Ed-Dee G. Williams, an assistant professor at 51茶馆SSW, says he could not stop smiling when he was recognized at center court during the Celtics-Grizzlies game on December 7 at TD Garden in Boston. Courtesy photo.
During a TV timeout in the second quarter of the Celtics-Grizzlies game on Saturday night at TD Garden in Boston, Ed-Dee G. Williams received a standing ovation from a capacity crowd of 19,600 fans.听
And chants of 鈥淓d-Dee, Ed-Dee, Ed-Dee鈥� ringing throughout the world-famous arena had nothing to do with his ability to dunk, hit a fadeaway jumper, or prevent a speedy guard from driving to the rim.
No, Williams, an assistant professor at the Boston College School of Social Work, received raucous applause for creating an application that helps Black youth with autism talk about their mental health.听
He was the latest winner of the Celtics鈥� , an honor bestowed upon individuals at each home game who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to the local community.
鈥淚 heard fans yelling 鈥楨d-Dee, Ed-Dee,鈥� and I could not stop smiling,鈥� Williams recalls. 鈥淚 was trying to tell myself to calm down, but my cheeks were getting sore.鈥�
While NBA superstars Jayson Tatum and Ja Morant rested on their respective benches after a high-scoring first quarter, Williams took center court to bask in the glory of winning an award that鈥檚 been around since 1997.听
Dressed in a black Celtics hoodie and holding a crystal plaque, he slowly waved to the crowd as the PA announcer described his work to improve the mental health of Black youth with autism.
鈥淒r. Williams,鈥� the PA announcer said, 鈥渉as helped this overlooked community access critical mental health resources focusing on communication skills and anxiety prevention.鈥�
As Williams made his way back to his seats鈥攏inth row, behind the Grizzlies鈥櫶� bench鈥攈e received fist-bumps and high-fives from fans, one of whom even gave him his business card in hopes that they could connect on future research.听
Last year, Williams created an app to help Black youth with autism discuss depression and other mental health issues with teachers and caregivers. When the Celtics鈥� director of community engagement found out about this project, called 鈥淎sking for Help,鈥� she contacted him through LinkedIn to invite him to participate in the team鈥檚 Heroes Among Us program.
Williams, whose research examines the interplay between race and mental illness, initially balked at the idea. 鈥淚 hope that my work impacts and improves the lives of those in this community, but I鈥檝e never considered myself to be anybody鈥檚 hero and I鈥檝e only been here for two years,鈥� he says. 鈥淢y first thought was like, no, let me connect you with some of my community partners who鈥檝e been doing this work for 10 or 15 years.鈥�
But the Celtics insisted that the Heroes Among Us Award was designed for people like Williams鈥攑eople who have made an overwhelming impact on the lives of others.
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“I heard fans yelling 鈥楨d-Dee, Ed-Dee,鈥� and I could not stop smiling. I was trying to tell myself to calm down, but my cheeks were getting sore.”
His intervention, created in collaboration with a software company called , uses video and speech recognition to make it seem as though users are having live conversations with teachers who are responding to their statements in real-time. In actuality, users are talking to simulations of teachers, played by actors, who have been given scripts to provide a variety of typical but unpredictable reactions to what they say.听
At each turn in the conversation, users select a symptom associated with depression, describe that symptom to a video recording of a 鈥渢eacher,鈥� and then receive feedback based on the response. Each conversation is unique, so users can practice honing their conversational skills until they feel ready to share their stories with adults who can help them.听
Williams is currently using grant funding from the to evaluate the feasibility of the training program, testing the app with Black youth with autism, parents, and caregivers, as well as with social workers, special education teachers, and speech pathologists. He teamed up with several nonprofit organizations and state agencies to help recruit participants for the study, including the and the .
Williams envisions a future in which the training program is commercially available to schools, therapists, and parents, and he hopes to adapt the app to meet the needs of other populations, too.听
鈥淢y goal is that anyone who wants to improve these kinds of conversational skills will be able to access this tool,鈥� he says.
As for his experience at the TD Garden, Williams received the royal treatment. He, his wife, and their two children enjoyed a complimentary meal at Legends, a private restaurant at the Garden, received a history lesson on the 18-time champion Celtics, and watched players go through their pre-game routines while sitting courtside.听听
Although Williams typically roots for the Pistons and Rockets, the Celtics are quickly becoming one of his favorite teams. And why not? Despite losing to the Grizzlies on Saturday night, 127-121, the C鈥檚 are the odds-on favorites to win the 2025 title.听
鈥淭hey鈥檙e like the Dallas Cowboys of the NBA鈥攖hey鈥檙e America鈥檚 team in my opinion,鈥� Williams says. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 definitely a Celtics fan. I was telling my wife that I have to get a Celtics banner.鈥�
