Radio personality, media trailblazer Norma Jean Williams lifted community

Norma Jean Williams was a woman who opened her home to strangers, opened her network to aspiring professionals, and told jokes that could make a room full of people laugh.

Williams, the former publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, a family run publication focused on African Americans since 1934, died June 6. She was 81.

Born in Des Moines in 1941, Williams moved to Minneapolis in 1965 to help run the family business. She would interview African American celebrities visiting Minneapolis like Eartha Kitt, Rosa Parks, James Brownand B.B. King for the newspaper. Her weekly column provided opportunities for singles to meet.

Williams was also a radio personality on Twin Cities radio stations KMOJ and KFAI and was an amateur stand-up comedian.

To Tracey Williams-Dillard, Williams' second-born daughter, Williams was more than a mother. She was a mentor and a best friend. Williams-Dillard is now publisher of the Spokesman-Recorder, and like her mother, has a strong passion for media.

"All these parallel things," Williams-Dillard said. "I didn't connect the dots at the time. I was doing everything mom was doing. She set up the stage for me to be on it, and I'm able to do exactly what she was able to do. I'm so ever grateful for her to have instilled that in me."

Williams-Dillard created her own series for the publication, and associated dinner events.

In 1980, Williams took under her wing a 20-something from Chicago trying to wiggle his way into the Twin Cities' events scene.

Pete Rhodes had moved to Minnesota to grow his events company, Boss Productions, and landed a job as Williams' assistant, accompanying her during her interviews and other meetings.

Rhodes' association with Williams opened several doors and opportunities, he said, including the chance to meet, and take a photo with Parks.

"When you were with her, you felt like a celebrity," Rhodes said. "Everyone knew her."

Rhodes went on to launch his own events, including the Minnesota Black Music Awards, which Williams supported. Williams instilled in Rhodes the importance of media in the African American community, and the BMA blossomed into a network cable channel highlighting Black culture and the contributions of African Americans to music and business.

Trailblazing in media made Williams known throughout the city. Her quieter efforts in the community also made her an inspiration, Williams-Dillard said.

"I could go on and on with insane stories where people were homeless and they just basically had nowhere to go and mom just opened up her house to them," she said.

Williams' mother, Launa Newman, was the same way. "They did it without expectation of payback," Williams-Dillard said.

In her early 50s, Williams went back to school to become a certified nurse assistant to care for the elderly.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Wallace Jackman,and is survived by her children Vicky, Tracey, James Jr., Greg and Tina, and her brother Wallace Jackman Jr., 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held June 17 at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Minneapolis.

In recognition of her contributions, Gov. Tim Walz declared June 17 as Norma Jean Williams Day in the state of Minnesota. A proclamation was read at her memorial service by state officials.

"It was well deserved," Williams-Dillard said.