Katt Williams Receives Honorary Doctorate From Miles College, Announces Student Film Partnership

Comedian Katt Williams has added “Dr.” to his résumé. Miles College, the Fairfield, Alabama HBCU, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during an Oct. 18 ceremony recognizing his cultural impact and new ties to the school.

Williams thanked the college from the stage, framing the honor as a testament to faith, service, and the smiles he “sells for a living.”

Alongside the degree, Williams announced a partnership intended to place HBCU students on real film sets, part of a broader push by Miles to blend creative industries with technology across its curriculum, school officials said. “Integrating AI into every facet” of the institution is central to that vision, added Chuck Faush, the college’s chief innovation and growth officer.

“I serve a God that insists that my cup runneth over. And those smiles that I sell for a living, those have Miles right in the middle of it.”

It isn’t lost that Williams has planted himself and a business endeavor in Alabama after announcing that he is building a film studio in Anniston. He purchased some land on the former Fort McClellan military base and is working toward being a successful studio owner like Tyler Perry.

AL.com reported that the area where he purchased land is known to the local residents as Starships, which sits on more than 90 acres of land. The area also includes dozens of buildings.

“President Knight’s vision is to integrate AI into every facet of the institution, and this opportunity to partner with Katt Williams advances that vision,” Chuck Faush, Miles’ chief innovation and growth officer, said. “Specifically, aligning with his studio development and plan in Anniston creates career ladders and provides real-world learning for our student entrepreneurs.”

The collaboration dovetails with Williams’ plan to build a film studio in Anniston, Alabama, on a portion of the former Fort McClellan site known locally as “Starships,” a 90-plus-acre tract with dozens of buildings that he has moved to redevelop.

Fellow comedian Mark Curry celebrated the milestone in a social post from the event, applauding Williams’ achievement and ongoing work.