Sabrina Sojourner facts for kids

Sabrina Sojourner, born on October 23, 1952, is an American politician. She was a Shadow Representative for the District of Columbia from January 1997 to 1999. She was the third person to hold this position. Sojourner served one term and is a member of the Democratic Party.

The role of Shadow Representative is different from a regular member of Congress. It was created by the District of Columbia's government. This means the United States Congress does not officially recognize it. Sojourner was elected to this role in 1997 with a large majority of the votes.

Early Life and Education

Sabrina Sojourner was born in Texas. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. She briefly attended California State University, Stanislaus.

In 1976, Sojourner earned a bachelor's degree. She studied technical theater and Black theater history at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Later, she received a master's degree from Maryland University of Integrative Health. Her master's degree focused on leadership and social change. She also studied law for a short time in the early 1980s.

Political Career

Sojourner first thought about running for public office in the late 1970s. This was after she met Harvey Milk, a famous politician.

In 1990, she moved to Washington, D.C. She took a job directing a program for the National Organization for Women. In this role, she worked as a lobbyist. Lobbyists try to convince lawmakers to support certain issues. Sojourner focused on issues important to women. After this, she worked for Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

From 1992 to 1996, she was a member of the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee. She was later elected to this committee. Soon after, she was elected as D.C.'s Shadow congressperson. In this position, she worked hard to get D.C. recognized as a state. She wanted D.C. citizens to have full voting rights in Congress.

Sojourner's work in Congress focused on several important topics. These included civil rights and education. She also worked on support for people affected by HIV/AIDS in the D.C. area. She led a council that planned health services for them. Her main job as Shadow Representative was to ask Congress to give D.C. full federal representation.

In 1994 and 1998, she received an award for her political activism. This award was from the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum.

Personal Life

Sabrina Sojourner is an open member of the LGBT community. She shared this part of her identity in 1976. She lives with her partner, Letitia Gomez. Sojourner is also a writer.

Sojourner is Jewish. She works as a chaplain and a hazzan. A hazzan is a leader in Jewish prayer. She serves as a spiritual guide for an independent living community. She also helps Jewish families in the Washington, D.C. area. She leads ceremonies that traditional clergy might not. She received special training for her spiritual leadership role.

She currently lives in Rockville, Maryland.

Electoral History

See Also

• Shadow congressperson
• Political party strength in Washington, D.C.