Talk:Crystal Williams

Suggested edits and updates

Hello Wikipedia editors,

I would like to suggest updates to this article about Crystal Williams, president of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in order to make it more complete, include relevant information, and bring it up to date. For transparency, I work for RISD, so disclosing a COI.

Suggested additions in bold:

1. To the paragraph that begins: "In 2021, it was announced that Williams was leaving her position as vice president and associate provost for community and inclusion at Boston University to become Rhode Island School of Design's 18th president. Williams became its first Black president on April 1, 2022," I suggest adding the following detail: In her inaugural address Williams announced her commitment to increasing financial aid and scholarships to ensure that “the most exciting undergraduates and graduates worldwide can attend.” Including one of the key pillars of Wiliams' presidency at RISD is equally relevant as her becoming the institution's first Black president. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLKNi-5Ukm0 and https://publications.risd.edu/new-spaces-inauguration-risd-president-crystal-williams/crystal-williams-inaugural-address-risd-new
2. Suggested relevant addition: On April 7, 2026, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) announced that it received the largest outright gift in the school’s history under Williams’ presidency: a $20 million gift from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation to establish new full tuition scholarships and faculty positions. Source: https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/6786934/major-gift-from-maxwell-hanrahan-foundation-to-support-scholarships-and-faculty

Suggested edits:

1. The entry that begins “On March 17, 2025…” contains factual errors and lacks context. Importantly, the exhibition was not shut down by Williams -- RISD administration moved the exhibition to a more secure location after it was targeted by an online group. Sources: https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2025/04/21/this-artwork-has-been-censored-by-risd-pro-palestinian-exhibit-relocated-after-accusations-of-antisemitism/ and https://www.risd.edu/about/leadership/about-crystal-williams/community-announcements/2024-25-ay#accordion-section--70285
2. The following quote in the New York Times is provided with no context: “The previous fall, Williams was profiled in the New York Times, saying of her own creative practice: "Poetry requires a kind of heart space and solitude I don't have." The line was in reference to the President's house, which was the focus of the article, being a gathering place for the RISD community. See full quote: "On the RISD premises, Ms. Williams said, staff are around even during downtime, and student protesters have rung the doorbell. “In some ways, there is no privacy,” Ms. Williams said. Nor has she found time for creative writing: “Poetry requires a kind of heart space and solitude that I don’t have.” But she also made it very clear that she was in no way complaining." Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/28/style/risd-president-house.html?eafs_enabled=false

Question for consideration: What is the relevance of Williams’ 2024 compensation being noted in this article? Out of curiosity, I looked at the wikipedia articles for the presidents of other private colleges and universities, including Harvard, Columbia, and Otis College of Art, and did not see their salaries listed. Unless there is consistency or clear rationale for including salary information on the bio pages for college presidents, I’d argue for its removal.

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this! Art&DesignAficionado (talk) 19:08, 10 July 2026 (UTC)Art&DesignAficionado