You know may know him as Chalky White from the hit HBO prohibition drama, Boardwalk Empire, or from his roles in The Wire and 12 Years a Slave, but Michael K. Williams has a new title. Williams has signed on to be an ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union. Williams is aiming to stop mass prison incarceration.
Williams recently opened up The Hollywood Reporter about the need for prison reform and his work with the ACLU:
“We have spent 40 years stuffing our prisons, mostly with black and brown men. We haven’t seen any of the problems outside those prison cells improve, and some have gotten worse. We can do better, and I’m excited to work with the ACLU to push for that change.”
The ACLU's Deputy Legal Director, Vanita Gupta, also spoke up about the Williams’ ambassadorship:
“We’re at a tipping point on mass incarceration in this country, and Michael’s voice will help us move beyond the disastrous policies of the last 40 years. He has the passion, deep moral conviction, and contagious optimism needed to effect real change in a criminal justice system that simply isn’t working.”
Williams tweeted his pride in the project, writing:
“Proud to named Ambassador by the aclu for prison reform #StopMassIncarceration.”
The ACLU of California also shared Williams enthusiasm, tweeting:
“Michael K Williams of #BoardwalkEmpire and #TheWire joins @ACLU as Ambassador to End Mass Incarceration. Excited to work together, @BKBMG!”
The second episode of the final season of Boardwalk Empire airs this Sunday night at 9:00 p.m on HBO.
