Avondale honors hometown comedian Katt Williams with street naming

Story and photos by Michael Mitchell

The rain didn’t stop the crowd from gathering on Saturday, April 19 at the intersection of Reading Road at Maple Avenue in Avondale, awaiting for Katt Williams’ tour bus to pull up. Scorpianna Savage held up a sign telling Katt how much the community loved him. At exactly 5:30 p.m., the rain stopped, and the crowd screamed as Micah “Katt” Williams appeared. Following him out of the bus were other comedians and actors who were on tour with Katt, including Mo’Nique, Mark Curry, Da Brat, Fred Grant, L’il Mo, Zooman Miller, and Tommy Davidson. 

Katt was born in Cincinnati and as a young child, he lived on Maple Avenue, so it was the fitting spot for an honorary streetname. Katt and the crowd shouted, “A-1 from Day-1” as Katt received a t-shirt with the Avondale slogan. The idea for the honor came from producer Robbie Todd and community leader Stephan Pryor. 

Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney shared with the audience Katt’s determination and resilience. He left home at the age of 13 to pursue his dream of stand-up comedy and acting. He was a street vendor and sometimes homeless, but eventually, he made it big in movies and on the comedy scene, performing in sold-out arenas across the country. Added to his many awards over the years, was a Primetime Emmy last year for Katt’s supporting role in the hit series, “Atlanta” which garnered more than 13.1 million views. Kearney added, “What I love most about Katt is that he has 10 children — 3 biological, and 7 through adoption.”

Avondale Community Council President Sandra Jones-Mitchell presented Mr. Williams with a key to Avondale. Former Cincinnati City Councilmember Laketa Cole congratulated Katt. They became personal friends when she and then Vice Mayor Alicia Reece presented him with a City Procalmation years ago, and then Cole rode Katt on her motorcycle. Cole also appeared in one of his movies. Katt graciously thanked the crowd for the honor, and Mo’Nique added words of congratulations. Then, Councilmember Scotty Johnson gave the count for Katt to unveil the sign as the crowd cheered. The honor was for Katt, but also for all the residents who are proud to be “A-1 from Day-1.”