Erica Williams | Source | Executive Director at A Red Circle

Erica R. Williams
Erica R. Williams of Ferguson, Mo. is a dedicated and passionate community leader who has made it her life's mission to transform her local community into a thriving and healthy oasis. As the founder of A Red Circle, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization,
Williams has been at the forefront of initiatives to address food deserts and promote holistic well-being.
Williams’Within the North County Community Nexus, residents can explore the aisles of
People's Harvest Community Grocery Store, a full-service supermarket offering a wide variety of
locally grown produce, meats, and dairy products from local farms. The Learning and Opportunity Center will offer classes on improving economic and wellness outcomes for families. They will also have access to Community Health Resources in order to receive the
physical, mental, economic, and emotional support they need. In addition, The Healthy Food
Ecosystem is enhanced by a professional kitchen that can be rented, cold storage, a bistro,
and an on-site demonstration garden that can be accessed by the public.
A Red Circle was envisioned by Erica amongst the aftermath of Mike Brown's murder on the
streets of Ferguson, Missouri, where she raised her family and still resides. After the shooting of
an unarmed Black youth, she was able to see hypocrisy amongst her lifetime of efforts to
integrate herself and her family into the segregated world of St. Louis county. This mom played
a key role in protecting and nurturing the youth who lead this modern-day civil rights movement
by being on the front lines of protests in Ferguson.
Despite the fact that Erica was an outstanding paralegal and flourishing in her career, taking a
risk was not easy for her. But when it came time for her to step back from her upper class,
wealthy Ladue Missouri, it was her calling. She was looking for a way to offer much needed
resources to the Ferguson neighborhood community in order to fulfill this need.
After years of activism and community service, Erica has found that wellness, education, and
the arts are three of the main areas where the gap in services has left many communities
underserved as a result of the gap.
The idea for A Red Circle took root as founder Erica Williams researched St. Louis’ real estate
history and discovered the tie between racial tensions and the past racist laws and public
policies. She decided that a substantial investment into North St. Louis County was necessary
to provide equitable relief to the region.
Since its genesis as a nonprofit in 2017, A Red Circle has directly impacted thousands of lives.
The team, now 20 employees strong, develops and executes life-enriching programming in
employment, education, holistic living, policy and arts.
Among the components that constitute Red Circle are wellness, education, and the arts, which
make up the core of the organization.
She has also worked as a campaigner for local and national candidates who would contribute to
the creation of policies that would eliminate racial disparities within these three systems to help
bring heal th, jobs and unity to North County. There are many North St. Louis County residents
who lack access to the affordable, healthy food and resources that are available to others in the
county. Erica believes it is possible to turn that negative trajectory around.
Erica R. Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts in Paralegal Studies and a Master of Business
Administration, both from Maryville University. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Public Policy
and Administration at Walden University. As a St. Louis Master Gardener, Erica provides
horticultural information and assistance to the public as a community service as well as for the
sake of gardening enjoyment. She is co-chair of MOCAN - Missouri Council on Activity and
Nutrition in order to implement and support policy changes that will improve the health and
quality of life of Missourians, as well as the Missouri Food Systems Work Group.
As lead a Peer Circle for Executive Directors of Color for
Winrock International’s Food Systems Leadership Network. In order to help PBS reflect diversity
of the community, she is a member of the Nine Network Community Advisory Board.
A recent award for her achievements includes a Focus St. Louis Award, which specifically
recognizes the efforts of individuals, organizations, and initiatives that are making a positive
difference in the St. Louis community. Erica has also received the My Name Is Need Award, the
Impact Award, as well as the award from the Coalition for Human Rights.
While not working for A Red Circle, Erica is a member of the Board of Directors for Kids Win
Missouri and a member of the Community Advisory Board for Refuge and Restoration Nonprofit
Organization.
She is an activist in her community, attends church regularly, enjoys music, and is a dedicated
mom to the Ferguson family. Her family includes her husband, three sons, her daughter, her
son-in-law, and two adorable grandkids. The mother of two children attended McCluer high
school in Ferguson, Missouri as well as her children.
Social media handles:
Website:
www.aredcircle.org
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-red-circle/
Facebook
https://m.facebook.com/aredcirclenp
Twitter
@redcircleNP