Kristi Williams Receives Wayfinder Award From National Geographic Society

Kristi Williams is the founder of Black History Saturdays, a local banned book library, and now she’s a National Geographic explorer.

Williams is one of 15 people selected across the globe as a Wayfinder Award recipient by the National Geographic Society.

Through this, she is able to apply for a $100,000 grant to help fund her programs.

Williams said this will fill a big need, with it costing about $5,000 a month to run Black History Saturdays.

The educational program teaches kids and adults the untold Black history of Oklahoma and internationally.

Her banned book library gives people access to books that are banned in Oklahoma.

Williams says she feels privileged to be a recipient with her cohort filled with scientists, those in the tech field, and other educators.

“You get a whole team of people to help expand your work, which is amazing," Williams said. "So now I get to really expand it to states like Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, so all those people that have been reaching out to me. Now I have a team of people that can help me expand that work.”

Black History Saturdays will be funded later this fall by the National Geographic Society.

Williams is seeking donations in the meantime.