Today we’d like to introduce you to Dianna Williams.
Dianna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I began my journey as a criminal justice advocate in 2008 after the arrest in Harris County of a family member, my son Christopher. Chris was arrested several times for possession of drugs. Not selling or manufacturing. Personal use. Not much in the way of rehabilitation was offered or accepted by him back then. His last case really moved me to action. He received a 15-year sentence for aggravated robbery, stole to get money to feed his drug habit. At that time I was not sure what to do. I had been in denial for so many years while knowing or suspecting of his drug activity in high school and college. It took me a while to move from denial to acceptance. I attended court prior to the sentencing just as a parent should, if able to. Never really sure what was going on in the courtroom until I was told by his attorney a deal was made. So, I did what many other parents do, visited and wrote as often as I could.
At the encouragement of Chris during one of those 8 hr. drive visits, because he saw how broken I was, in 2013 I joined a family support group, Texas Inmates Family Association (TIFA). In this space, I could really relate to the families, as we had something in common, the same journey . Chris served 8 years of the sentence, came home and completed 7 years probation in 2023. My advocacy policy work began in 2016. This is when I realized that policy and laws need to be transformed. No one should have to go to prison because of their underlying illness that has gone untreated. Advocating for more resources within the communities, especially the underserved communities, became my mission. Attending as many meetings I could with as many organizations and elected officials who cared about this particular issue became what I did for many years. After being a volunteer advocate for a few years, I joined Grassroots Leadership as a criminal justice organizer. This took me out into the community to talk about what matters to the people, and I found that my story in some ways, was their story as well. From 2018-2021 I was the lone staffer who held the responsibility of building a base of community members for our criminal justice work and actions. . We named the base members Texas Advocates for Justice. This signifies who we are, where we are from and what we want- justice. Since 2018, we continue to grow our base, and many of the original members in our Houston chapter from 2018 are still here, fighting the good fight. A program that I am passionate about is our Participatory Defense program. This is where our staff, as family support, will go with a family and or the accused and help them to navigate their way through the Harris and Travis County court system. Oh, how I wished this was around when I was going to court many years ago, feeling lost in the system. Our goal today is to empower families through education and with the proper tools to better understand the legal system and help themselves to get the best possible outcome for their case. Currently, I am the Deputy Director overseeing staff in both our Houston and Austin offices. This is what I do professionally, but I also have a different side of me!
In 2023, I was a candidate for The Board of Trustees in the Galena Park ISD. While I did not win the seat at that time, my commitment remains to be dedicated to the safety and success of the school district through my advocacy work. My family is very sports oriented. Both of my children played sports in middle and high school and my grandchildren have followed suit. In 2024 I was the first female basketball team owner in the NBL-US, here in Houston. Presently, I am co-founder and Director of League Operations for the Eastside Youth Basketball Organization, where our mission is to teach the fundamentals of basketball to the youth while instilling life lessons and values such as character, teamwork, discipline, respect and sportsmanship. This is very rewarding. I am proud to be able to provide a space for the youth to come play and be a kid.
My “me time” is spent reading books; Many of my advocate partners have written books and I enjoy learning from them and gaining insight about their journeys. I also like shopping, watching a good movie.
When it is all said and done, I would like my legacy to be that I lived to serve unselfishly.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I can say the road in the advocacy world for me has not been smooth. You come up against some resistance sometimes from certain elected officials and even community members who may not have the same passion as you about a particular issue. Voter education is big with me. I am a Precinct Chair and I try to always talk about why voting is important to do for issues now and in the future. The struggle comes when you get instant push back about ” why I am not voting” before listening to ” why you should be voting”.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I answered this in my introduction story
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The issues with the criminal justice system are not new. Harris County has always had issues with jail overcrowding. We continue to witness a system that is overly punitive vs being rehabilitative. Cash bail has been a problem for those in the marginalized communities. I would like to see a shift to people closest to the issues, those most impacted, be in decision making spaces. Having community advocates on City Council, Commissioners Court, Board members, folks who can make real life decisions that will make the communities better based on what the community says they need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.grassrootsleadership.org
- Instagram: @grassroots_leadership
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