Marianne Williamson facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Marianne Williamson
Williamson in 2019
Born	Marianne Deborah Williamson (1952-07-08) July 8, 1952 (age 72) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Author teacher politician activist
Political party	Democratic
Children	1
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Marianne Deborah Williamson (born July 8, 1952) is an American author, speaker, and political activist. She started her career as a spiritual leader. Williamson has written many self-help books. One of her most famous books is A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles from 1992, which became a bestseller. She became well-known after being a frequent guest on Oprah Winfrey's TV show.

Williamson has also run for political office. In 2014, she ran as an independent for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in California. She also sought the Democratic nomination for president in both 2020 and 2024. Her ideas for the country include ending the war on drugs, raising the minimum wage, providing reparations for past racial injustice, addressing climate change, and creating a U.S. Department of Peace. She has also been very active in charity work, helping to start organizations like Center for Living, Project Angel Food, and the Peace Alliance. She is also on the board of RESULTS, a group working to solve poverty.

Early Life and Education

Marianne Williamson was born in Houston, Texas, in 1952. She was the youngest of three children. Her father, Samuel "Sam" Williamson, was a World War II veteran and a lawyer. Her mother, Sophie Ann Kaplan, was a homemaker and helped in the community.

Williamson grew up in a family that practiced Conservative Judaism. She learned about different world religions and social justice at home. She became interested in speaking up for important causes when she heard her rabbi speak against the Vietnam War.

In 1965, when Williamson was in seventh grade, her father took the family to Vietnam. This trip helped her understand why he believed the war was wrong. She has said that this experience taught her that "people are the same everywhere."

Williamson went to Bellaire High School in Houston. After high school, she studied theater and philosophy at Pomona College in California for two years. In 1973, Williamson left college. She spent some years traveling and exploring.

She moved to New Mexico and then to Austin, Texas, taking classes at different universities. Later, she moved to New York City, hoping to become a singer. During this time, she went through a difficult period. She has said that this experience made her want to spend her life helping others.

A Course in Miracles

In 1976, Williamson became interested in a book called A Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman. She began reading the Course with great interest, exploring spirituality, metaphysics, and meditation. She also found a way to connect the Course with her Jewishness. She saw it as a "spiritual psychotherapy" rather than a religion.

Career Highlights

Williamson, 2019

In 1979, Williamson returned to Houston. There, she ran a spiritual bookstore and coffee shop. She also sang in a nightclub and had a very brief marriage.

In 1983, Williamson felt a strong urge to move to Los Angeles. She got an apartment in Hollywood. Her teachings focused on the idea that "Divine love is the core and essence of every human mind." She believed this message could help people heal from negative ideas.

As more people heard about her, she started renting church spaces for her talks. By 1987, she was lecturing monthly in New York and soon traveled across the U.S. and Europe. She did not charge for her lectures but suggested a small donation. Her style was a mix of Christian, Buddhist, and psychological ideas.

Spiritual Leader

Williamson became a spiritual leader for the Church of Today in Warren, Michigan. She had 2,300 people attending her services and 50,000 watching on television. She helped the church grow quickly. She resigned from this role in 2003.

Author and Bestsellers

Williamson has written 14 books. Seven of her books have been on The New York Times bestseller list, and four of them reached number one. She has sold over three million books.

Her most famous book is A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles (1992). This book stayed on The New York Times bestseller list for 39 weeks. It teaches that practicing love daily can bring more peace and happiness. Oprah Winfrey praised the book, saying it deeply moved her. Winfrey bought many copies and encouraged her audience to read it. Williamson became a frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show and was known as Oprah's spiritual advisor.

Political Campaigns

Running for Congress in 2014

Williamson's 2014 congressional campaign logo

Williamson campaigning alongside Alanis Morissette

In 2014, Williamson ran as an independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in California. Many well-known people supported her campaign, including former governors and representatives. Singer Alanis Morissette even wrote a campaign song for her.

Williamson focused on progressive issues. These included making changes to how political campaigns are funded, supporting women's rights, and promoting equality for LGBTQ+ people. She raised $2.4 million for her campaign. She finished fourth out of 18 candidates in the primary election.

Presidential Campaigns

On January 28, 2019, Williamson officially started her campaign for the Democratic nomination for president. She gathered enough support and donations to participate in the official primary debates. She moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to prepare for the caucuses.

Williamson participated in the first two primary debates. She was very popular online, being the most searched candidate in many states after the second debate. On January 10, 2020, she ended her campaign.

She announced her 2024 presidential campaign on March 4, 2023. During this campaign, some former staff members described working for her as challenging. Williamson admitted to some incidents and said she was working on personal growth. She ended her campaign on June 11, 2024, but then re-entered on July 2, 2024, before dropping out again on July 29, 2024.

Running for DNC Chair in 2025

On December 26, 2024, Williamson announced she would run to become the chairperson of the Democratic National Committee.

