My journey started on the streets of Syracuse. Growing up as a young, black male with no father figure at home, I started to see my life differently as I grew...

My name is Josiah Williams, I am 25 years of age. I currently work at Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance Company and started in 2019. Prior to my career in Health Care, I graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2018 with a Bachelor’s of Art degree in Sociology.
I was born and raised in Syracuse, New York and graduated from Jamesville-Dewitt High-School in 2013. I was a mentee of the 100 Black Men of Syracuse since grade school. In grade school I attended the 100 Black Men “Saturday Academy” and learned more about my history and culture of Africans and African-Americans than I ever did in grade school or High-School. I also attended the STEP 1 mentee program where I learned how to effectively communicate with others and build life skills that I currently use today. Finally, the Historical Black College Tour gave me the inspiration to pursue a collegiate career to better myself. I cannot be more thankful to the 100 Black Men of Syracuse and the opportunities they have provided for men like me in pointing us in the right direction.