Entertainment

Porsha Williams on Atlanta’s legacy and her beautiful generational success story

ROLLINGOUT.COM — Porsha Williams understood the importance of living in a Black mecca at a young age.

Published

8 years ago

February 6, 2019

By A.R. Shaw

Porsha Williams understood the importance of living in a Black mecca at a young age. At 5 years old, Williams spent Thanksgiving feeding the homeless alongside her grandfather, the late great civil rights leader Hosea Williams. The icon marched alongside Atlanta luminaries such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Andrew Young, Xernona Clayton and Joseph Lowery. Each legend helped to build the foundation for Atlanta to become the Black mecca.

Williams’ experience with such legendary figures allowed her to understand how service, civil rights and business leadership helped to shape Atlanta.

“I knew Atlanta was special from a very young age, just through charity work,” Williams told rolling out. “My grandfather, Hosea Williams, created the charity Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. I worked in it, and it was right in the heart of Atlanta. All of my life I’ve been very close to the community and have known the people. We like to work together, we like to build each other up, we like to network; it’s a very [forward-looking city].”

With her family’s legacy intact, Williams gained notoriety in her own right in 2008 after joining the cast of Bravo’s vibrant reality TV show, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” She also became a national voice in entertainment television after being named as a permanent host of the syndicated show “Dish Nation” in 2014. Williams is the only Black woman in Hollywood to currently star in a reality TV show and a nationally syndicated talk show.

She also appeared on the first season of “The New Celebrity Apprentice” and did voice work in the animated movie CarGo.

Along with becoming a household name, Williams continued to pursue her entrepreneurial goals when she was not in front of the camera. She owns a virgin hair line called Go Naked Hair and a line of women’s intimate apparel known as Naked Lingerie.

“Being an entrepreneur just came naturally,” Williams said. “My father was an entrepreneur. He owns his own chemical company. My mother is also an entrepreneur, owning numerous childcare centers throughout Atlanta. I started out working in the family business, which was childcare. I ended up starting my own childcare center [at] 24 years old. Being an entrepreneur gives me the power to come up with a product that is close to my heart, and [a chance to] offer something to inspire other women and help them express themselves.”

She also sees Atlanta as a place where Black businesses can thrive. Georgia is second in the nation when it comes to the number of Black-owned businesses, trailing only the District of Columbia, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“Atlanta is definitely a place where you can make a great living for yourself being African American,” Williams said. “We do support each other a lot. A lot of people definitely try to network with each other to keep that going.”

This week, the world will be watching the city of Atlanta as it hosts Super Bowl LIII. Williams hopes that the festivities serve as an opportunity for people to experience the Black mecca up close and personal.

“I want people to experience the Atlanta that they’ve always heard about,” she shared. “I think that Atlanta has a great reputation for being very warm, Southern and with great hospitality. I just want them to be able to experience everything that they would expect from the South, which is to be embraced by us and to know that they always have a home. A lot of people from different states end up moving to Georgia because it’s a great place to raise a family. We have probably the best dynamic here because you can really find a place that you want to hang with your family during the day, and we also have a great nightlife. I think that the Atlanta pride is going to show through, and it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to be able to have so many people from everywhere here.”

In the midst of running a business, starring on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and bringing viewers celebrity news on “Dish Nation,” Williams found love with her fiancé Dennis McKinley. The two are expecting their first child together.

“Mommy entrepreneurs must be sure to have a great support system,” she said. “And you have to make sure that the type of business that you want to start will be good for you and your family. I wouldn’t get into just anything. If you don’t have someone to keep your kids and the best support, you may want to start a business that’s online, where you could be working from home. Start a business that’ll be practical for your real lifestyle. Research it and just go for it. Dream big and put in the hard work. Always use your kids as the focus and the purpose and the drive for what you’re going to do.”

A.R. Shaw is an author and journalist who documents culture, politics, and entertainment. He has covered The Obama White House, the summer Olympics in London, and currently serves as Lifestyle Editor for Rolling Out magazine. Follow his journey on Twitter @arshaw and Instagram @arshaw23.

