Santita Jackson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Santita Jackson
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Jackson performing in July 2024
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| Born | July 17, 1963 |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Parent(s) | Jesse Jackson Jacqueline Jackson |
| Relatives | Jesse Jr. (brother) Jonathan (brother) |
Santita Jackson was born on July 17, 1963. She is an American singer and also shares her opinions on political topics. Santita is from Chicago, Illinois. As a singer, she traveled with famous artist Roberta Flack. She also sang the National Anthem when Bill Clinton became president for the second time.
Santita Jackson has been on the Fox News Channel. She also hosts her own TV show on The Word Network. Interestingly, Santita went to high school with Michelle Obama. She was even Michelle Obama's maid of honor at her wedding to Barack Obama in 1992.
Growing Up and School
Santita Jackson was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1963. She is the oldest daughter of Jacqueline Lavinia Brown Jackson and the well-known civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson. Santita grew up in Chicago with her brothers and sister. Her siblings are Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, and Jacqueline.
Santita went to John J. Pershing Elementary School. She then attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago. She was a very smart student and became a National Merit Scholar. This means she was recognized for her excellent test scores.
College Choices
When Santita was applying to Harvard University, she faced some challenges. Two people who interviewed her for the school criticized her father's political views. Even though she was accepted to Harvard, she felt it wasn't the right place for her after that interview.
Instead, Santita went to Howard University. She received a full scholarship because of her excellent grades. While at Howard, she joined the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. After college, Santita worked as an assistant for Gus Savage, who was a congressman from Illinois.
Her Music Career
Soon after finishing college, Santita Jackson moved to New York. She wanted to follow her dream of becoming a singer. For more than five years, she toured as a backup singer for the famous artist Roberta Flack. Later, she also performed with the Opera Ebony company.
In 1996, Santita was asked to sing at the funeral of Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. She performed alongside Wynton Marsalis and the Howard University Chorale. The next year, in 1997, Santita sang the National Anthem. This was at President Bill Clinton's second presidential inauguration ceremony.
In 2009, Santita released her first music project. It was called Put Your Arms Around the World. She worked on this project with songwriter Janice Kapp Perry. Other people involved were vocalist Chris Willis and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch.
