership and Political Traditions, I: Conservatism, Liberalism, and Civic Republicanism.” In Richard Couto, ed. Political and Civic Leadership: A Reference Handbook. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2010).
“The Challenge of Urban Sprawl.” With David Imbroscio and Gar Alperovitz. In Nancy Kleniewski, ed. Cities and Society. (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005).
Mayor Levar M. Stoney Announces Administration Appointments
Fri., Jan. 20, 2017
Opinion: Three Life Lessons You May Not Expect From Bob Dylan
Tue., Oct. 25, 2016
Williamson Column: Mayoral Campaign
Mon., Aug. 29, 2016
Field Notes: Stoney's Education Platform
Wed., Aug. 10, 2016
How Did We End Up Here? (Richmond Magazine)
Thu., Jul. 28, 2016
Opinion: Why Tim Kaine is a Smart - and Progressive - Pick for Vice President (In These Times)
Wed., Jul. 27, 2016
Opinion: For VP, Kaine a bold choice (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Mon., Jul. 25, 2016
Can concentrated wealth relieve concentrated poverty? (Washington Post)
Fri., Nov. 7, 2014
The former capital of the Confederacy's all-out plan to fight poverty and confront its past (Washington Post)
Tue., Sep. 2, 2014
Thad Williamson: The man driving the city's anti-poverty initiatives (RVA News)
Tue., Jun. 3, 2014
Mayor names University of Richmond professor to anti-poverty post (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Wed., Apr. 16, 2014
Reality check (Style Weekly)
Tue., Mar. 18, 2014
Opinion: Will Obama's words on inequality be backed by deeds? (Al Jazeera America)
Thu., Dec. 12, 2013
Opinion: Mandela sought balance between capitalism and socialism (Al Jazeera America)
Mon., Dec. 9, 2013
Opinion: Remarkable leadership (Inside Carolina)
Wed., Nov. 20, 2013
Williamson named co-chair of mayor's anti-poverty initiative
Thu., Aug. 8, 2013
Opinion: Seven habits of civically engaged human beings (Tikkun Daily)
Fri., Mar. 15, 2013
Opinion: Take real steps to reduce Richmond's poverty (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Mon., Feb. 18, 2013
Opinion: Improving Richmond city school performance (Style Weekly)
Tue., Feb. 5, 2013
Opinion: The cost of a society with no safety net (Style Weekly)
Wed., Dec. 12, 2012
Opinion: The new majority: The 2012 election results have shaken old assumptions about the contours of Richmond politics (Style Weekly)
Tue., Nov. 13, 2012
State senator switches endorsement in council race (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Thu., Oct. 25, 2012
Williamson discusses poverty in Richmond (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Mon., Oct. 15, 2012
Williamson writes on N.F.L. leadership and calls for resignation of league commissioner (The New York Times)
Wed., Sep. 26, 2012
Bike-race bickering must stop (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Fri., Sep. 14, 2012
Opinion: Small change: Has Obama accomplished anything of genuine significance for the city of Richmond?
Tue., Sep. 11, 2012
Williamson: Four bad arguments against the NCAA's Penn State ruling (and one good one)
Wed., Jul. 25, 2012
Williamson writes on Richmond's school rezoning process and the need for good leadership
Wed., May. 30, 2012
Richmond city public schools and budget recommendations
Tue., Apr. 24, 2012
Williamson comments on plan to sell public housing
Mon., Mar. 26, 2012
Professor opines on free expression of ideas (Style Weekly)
Thu., Mar. 15, 2012
Leadership studies professor comments in USA Today on stereotypes
Fri., Feb. 17, 2012
Why the Occupy movement won't go away (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Fri., Nov. 4, 2011
Williamson opines on solving Richmond's poverty problem (Style Weekly)
Tue., Oct. 11, 2011
Williamson writes on power in the Richmond region
Tue., Jul. 12, 2011
Williamson's book on sprawl reviewed
Mon., Jun. 20, 2011
Williamson comments on Richmond mayor at midterm
Wed., Feb. 16, 2011
UR professor explores the pull of the suburbs
Sun., Oct. 10, 2010
Professor writes on "Suburban Injustice" for Style Weekly
Wed., May. 26, 2010
Professors opine on World Cup 2010 for Christian Science Monitor
Tue., Jun. 29, 2010
Williamson co-authors an article in The Nation on "The Cleveland Model"
Mon., Mar. 1, 2010
Dollars & Sense blog on populism and union lockouts
Thu., Sep. 24, 2009
Professor suggests Richmond's 'powerful' actually powerless
Thu., Aug. 21, 2008
What would King want from us today?
New York Times quotes Williamson on the magic of Man City soccer
Tue., Aug. 4, 2009
Williamson writes on Obama voting machine in Style
Thu., Nov. 6, 2008
Williamson comments on Obama's effort to win the Virginia vote
Fri., Aug. 29, 2008
Opinion: The ground war: Away from the glamour and glitz of the party conventions, a fierce battle for votes is already being (New Statesman)
Fri., Aug. 29, 2008