Actor, singer Palmer Williams, Jr. hosting bringing awareness to mental health and Black History with Transformation Training Institute

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Actor and singer Palmer Williams, Jr. is best known for his roles in Tyler Perry’s theater productions and his television series, House Of Payne and Love Thy Neighbor. Now, Williams is lending a helping hand to bring awareness to mental health with the Transformation Training Institute.

Sandra Philips, the founder and director of operations, and Williams take some time to chat with WJBF about the Black History Month Conference happening February 23^rd and 24^th.

Miss Sandra, can you please tell us more about the Transformation Training Institute?

What we do is we train people in culture diversity and mental health because we found out that it’s not one size fits all. So, we’re just trying to teach other people how to get along in a multicultural society. That mental health piece is very good now because since COVID, so many people have come in to build a house, and we’re just trying to help out other clinicians, school teachers, whoever may want the training to be able to just understand about the people that they are surrounded with.

What was the motivation that started the institution?

Well, before I started TTI, I had did a Black history conference. After I started posting, I did not realize because in school, they didn’t teach us about all the Black pioneers. So, when I start looking, I was like, “Oh wow, we’re not just here. We belong here. We started that a lot of things.” So, we just started putting this conference together and got great response, and it’s really helping the community.

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Now, you have the Black History Month conference is February 23rd and 24. What can people expect from this conference?

Well, the pre-conference is on that Thursday, the 22nd, because we have to get that ethics to renew our license in Georgia. So, we’re doing a six-hour ethics; it’s a pre-conference. It’s like no other conference I’ve gone to. So, we do celebrate Black history in our learning experience. So, we’re going to have an awesome singer; Javonne Patrice is going to open up with the National Black Anthem. We’re doing a tribute. We always do a moment in Black history. This year is James Brown. So, his daughter, Deanna [Brown Thomas] will be there as well to speak and share a few words. Our keynote speaker is the Honorable Judge Hatchett. So, we’re going to have a great time.

Palmer, you are actually hosting the red carpet. What are you looking forward to with this event?

I’m looking forward to an event that I can sink my teeth into. I’m very excited about this being my first one and hopefully not my last, depending upon what I say that night. (Laughs) But no, I plan to keep it lively and keep it fun. Also, I think people know me for the comedy, but they don’t know me for the involvement that I have in the mental health issues arena, as well as my support that I give. I’ve had family members that have had struggles with mental health issues, and some of them didn’t end so well, you know, to say it lightly. Yet, it’s still a lot of people don’t understand the aftermath of others that are affected by mental health issues. It affects all of your loved ones around you. So, I think it’s very important with me, with the platform that God has blessed me to be on, that I’m able to say something. Sometimes, you can take that “celebrity,” as they call it, and use it for the platform that God has blessed to be able to be on, to be able to help someone. You know, if I can help somebody as I go along, then my living won’t be in vain.

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Palmer, a lot of people, of course, know you from Tyler Perry’s stage plays and television shows, House Of Payne and Love Thy Neighbor. How did you get into the acting world? How did that happen for you?

Well, actually, I’ve been acting ever since bill collectors start calling my house, and I pretended it wasn’t me. So, that’s one kind of way I kind of jumped into it, you know, not without any training. (Laughs) I can honestly say that the event that happened that was so monumental was that I had been doing this for some time, and I started I was just singing first. When I first came to Atlanta, I went to an open mic night, and I made some friends. They are still friends to this day, and that was over 30 years ago. So, I was known as a vocalist, more so than an actor. Then, there was this one day inevitably that happened where I was at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church when Bishop Eddie Long was the pastor at the time, and we did a reenactment of a dance. I was like, “I don’t want to do this. This is silly. They’re going to laugh at me playing Jesus.” First of all, that’s a stretch. Me playing Jesus, and I’m protecting this little girl. So, it ended up happening, and Tyler Perry was there that day. I did the performance, didn’t want to do it, was disgruntled, and I was like, “God basically was holding his breath and try not to cuss me out, like, ‘Go do this because you’re 2 minutes from the promise.’” That’s what I kept hearing in my head, and I did the dance. I got a call the next day to have an audition, went in there snot-crying and praying like, “Lord, you give me the opportunity to be a good steward over this man’s stuff. I know you gonna make me lord of my own.” So, a 15-minute interview turned into an hour and a half audition. Six days later, I was shooting House Of Payne, and I was only supposed to shoot it for six episodes, but then it turns out, now that we’re one of the longest running sitcoms of all time because I’ve been with them now for 18 years. So, now I have nothing else but an obligation to give back to the very community that has supported my career this whole time. I’m just very, very privileged and very, very excited to be able to do something to where my mother and father will be smiling and laughing from Heaven and being proud of their baby boy.

Now, Palmer, what advice would you give to someone who wants to get into entertainment or get into acting?

Run. (Laughs) No, seriously, I would say take your craft serious and take yourself seriously. A lot of people think it’s just an overnight success. I am a 32-year overnight success. I’ll let that sink in. So, what has happened is that along the way I’ve learned so many different things, and what I would say is get a mentor. Don’t were the heck out of them, but learn from them, watch them, observe them, and watch their work ethic. Have a work ethic. It’s not going to happen overnight just being on TikTok, Instagram, and stuff like that. You can get into that arena and do those sort of things, but if your gifts and talents get you there, it’s your character that will keep you there. So, if you don’t have the character traits to be a professional and to do the things you’re supposed to do in this industry, then you’re going to be in a long road. So, do the things that are necessary to invest in yourself: your headshots, your reels, which is footage of things that you’ve done and put them and compile them into 1 to 2-minute video, as well as if you don’t have a gig, create your own. So, in other words, you go and all of those church organizations, or if your church doesn’t have a theater department or something, you be the one to create it if God so choose you to do that. So, you know, do the research and learn about the craft because you don’t want to just do something. If it’s something that you’re just going to do for a minute and you think because you want to be right in front of the camera, then this is not the industry for you because there’s a lot to do to get to a point. Like I said, I’m a 30 to 32-year overnight sensation. I’ve been doing this for a while. You’re seeing the now; you didn’t see the process. You didn’t see the walking pneumonia going through the airport and having to get up and perform that same day. Take yourself seriously. Take your craft seriously, and don’t take yourself too serious to where you think that you’re better than everybody else because there’s enough room for everybody to work.

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Sandra, can you give us a little bit more information about the Black History Month conference?

Just go to our website, www.transformationtraininginc.com, and you can get a ticket to come to the conference. You do not have to be a mental health provider to be able to come to the conference. It’s just great information for all. You can also get the ticket for the gala with our host right here, Mr. Palmer, and we’re just so honored for him to be a part of the program. So, we took on the national theme for Black History Month, which is African Americans in the Arts. So, our theme is Celebrate African-Americans in the Arts, and we’re just going to showcase it. Dr. Evans from Paine College is going to be our keynote speaker for the event. So, we’re glad to have someone from the HBCU to be on the program.

On that Saturday, we’re having a community engagement event called Self-Care Saturday. It’s open and free to the public. We want people to come out and get their health screenings and get free things from the vendors that are going to be there. It should be a great event, and I’m looking forward to all of it.

Palmer, if people want to follow your journey or get more information about you, how can they do so?

Well, definitely of @PalmerWilliamsJ on Instagram and @PalmerWilliamsJr on Tik Tok. Then, it’s Palmer Williams, Jr. on Facebook, and then, also, my website is PalmerWilliamsJr.com.

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