John A. Williams

John A. Williams (1925–2015) was an African American author and scholar. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, later studied at Syracuse University, and worked as a journalist for publications including Ebony, Jet, and Newsweek. His novel The Man Who Cried I Am became a bestseller in 1967. As a poet, Williams received an American Book Award in 1998 for his collection Safari West.