Tyler James Williams Partners With the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
| LAST UPDATE 07/07/2023
Even when he's not playing Mr. Gregory Eddie on TV, Tyler James Williams is putting on his teacher hat and getting involved in Early Childhood Education. What we would have done to have Mr. Eddie as our teacher back in the day!
Williams plays a first-grade teacher in the hit ABC show, Abbott Elementary, created by the genius Quinta Brunson. Taking place in the Philadelphia public school system, the show focuses on a group of dedicated teachers who do whatever it is they can to provide the best care for their students. So, according to the actor, when the partnership was presented to him, and he heard about all the things that W.K. Kellog Foundation was doing, "it felt like a really easy 'yes'" for him."Part of what I do is I tell stories, stories of all kinds, and hopefully those stories affect people," he told Complex.
Recently, the actor spoke on a panel with the W.K Kellogg Foundation president and CEO at the Essence Festival of Culture, where they further discussed Early Childhood Education and explained the actor's involvement in the foundation. Together, they shared success stories from early childcare educators and advocates, as well as the challenges they've face. Like the show often explains, there is a continuous lack of funding, a need for more teachers, and many systemic barriers that Williams hopes to work towards helping by advocating for the Through the Every Child Thrives initiative. The initiative's hope is to celebrate the caregivers, educators, communicators, and those who work hard to make education accessible to everyone. "We actually have an opportunity to use this platform to actually affect change," Williams explained.
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Tyler- James Williams hopes to get everyone on board. From the community level to the state level, the city level, and the school board level, in order for people to really understand teachers and connect to them at a personal level. The actor also explained the importance of playing a young Black teacher on Abbott, hoping it would inspire more people to say, "Oh, I can do that." So, make sure to check out more about the Through the Every Child Thrives initiative, as well as the hilarious and informative sitcom Abbott Elementary.