Political Ideas

Reparations for Black Americans

Williamson supports giving money, between $200 billion and $500 billion, as reparations for slavery. This money would be spread over 20 years for "economic and education projects." A group of Black leaders would decide how to give out the funds.

Climate Change and Energy

Williamson believes climate change is "the greatest moral challenge of our generation." She supports the Green New Deal and wants the U.S. to rejoin the Paris Climate Accords immediately. She also wants the U.S. to stop supporting fossil fuels like coal. Instead, she wants to invest in renewable energy both in the U.S. and in developing countries.

Gun Control

Williamson supports stricter gun control laws.

Health Care and Vaccinations

Williamson supports universal health care for everyone, similar to a "Medicare for All" plan. She also wants to control the pharmaceutical industry to prevent unfair practices. Williamson believes in using both prayer and medicine for health. She supports the importance and value of vaccinations.

Immigration

Williamson does not support completely open borders. However, she wants a more humane approach to border policies. She criticized former President Donald Trump's immigration policies, especially the separation of children from their families. She supports Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This program protects undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

Other U.S. Issues

Williamson supports The Equality Act, which protects LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. She also wants to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.

International Relations

Williamson supports creating a United States Department of Peace. This department would help with peace-building efforts around the world. She believes the U.S. should use military force only when a NATO ally is threatened, when the U.S. is in danger, or when global humanitarian order is at risk.

She supported taking all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. She also supports rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is a nuclear agreement with Iran. Williamson supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Personal Life

Williamson's older brother, Peter, became an immigration lawyer like their father. Her father and her mother's parents were Russian Jewish immigrants. Her grandfather changed his last name to Williamson. Williamson describes herself as a "Jewish woman."

She was briefly married in 1979. In 1990, she had a daughter. In 2006, a Newsweek poll named her one of the 50 most influential baby boomers. As of 2023, Williamson lives in Washington, D.C.

Charity Work

Williamson, 2014

Since the 1980s, Williamson has run charities based on the ideas from A Course in Miracles.

Centers for Living

In 1987, Williamson started the Center for Living. She was inspired by a friend who was battling breast cancer. The Center helped people with HIV/AIDS, especially gay men, who were often turned away by other groups. The Center offered services like housework help, meditation, massage, and emotional support.

In 1989, Williamson opened a second Center for Living in New York City. Williamson later stepped down from her role at the Centers in 1992.

Project Angel Food

In 1989, Williamson launched Project Angel Food. This program, part of The Centers for Living, supported HIV/AIDS patients. By 1992, it was delivering almost 400 hot meals a day to people with AIDS who were homebound in Los Angeles.

Williamson resigned from Project Angel Food in March 1992. The organization faced some challenges after she left but continued its work. By 1998, it had over 1,500 volunteers. As of 2018, it delivered 12,000 meals weekly. Williamson remains a trustee of the organization.

Williamson helped gay men who felt alone and unloved. She attended funerals, drove men to their doctors, and helped pay for their AIDS medication. She has denied accusations that she told gay men not to take medication for AIDS or that they deserved the disease.

The Peace Alliance

In 1998, Williamson co-founded the Global Renaissance Alliance (GSA). This group created "citizen salons" where people could pray for national growth and peace. In 2004, the GSA changed its name to The Peace Alliance. Its new goal was to educate and advocate for peace-building approaches to conflicts. The Peace Alliance encouraged people to contact their government representatives directly.

"Sister Giant" Conferences

In 2010, Williamson started "Sister Giant." This was a series of conferences to talk about "transformational politics." It aimed to encourage more women to run for political office. In 2012, Yale University's Women's Campaign School partnered with the series. They focused on how to better address social issues like child poverty and campaign finance reform.

RESULTS Organization

For several years until 2017, Williamson was a board member of Results Educational Fund (RESULTS). This is a nonprofit charity that works to find long-term solutions to poverty. It focuses on the root causes of poverty. Its sister organization, Results Inc., encourages people to lobby their elected officials. This group works directly with Congress to shape anti-poverty policies. The organization has 100 local chapters in the U.S. and is active in six other countries.

Books by Marianne Williamson

A Return to Love (1992)
A Woman's Worth (1992)
Illuminata: A Return to Prayer (1994)
The Healing of America (1994)
Emma & Mommy Talk to God (1996)
Enchanted Love: The Mystical Power of Intimate Relationships (1999)
Imagine What America Could Be in the 21st Century: Visions of a Better Future from Leading American Thinkers (2000)
Healing the Soul of America: Reclaiming Our Voices as Spiritual Citizens (2000)
Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness, And Making Miracles (2002)
The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for Living Your Best Life (2004)
A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever (2010)
The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money and Miracles (2014)
Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment (2016)
A Politics of Love: A Handbook for a New American Revolution (2019)
The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love (2023)

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