Up from the Projects

by Walter E. Williams

Nationally syndicated columnist and prolific author Walter E. Williams recalls some of the highlights and turning points of his life. From his lower middle class beginnings in a mixed but predominantly black neighborhood in West Philadelphia to his department chair at George Mason University, Williams tells an "only in America" story of a life of achievement.

Genres: Biography, Economics, Nonfiction, Autobiography, History, Politics, Memoir

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dr. Walter E. Williams holds a B.A. in economics from California State University, Los Angeles, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from UCLA. He also holds a Doctor of Humane Letters from Virginia Union University and Grove City College, Doctor of Laws from Washington and Jefferson College and Doctor Honoris Causa en Ciencias Sociales from Universidad Francisco Marroquin, in Guatemala, where he is also Professor Honorario.

Dr. Williams has served on the faculty of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, as John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics, since 1980; from 1995 to 2001, he served as department chairman. He has also served on the faculties of Los Angeles City College, California State University Los Angeles, and Temple University in Philadelphia, and Grove City College, Grove City, Pa.

Dr. Williams is the author of over 150 publications which have appeared in scholarly journals such as Economic Inquiry, American Economic Review, Georgia Law Review, Journal of Labor Economics, Social Science Quarterly, and Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy and popular publications such as Newsweek, Ideas on Liberty, National Review, Reader's Digest, Cato Journal, and Policy Review. He has authored six books: America: A Minority Viewpoint, The State Against Blacks, which was later made into the PBS documentary "Good Intentions," All It Takes Is Guts, South Africa's War Against Capitalism, which was later revised for South African publication, Do the Right Thing: The People's Economist Speaks, and More Liberty Means Less Government.

He has made scores of radio and television appearances which include "Nightline," "Firing Line," "Face the Nation," Milton Friedman's "Free To Choose," "Crossfire," "MacNeil/Lehrer," "Wall Street Week" and was a regular commentator for "Nightly Business Report." He is also occasional substitute host for the "Rush Limbaugh" show. In addition Dr. Williams writes a nationally syndicated weekly column that is carried by approximately 140 newspapers and several web sites.

Dr. Williams serves on several boards of directors: Grove City College, Reason Foundation and Hoover Institution. He serves on numerous advisory boards including: Cato Institute, Landmark Legal Foundation, Institute of Economic Affairs, and Heritage Foundation.

Dr. Williams has received numerous fellowships and awards including: Foundation for Economic Education Adam Smith Award, Hoover Institution National Fellow, Ford Foundation Fellow, Valley Forge Freedoms Foundation George Washington Medal of Honor, Veterans of Foreign Wars U.S. News Media Award, Adam Smith Award, California State University Distinguished Alumnus Award, George Mason University Faculty Member of the Year, and Alpha Kappa Psi Award.

Dr. Williams has participated in numerous debates, conferences and lectures in the United States and abroad. He has frequently given expert testimony before Congressional committees on public policy issues ranging from labor policy to taxation and spending. He is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, and the American Economic Association.

Reviews

[Patrick Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

June 2020 - I read this in 2011 or 2012, not long after it came out in 2010. Loved it!

Walter Williams is one of my favorites. Wonderful story of his life and influences. Perfect book for kids, young adults and anyone, really:
1. important life lessons
2. planning one's career
3. staying true to one's principles
4. values gained by trying many, many different jobs in life
5. overcoming major difficulties and prejudices.

I agree with Thomas Sowell's review: only bad part of the book is that it is too short.

Only good thing about that is that it is easier to re-read!

I have recommended this book many times - always happy to do so.
-------
Walter Williams died (too young at 84) today, 2020-12-02.
A few tributes:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/walter-w...

And by his best friend:
https://townhall.com/columnists/thoma...


P.S. For some reason I forgot to mention that I had the great honor to have met and interacted with Walter Williams several times. The first time, I saw him "live" was 1979 at the Libertarian Party Presidential nominating convention in LA. Another time was shortly after his book "South Africa's War Against Capitalism" was published in late 1989 or early 1990, since he gave a speech on it that I organized, sponsored by the Heartland Institute. I also loved and benefitted from numerous e-mails from him over the years. He was a very kind man. I also have many friends who knew him as a professor and took his classes in economics at George Mason University in VA.

[Hank · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I respected Williams before, now I am in awe of the man, what he has accomplished, and what he encourages in our society today.

