By Jatavian Walker
(JACKSON, Miss.) – Yolanda Williams has been named Jackson State University’s (JSU) 2026 Humanities Teacher of the Year by the Mississippi Humanities Council (MHC). The MHC Humanities Teacher Awards pay tribute to outstanding faculty in traditional humanities fields at each of Mississippi’s institutions of higher learning.
Williams currently serves as assistant professor and theatre coordinator in the Department of Speech Communication & Theatre in the College of Liberal Arts. In addition to these roles, she is also a production manager and costume designer. She expressed gratitude at her work being recognized and was pleasantly surprised to be nominated for such an honor.
“It’s the recognition of the work I have done and that all of that hard work is building to something,” said Williams. “It was just a really good feeling to know how many people appreciate the work you do and it’s not going unnoticed. Especially for a job I am so passionate about.”
During her tenure at Jackson State, her impact on the university’s students has been evident in the appreciation and support she has received from them. She expressed that, like herself, students fully recognize the impact of teachers once that recognition is spotlighted by those outside of the classroom.
“My students have always uplifted me and were just as excited about my selection as I was. They were happy to see that my hard work was recognized outside of the classroom,” said Williams. “I think oftentimes they see the work that we do and in the moment, like us, we don’t realize it until it’s acknowledged by somebody who’s not in the midst of it.”
A student who has recognized her impact is senior theatre major Kamiylah Peoples, who has known Williams since her freshman year at JSU. Peoples expresses her love and appreciation for Williams, whom she says she can always talk to when times are tough, and views her as one of the reasons she remains in school.
“She’s the type of teacher that will put her own personal things to the side to make sure you’re good and ensure she does what she needs to do to keep you on the right track,” said Peoples. “No matter if you’re her student or not, she still makes time to assist anyone in need and influences us to keep pushing towards success.”
Another of her students who shares a similar admiration for Williams is sophomore speech and theatre major Jasmine Sloan. Sloan encountered Williams in her freshman year, and ever since, she says the educator has been one of the reasons she has pushed herself to do better.
“She’s always there for me, someone that I can go to for advice and talk to no matter what,” said Sloan. “She will always make sure we’re working hard and pushing ourselves, even if it’s not just in our theater classes, it’s in all our classes because she wants the best for us.”
Williams studied at the University of Dallas and the University of Southern Mississippi, earning a bachelor’s degree in drama and a master’s in directing, respectively. After graduating, she joined the JSU family, where she has remained for over 10 years.
Her role extends beyond the JSU theatre department and the university. She is the advisor for the Alpha Psi Omega National Theater Honor Society, Rising Kingdom and the Blue Royalz Stomp N Shake group at the university.
Williams also serves on the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) Board of Directors and is the chair of the Black Indigenous & People of Color Network. Through her work at USITT, she mentors youth from underrepresented backgrounds through the Gateway Mentorship Program and presents sessions at the organization’s annual conference. She also serves on the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) board, and co-chairs its The Black Theatre Group and the founder of Blue Light Underground Ensemble, a theatre company based in Mississippi.
Media Contact: Jatavian Walker, Jatavian.Walker@jsums.edu