Originally published on February 10, 2021 5:28 pm
When Justus Williams was about 8 years old, his mom signed him up for a chess program on a whim. Luckily for him, he was a natural. By age 12, the Bronx native became the youngest African American National Master. He’s traveled the world to compete in tournaments and received a full-ride scholarship to Webster University to play chess.
Now Williams wants to funnel that knowledge to children in St. Louis. He partnered with the Dream Builders 4 Equity nonprofit to create Black Squares. Its mission is to bring Black culture to chess by introducing the game to more Black children. Its initiatives are not limited to Black players, though; anyone with limited access to the game is welcome to participate.