[John of Canada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I I read this after finishing articles by Thomas Sowell, and the book Maverick by Jason L Riley,which was terrific. Egotistical as all get out and not particularly honest or likeable, I found Williams tedious. I amost put the book away, but then I remembered that Williams got praise from Sowell. After page 74, Williams put aside his ego, and discussed ideas, and I liked his ideas. 2 stars for the first half, and four stars for the second.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you really care about black lives and want to help in a way that will actually make a difference, instead of the symbolism of marching and carrying a sign, a great start would be for you to read Up from the Projects: An Autobiography by Walter E. Williams and then recommending it to others. If you look at successful blacks in America today like Benjamin Carson, Burgess Owens, or this author, Walter E. Williams, they all come from humble beginnings the same as the less successful members of the black race. One common thread is that they accepted and acted on help and motivation from a strict parent or grandparent who refused to give up on them and let them fall through the cracks. Once they realized their future was up to them independent of gangs, peer pressure, and government programs, they became unstoppable! In the case of Mr. Williams, he was never coddled by condescending teachers who gave poor work a pass to make up for past wrongs against blacks, he earned his grades and his knowledge as he choose to get into the field of economics. Even as he began his career and looked for a teaching position with various universities, if he found out it was a quota position (they needed a minority fill), he immediately turned them down. Today he is one of the most respected (and hated by the left mostly) economists and certainly one class act for his accomplishments as well as the influence he has had on a new generation in that field. Highly recommended!

[Clara Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

You quickly understand that this book is witten by an economist and not a fine arts teacher. He becomes angry about teachers who make excuse for poorly written, bad grammar and mispelled words in work by black students. He indicated one black student who became angery that he gave an F for a paper in which a liberal professor had given an A and had written a lot of affirming remarks. Willaims says the answer is to give extra tutorial time to help the student and not to give grades that are unearned. He talks of his own failure and the extra help he received that helped him be successful. He has no patiences with liberals. This sections makes the book priceless. "I occasionaly lose patience with some of my liberal colleagues.....he was spouting off guilt-motivated nonsense....I suggested he steal a car, get arrestted and get sentenced for a year or so at Philadelphia's Graterford Prison....by the time my 'brothers' got finished with him and had him wearing panties and makeup and carrying a pocketbook, he'd be happy about what his ancestors did to mine..... he hardly spoke to me again." "I Walter E. Willaims have benifitted greatly from the horrible suffering of my ancestors....my wealth and personal liberties are greater having been born in USA rather than any African country." He treats his wife of 48 years with loving respect. This is a book well worth your read.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book thinking it was another, "Ben Carson" type biography. Half way through I chucked it in the trash. The author admits through out the book lying many many times to get out of situations. I don't care how successful you are by the world's standards. If you don't have integrity, you've got nothing. This man, Walter E. Williams does not have the admiral character qualities that Ben Carson has. Very disappointing.

Also, the frequent use of the 'f' word didn't help.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dammit, Walter Williams! I put this book on my to-read shelf in March 2013, but I didn't get around to reading it until after your recent death. My loss.

I would have liked to have read a bit more about his relationship with his wife and his daughter, though I get the impression that his wife may well have been the type who didn't want her own biography in someone's book.

This book is a brief autobiography of his childhood in Philadelphia, experience in the Army, experience in academia, and a few run-ins with the law and with politics. Williams is a bit ornery and a lot clever, and occasionally a wise-ass.

[Claudio Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Professor Williams's work since the mid-90's. When he passed away I decided to learn more about his life and went after his autobiography - which he wrote also to prevent others from giving their version of facts after he had passed away. Smart move, considering the current environment in America.
The book is a delicious read for his admirers. It is also a good example of how things play out in life. Professor Williams during his youth could not even dream about becoming the icon he's turned out to be. A mix of good upbringing, determination, intelligence, audacity, good people and mentors around and, as he put it himself, luck, lots of luck.
The parts where he describes his interactions with Thomas Sowell made me a bit jealous. :-)

