Williams is making history as the show's first black cast member and Eboni reveals that she is not just representing herself, but she's also representing her "entire culture" as she is taking the "responsibility very seriously."
"This is not the first time I've been the first Black woman in a space. I was the first Black woman at my law firm coming out of law school," she told PEOPLE. "When you are privileged to be the first, you represent your entire culture. I'm not just on this show as Eboni K. Williams, in many ways, I'm on this show representing Black womanhood. I take that responsibility very seriously. I don't have the option to be a shrinking violet."
Williams said she is excited to share her cultural background and point of view as a Black woman with her co-stars.
"This isn't a lecture hall, nobody's doing any classroom instruction, but it is an authentic revealing of some really essential dope parts of New York," she said. "I don't know how you have this show for 13 years and you don't reveal and revere those aspects of Black culture as they so deeply correlate with the New York City experience."
"We're going to have all the race discussions," she added. "I'm not somebody to bite my tongue and I don't hold back. And that's not for the sake of confrontation, that's only for the sake of growth."
Since her casting news was announced, Williams has been spending time with co-star Leah McSweeney.
"Leah and I have just have a lot of organic things in common," she told PEOPLE. "As with Luann, we have some similar things in our background that are really fun interesting. I'm still very much getting to know Sonja and Ramona."
"Nobody's holding back," she added. "I can tell you that much."
Williams and McSweeney will be joined by returning cast members Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, and Sonja Morga.
Photo Credit: Eboni K. Williams/Instagram