Bailey Williams’ dedication to the Ohio University College Democrats stemmed from his desire to help those in need and has now earned him the top leadership position within the group.
From a young age, Williams had a fascination with politics that continued to grow. William's cited the the 2008 election of President Barack Obama as the spark of his passion for politics.
“The first time a black man was elected to the highest office in the land, and you know, I’m black, so it was really powerful to see.” Williams said.
Williams, a rising junior, joined OUCD his freshman year in 2016. He became a fellow with Ohio Together, and he introduced former President Bill Clinton at a Hillary Clinton campaign event on College Green.
“It takes a lot of courage to go up and speak in front of that many people and introduce a former president,” said Ashley Fishwick, the former OUCD president.
Fishwick said Williams is a hard worker. From the moment she met him, she said she knew that he was an incredible leader.
Williams' responsibilities as president include registering students to vote, fundraising and helping members of the organization take advantage of career opportunities so they are prepared for life after college.
“I ran on the idea that I can make the College Democrats not something I can put on my resume, but what I can put on the members’ resumes,” Williams said. “Being in the College Democrats in general is a very, very valuable tool.”
Williams, who is studying economics in the Honors Tutorial College, splits his time between the classroom and OUCD. It is the only organization he is involved in on campus.
Anthony Eliopoulos, the president of the College Democrats of Ohio, said Williams is definitely up for the job and will be able to put in the extra work needed to run this organization during an election year.
As a member of OUCD in 2016, Williams campaigned for Hillary Clinton in a very divisive presidential election.
“It was an emotional night," he said. "It was not the outcome that we were expecting. I would be wrong if I said I didn’t shed a few tears here and there.”
Williams said that his experience regardless of the outcome of the election, made him decide to dedicate himself to politics and learn from the loss.
The 2018 midterm elections will take place in November. OUCD is working to register and energize voters so that the Democratic party will be able to win important races across Ohio, including the race for U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative from the 15th District.
Being in a college town such as Athens — which many consider to be liberal — is a new experience for Williams, who said he grew up in a conservative town.
“It's been refreshing to come here and actually have people care about my viewpoints, and it's nice to have a feeling that my vote actually matters,” said Williams. “It's really nice to see energized Democrats.”
Williams said he takes pride in the ability to coordinate with OU College Republicans. Along with other debates, both organizations and the OU LGBT Center put on an event called Pizza and Politics, where they discuss important issues facing the country to create constructive dialogue between people from both parties.
Williams said those events help diffuse tensions and allow people to talk about issues without being hostile.
“At the end of the day, they’re still your neighbor, they’re still your classmate, they’re still a Bobcat, they’re still American,” Williams said.
Along with Missy Pedulla, the new OUCR president, Williams will be an important figure on campus as the midterm election approaches.
“When they see Bailey up front and center I think they are going to be reassured that this is the best thing for him,” Eliopoulos said. “People just automatically look up to him.”
