Jaye — Austin

Williams has balanced a successful career as both a performer and a director with rigorous academic output:

At the University of California, Irvine, she directed significant works including The Colored Museum , The Trial of Dedan Kimathi , and The Liquid Plain . jaye austin

Rhizomes: issue 29: Frank Wilderson and Jaye Austin Williams Williams has balanced a successful career as both

Dr. Jaye Austin Williams: The Intersection of Performance and Critical Black Studies The Trial of Dedan Kimathi

Williams’ transition from the professional theater industry to academia was born from a realization that the industry often lacked a deep engagement with philosophical discourses regarding anti-Blackness. As a Black, queer, and partially disabled participant in the arts, she sought to address "overt and covert aggressions" that she felt were being ignored by traditional theatrical institutions.