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walter Williams begins his autobiography as one might expect, discussing his childhood. One that began in the "projects" in Philadelphia. What one does not expect and what sets the tone for his life and his story is his answer to the question he poses: "What was it like to grow up poor?" He immediately says, "we didn't consider ourselves poor; in fact, being called poor was an insult."(p 4) Thus he turns conventional thinking on its head and alerts the reader that his life and ideas will be unconventional indeed, and sometimes inconvenient and somewhat radical.
He tells his story with simple and clear prose, demurring literary flourishes, providing straightforward reporting about his experiences in school, the army, searching for direction, and the importance of education and family.
I was most impressed that by sharing these experiences he demonstrated a life of integrity, courage, determination through hard work, intellect and curiosity, a sense of humor, and above all an independence in thought and action that, with a bit of luck led him to great achievement in his chosen field of economics. Some notable episodes included his defiance of racial stereotyping during an encounter with the academics of Amherst, his unconventional but principled criticisms of the "Davis Bacon Act" and other government actions, and his courageous decision to not join the Reagan administration. But these were no surprise following his example of independent thinking at UCLA that led him to question his professors including the famed Armen Alchian, and in doing so gaining their admiration for his courage and independent thought. He came into his own during the three decades of his tenure at George Mason University showing determination in developing private funding for the renowned Economics department and eventually leading it as the department head. Domestic episodes of his life include family scenes that demonstrated the importance of the women in his development: mother, wife and daughter.
I began reading this autobiography somewhat familiar with Williams' thought through his opinion columns and media appearances. My admiration for his defense of the liberty and the free market was increased by great measure learning of his development, not without some stumbles, into a principled leader who deserves the admiration of all who love liberty.

[Darius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlighten

This was a great read. There’s much too be learned from Dr. Williams. The first lesson, stop making excuses, and think.

[NinaB · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
I quite enjoyed this book. It’s written as if Dr. Williams is telling the reader his own story himself. Dr. Walter Williams was one of a few black intellectuals in recent history who went against the grain and promoted libertarian, free market ideologies. His friend and colleague, Dr. Thomas Sowell, is another such intellectual.

What a remarkable life Dr. Williams had that began in poverty in the projects of Pennsylvania. With the love and support of his hardworking and wise mother, enduring wife, stepdad, father, stepmothers, professors, mentors and many others, he overcame his unprivileged upbringing and, despite a few run-ins with the law, pursued college, graduate study and eventually earned his PhD in Economics.

Regarding his education, “I’m glad I received virtually all of my education before it became fashionable for white people to like black people. By that I mean that I encountered back then a more honest assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Professors didn't hesitate to criticize me-sometimes even to the point of saying, ‘That's nonsense, Williams.’” His mother instilled in him a love of reading and hatred of being in debt that both helped in his upward mobility.

What surprised me about this book is finding out that the nonsensical wokeness so prevalent in the 2020’s is nothing new. So many of Dr. William’s stories while living through the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, his facing despicable racism head on, his encounter with liberal haters who claimed to be antiracists, all echo what we see in the current American cultural climate.

His being pro-free market capitalism, his derision of feelings of entitlement and victimhood, and his extolment of the virtues of personal responsibility made him unpopular. Because of his principled beliefs, he faced tremendous animosity from fellow academics. I admire his tenacious courage to stick to his convictions despite the opposition. We need more men like Dr. Williams to influence the downgrading and divided American society.

The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because of the multiple typos I found in the book, and the font used in the Kindle version is hard to read.

[Mary Ronan Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books by men and women who started life with two strikes against them and managed to make something of themselves interest me and inspire me. Walter Williams' memoir fits well in that category.

From the book cover:

"From his lower-middle-class beginnings in a mixed but predominantly black neighborhood in West Philadelphia to his department chairmanship at George Mason University, the life of Walter E. Williams is an "only in America" story of achievement. In Up from the Projects, this nationally syndicated columnist and prolific author recalls some of the highlights and turning points of his life."

He was raised by his mother with his father nowhere in evidence. At age 10 his small family moved to North Philadelphia's notorious Richard Allen housing projects (since demolished) where he was not a very dedicated student. He started college, but again, didn't particularly apply himself. A stint in the army shaped him up and he went back to school with much more focus when he got out of the military.

Williams earned his PhD at UCLA, and was at the time a self-described radical, much more in sympathy with Malcolm X than with Martin Luther King. But by the time he had finished his degree he had become a libertarian. He says now: "I learned that you have to evaluate the effects of public policy as opposed to intentions."

He has taught economics at George Mason University since 1980.

[Noelle M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Santa Claus left this book under my Christmas tree in 2010. It's a terrific lazy-day-in-pajamas read.

I admit I'm prejudiced in favor of Walter Williams. He's always saying things that make sense to me. I spent some of my growing up years in post World War II housing projects in Pennsylvania and later in Ohio, and Williams might have been describing my own experiences, except that back then neighborhoods were racially segregated. (I, by the way, lived in a two bedroom/one bathroom apartmentof maybe 900 square feet with my parents, my three siblings, and for a while my grandmother from Algeria.) I suspected American Black people and White people might experience life in similar ways due to our common human natures, language and culture, but until Black voices started telling their stories, it was impolite for White children of my generation to ask about their lives.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The always independent and amusing Dr. Williams' very short biography is fun to read and there were a few times I laughed aloud. It portrays the life of poor black Americans when families were still intact, and work was readily available for teenagers. Although he is a conservative economist of the Milton Friedman school (I am really simplifying here), he maintains his own unique take on a wide variety of subjects. Until he married, Mr Williams was in trouble with the law and with every sort of authority figure imaginable, even to the point of a considered court martial. I seldom feel that a book should have been longer, but in this case, I do. My guess is that he is a private person and was not inclined to say more than he did.

[Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sat down last night thinking I would just dabble in this book - and I ended up reading it in one sitting. It's short and sweet, and very interesting.

I love listening to Walter Williams on the radio, and this book gave me a fascinating look into his past, and what it was like to grow up as a black man in turbulent times.

I'd encourage my kids to read this, when they're older. They can learn a lot from this hardworking man.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a quick read, but packs so much punch. Dr. Williams writes simply and clearly, but with a sense of humor and a critical eye turned on American race relations, academia and the culture at large.

[Thea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the way he told his story- he simply told it as it was. while he agreed that it was the times, he still kept his view of the injustices he had to endure and let us know that he did not agree with it. I love how he told both sides of the story- even if he was in the wrong.

[Jackie Snell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I quit half way through. I didn’t know anything about him (the book was a gift), and I just don’t like the guy as he revealed himself in the pages. If you like sarcasm, boasting, and grandstanding, you’ll like him.

[Mel Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very brief autobiography by Williams has an emphasis on his academic career. While there is not a particularly strong metanarrative, Williams does write with some objectives in mind, including showing the reality and poverty of his own childhood, pointing out that racism was a reality of his life, demonstrating (with documentary proof)the times he stood up against racial injustice, showing the value of pushing black students to excel as opposed to indulging them with easy grades, and making the statement that everyone's life has a good deal of luck.
I don't think this is the greatest thing that Williams wrote, though it does provide some valuable details of his life.

[Stanley Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Dr. Williams for numerous years and was happy to see this autobiography available. I like the fact he does not take the easy route to the top. When I was teaching a few thousand years ago, I tried my best to hold the students to a higher standard than just social promotion, unfortunately and many schools this is the norm today, no wonder our education achievement has suffered. Dr. Williams is excellent...

[Tirzah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walter Williams was kind of a rascal in his youth. :) His story offered insight to an era I need to know more about in order to understand the one I'm in now. That's why history was and still is one of my favorite subjects. As one who teaches K-4 in a predominantly black community, I found the last chapter, Afterthoughts especially insightful. I recommend to others who also wish to learn from the past so they may improve the present and consequently, the future.

[Bill V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a rather brief autobiography. I had known of Mr. Williams for a number of years. He was a contemporary of Thomas Sowell, whom I greatly admire. They, in many respects, are kindred spirits.
The book reads much like the various videos I've watched of him over the years, pithy and terse. This is an autobiography but I was expecting more along the lines of a societal and political analysis, al la Mr. Sowell. Nonetheless I do appreciate having read this.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read; a short book it was fast paced and both amusing and insightful. He appears fair and open minded. The encounter with the "Bayesian" is an excellent anecdote, one that inspired me to simply say hello and introduce myself to one of my neighbors. The more we know about the people we encounter, the less we assume - even if those assumptions are based on logic. Highly recommended.

[superawesomekt · Rating 4 out of 5]

My parents studied economics at GMU and my mother loved Williams's microecon class. Both of them loved to retell his stories and recommended his autobiography to me.

They weren't kidding, Williams was a total character! Highly enjoyed his crazy stories and was touched by his love for his mother and his wife.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not even sure if I can offer enough praise for this book. The only drawback I could think of to it, is that it's not very long, but so be it. What is in print is amazing stuff that everyone should read!

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on a great American. What an amazing guy! Teens would do well to read this book. He came from nothing and forged a great career thru hard work and dedication and standing by his moral values.

I left myself wanting more.

[Anders]

An easy read, save some annoying glitches a copy editor would have fixed. Of course it’s self serving. But its stories of his provocative behavior fascinate. Some may be put off by Professor Williams’s libertarian and free market preferences.

[GoatRobe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A walk down Dr William's memory lane to revisit several key points in his life. Not a comprehensive biography, for certain, but a glimpse into what he thought were the most important turning points during a long, interesting life.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You want to be one more piss-poor teacher in Watts. If you'd said San Fernando Valley I'd have given you the B."

Great read.
Thank you Walter E. Williams for being a true inspiration and mentor to the world.

[L LYNN BLANKENSHIP SR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensational

I like the fact that Dr Williams assassinates stereotypes that harm upward mobility. He and Dr Sowell are two of my heroes!