This article originally appeared in Rollingout.com.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

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1 week ago

October 4, 2026

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From Historic Memories to New Possibilities: Oakland Celebrates Coliseum 60

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, September 18, for Coliseum 60, an event marking six decades of sports, entertainment, employment, and community memories at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex. Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum first opened, the celebration featured cultural performances and a mini-documentary highlighting its history. Speakers reflected on the venue’s significant role in the community and its future possibilities. Read more to learn about the individuals and stories honored during this special event.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 27, 2026

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Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE moderates a panel discussion at the Coliseum 60 celebration at Youth UpRising featuring Keith Brown, a member of IATSE Local 107; author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; and African American Sports and Entertainment Group President Ray Bobbitt.

By Carla Thomas

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, Sept. 18, for Coliseum 60, a celebration honoring six decades of sports, entertainment, employment and community memories connected to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex.

Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum opened, the event carried the theme, “One Community. One Legacy. One Future. Forward Together.”

The celebration opened with the national anthem performed by sisters Anese Jade, Amina Benjamin and Zaza Benjamin. Diamano Coura West African Dance Company contributed African dance and drumming, bringing movement, rhythm and cultural expression to the program.

A mini documentary highlighted the Coliseum’s sports history and its broader role as an entertainment destination. Archival material recalled performances by Prince and Tina Turner, along with memorable games featuring the Warriors, Oakland A’s and Raiders.

“The Coliseum 60 is about much more than celebrating a building or looking back at 60 years of history,” said event organizer Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE.

“It’s about the people who made that history possible: the families, workers, athletes, artists, community leaders, fans and generations who gathered there and created memories together.”

A panel exploring that history featured author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; stagehand and union representative Keith Brown; and Ray Bobbitt, president of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group AASEG. Lewis described her family as fourth-generation Bay Area pioneers.

“My family and Black families who arrived even earlier helped build the Bay Area, grew businesses and established culture here,” Lewis said. “This should be taught in the public schools.”

Lewis recalled Oakland’s influence on sports, music and literature, from the Raiders’ beginnings at Laney College to stars such as The Pointer Sisters and Rickey Henderson who attended Oakland public schools. She also advocated for school museums, historical timelines, entrepreneurship training and investments benefiting corridors such as Bancroft Avenue and High Street.

Keith Brown, a member of Local 107 of the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) who began working at the Coliseum in 2011, remembered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Ice Capades, baseball bat giveaways and Nelson Mandela’s 1990 appearance.

“The special events are amazing, but it’s the workers that make the memories real for everyone,” Brown said. “They make the magic happen at the Coliseum.”

The program recognized longtime workers, including beer-stand manager Robert Preston, who served for 40 years, and Kenyatta Gentry, who worked as a vendor for 24 years and used her earnings to purchase her first apartment. Union workers Jose Gonzales and Carmen Sandoval were also honored. Speakers emphasized that Coliseum employment provided generations of residents with union wages and benefits.

Dr. Denise Saddler, the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) was also honored. Saddler shared her family’s history of working at the Coliseum.

District 7 Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston discussed the complex ownership arrangements involving the city, county and private interests.

“This was the most complex deal of its kind in the country,” Houston said.

Prior to moving from the East Coast, Alameda County Supervisor and Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Chair Nate Miley recalled learning about Oakland through its three professional sports teams. As an elected official and public servant, Miley fought hard to keep the Golden State Warriors, Oakland As, and the Raiders, but he is hopeful for the future.

“The story is not over for the Coliseum,” Miley said. “We’re entering a new chapter.”

Bobbitt said the departure of three teams had once seemed unimaginable, but he maintained that Oakland’s future remains bright.

“Oakland is a cultural superpower worldwide,” Bobbitt said. “We’re going to write the future where we participate and drive the redevelopment.”

Bobbitt highlighted AASEG’s four-year partnership with Castlemont High School’s architecture program, which engages students in reimagining and creating redevelopment concepts for the Coliseum property. “The youth will always move us forward. They are the future.”

In closing, Atkins said, “September 18 is the celebration, but what we build together afterward is the legacy.”