05-04-2025
Williams shares life story at GOP luncheon
Apr. 4—LIMA — The monthly luncheon for the Allen County Republican Party often features speakers who touch on various matters of policy or encourage area Republicans before elections. On Friday, those in attendance at the luncheon at the Lima Eagles heard a more personal story.
Ohio Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Township, shared his story as the keynote speaker at Friday's Republican luncheon, relating his journey from homelessness and despair to his position today as the first Black Republican elected to the Ohio House in 50 years and the first Black Majority Whip in state history.
Growing up in Toledo, Williams, 40, was raised by a single mother after losing his father to cancer when he was 5. Despite obtaining good grades in school, Williams described himself at that time as a "knucklehead," a trait which led him into a difficult season.
"At the end of my junior year, my mom said, 'You're out on your own if you don't want to follow the rules,'" he said. "So at 18, I was on my own as a junior and I survived for a little bit. I had my first apartment, and I couldn't afford to go to school and work at the same time, so I dropped out as a senior with a full scholarship to Ohio State, and I became homeless."
After evntually moving in with his then-girlfriend and learning she had become pregnant, Williams began working in the railroad industry to help support his family. But just before the birth of his son in 2005, Williams fell 30 feet off the side of a train and severely injured his spine, herniating seven discs.
"By the time I was 23, I was fully disabled," he said. "I woke up from a nap on the couch and I couldn't feel my legs."
After multiple back surgeries, Williams was barely able to walk, being bedridden for two years and nearly committing suicide. However, he said, his Christian faith and his children inspired him to turn his life around, eventually leading to his obtaining multiple degrees from the University of Toledo, including his Juris Doctorate. He became a practicing criminal defense attorney while also teaching at Adrian College in Michigan.
Eventually, Williams was encouraged to become a legislator and was elected to the Ohio House in 2023. Those previous experiences, he said, has encouraged him to advocate for programs like school choice and workforce development.
"Going through all of these programs and seeing how these programs are set up to hold you in poverty to where if you make $1 more, you're not going to be able to keep your benefits, we're trying to fix that benefit cliff so we can incentivize people to actually try to dig themselves out of poverty without a penalty," he said. "So we introduced legislation like a hand up that will create a bridge program here [to opportunities] in the state of Ohio."
Williams has found this current General Assembly to be very productive, as he has already seen the introduction of more than 25 pieces of legislation over the past three months.
"We had a target goal of 40 pieces of legislation by the end of the General Assembly, but I think we're going to blow that out of the water," he said. "So as long as I can craft and get passed good pieces of legislation, I'll keep working."
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