Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the debut issue of CityView’s education newsletter on May 26. Subscribe to receive it on Tuesdays along with our daily newsletter, which is sent mornings Sunday through Friday.

Since arriving in Fayetteville in October 2025, CityView education reporter Dasia Williams has spent countless evenings inside packed school board meetings, emotional public hearings, classrooms and committee meetings covering the issues shaping Cumberland County Schools.

From school closures and district budgets to student safety, staffing shortages and education policy, Williams reports on the decisions affecting students, families and educators across Cumberland County.

A North Carolina native and graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, Williams previously worked as a producer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee before returning home to report on education.

Education stories are often wrapped in policy language, lengthy board agendas, and complicated budget discussions. Williams’ goal is to help readers understand not only what decisions are being made, but why they matter and how those decisions affect local classrooms.

CityView recently sat down with Williams to learn more about her background, why she chose education reporting, and how she finds the stories she covers.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a Raleigh native and though I’ve reported in other states, North Carolina has always been home—with family spread across Raleigh, Fayetteville, Charlotte, and beyond.

Outside of reporting, I’m usually in a coffee shop or locally owned bookstore, rereading a favorite piece of literature, experimenting with coffee recipes, or overanalyzing a TV show or movie with friends. I also love hiking and long drives.

A fun full-circle moment: my mom always talked about how, as a little girl growing up in Fayetteville, she dreamed of attending E.E. Smith High School. So getting to cover schools here—including E.E. Smith—feels especially meaningful.

Why education reporting?

Growing up in predominantly white schools, I often saw firsthand how opportunities weren’t always distributed equally. My mom constantly advocated to make sure I had access to the same experiences as other students—from gifted and talented classes to creative writing opportunities that didn’t initially feel designed with students like me in mind.

As I got older, I began speaking publicly about those experiences through MLK Oratorical competitions, where I reflected on the inequities I was witnessing and living through as a student. In eighth grade, those conversations led me to sit on a panel with educators, sharing how schools and teachers could better support Black students.

By college, those same questions followed me into journalism. Through an Open Campus fellowship, I investigated trends affecting HBCUs and the changing experiences of Black students—work that deepened my interest in how education systems shape opportunity, identity, and belonging.

I think that’s why education reporting feels so personal to me. Schools shape confidence and opportunity in ways that can follow someone for years, and I’m drawn to stories that ask hard questions while centering the students, families, and educators most impacted.

And if I’m being honest, part of me reports with younger Dasia in mind—the same student who once had a teacher tell her she’d never be successful pursuing journalism.

How do you find stories you cover?

Sometimes stories begin at school board meetings. Other times, they begin with a parent email, a teacher tip, or one sentence buried inside a lengthy agenda packet that makes me stop and think: Wait—what does that mean?

But some of the best reporting ideas happen outside official spaces. A parent might bring up concerns about their child’s school while I’m working from a coffee shop. A conversation with a friend sparks a question. Social media points me toward a bigger issue families are quietly talking about.

A big part of my reporting process is listening, asking questions and following details—especially the ones that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Have a question for Dasia? Email her.