Sister Souljah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sister Souljah
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Sister Souljah at the Miami Book Fair International on November 21, 2015
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Lisa Williamson
1964 (age 60–61) The Bronx, New York, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Author |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) | Mike Rich |
| Children | 1 |
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Lisa Williamson (born in 1964), known as Sister Souljah, is an American author, activist, rapper, and film producer. She is well-known for her powerful writing and her work helping communities.
In 1992, she became widely known when Bill Clinton, who was running to become the President of the United States, spoke out against some of her comments about race. This event led to the phrase "Sister Souljah moment". This phrase describes when a politician publicly disagrees with an extreme idea or person, even if they are from their own political group.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sister Souljah was born in The Bronx, New York. She shared in her book No Disrespect that she grew up in a family that faced poverty. When she was 10, her family moved to Englewood, New Jersey. This town had a large African-American community and was home to other famous artists.
Schooling and Learning
Sister Souljah felt that American schools did not teach enough about African history and culture. She believed that all students, no matter their background, needed to learn this history. To learn more, she read many books about African history on her own.
She attended Dwight Morrow High School from 1978 to 1981. During her teenage years, she earned several awards. She won a contest that gave her a scholarship to attend a summer program at Cornell University.
College Years and Activism
While in college, Sister Souljah traveled a lot. She visited countries like Britain, France, Spain, and Russia. She also gained real-world experience by working in a medical center in Zimbabwe and helping refugee children from Mozambique. She also traveled to South Africa and Zambia.
She graduated from Rutgers University with two main subjects: American History and African Studies. She became a strong voice on campus and wrote for the school newspaper. She helped lead a campaign to bring Jesse Jackson to Rutgers. He spoke against the university's investments in companies that supported apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of racial separation. Sister Souljah and other students successfully convinced the university to stop these investments. They also helped the state of New Jersey stop its investments in apartheid-era South Africa.
In 1985, she started working for Reverend Benjamin Chavis. She spent three years creating programs like the African Survival Camp. This was a summer camp for children from homeless families. She also became a leader for the National African Youth-Student Alliance. She spoke out against racist violence, such as the incidents at Howard Beach and the murder of Yusuf Hawkins.
Career Highlights
Sister Souljah has had a varied career as a recording artist, author, and community leader.
Recording Artist
Sister Souljah was a guest on several songs with the hip-hop group Public Enemy. She later became a full member of the group. In 1992, she released her only album, 360 Degrees of Power.
The "Sister Souljah Moment" Explained
In 1992, during an interview about the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Sister Souljah made a controversial statement. This statement was widely reported and criticized. Bill Clinton, who was running for president, publicly criticized her comments. He also criticized Jesse Jackson for having her involved in his group.
This event led to the creation of the phrase "Sister Souljah moment". This phrase describes when a politician publicly distances themselves from extreme or controversial views. It is often done to show that the politician is moderate or reasonable.
Author and Storyteller
In 1994, Sister Souljah published her memoir called No Disrespect. A memoir is a book about a person's own life experiences.
In 1999, she wrote her first novel, The Coldest Winter Ever. This book became very popular and helped make a type of writing called street literature more well-known. Sister Souljah's books have appeared on The New York Times Bestseller List multiple times. A sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever, titled Life After Death, was published in 2021.
She also wrote Midnight: A Gangster Love Story, which came out in 2008. This book tells the background story of a character named Midnight, who first appeared in The Coldest Winter Ever. It quickly became a bestseller. She wrote two more Midnight novels: Midnight and the Meaning of Love (2011) and A Moment of Silence (2015). These books follow Midnight's journey as he tries to find his way while in prison.
Another book, A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story, was published in 2013.
All of Sister Souljah's novels explore important ideas like faith, love, and honesty. Many of her books are popular in prison libraries. She has worked with Black and Nobel, a website that sends books to prisons. Her work has also been mentioned in popular TV shows like Orange Is the New Black.
She also writes articles for Essence Magazine and The New Yorker.
Community Activist
Sister Souljah has organized many programs to help communities. In 1985, she created the African Youth Survival Camp. This was a six-week summer camp for children from families experiencing homelessness. This program ran for over three years.
She has also inspired many hip-hop artists to give back to their communities. She has organized youth events, programs, and summer camps with musicians like Lauryn Hill, Doug E. Fresh, and Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Souljah was very active in protests against racial unfairness, police brutality, and the lack of good education for young people in cities. She held concerts and protests in New York City, supported by many famous rappers.
For seven years, Sister Souljah was the executive director of Daddy's House Social Programs Inc. This was a non-profit group for urban youth, funded by Sean "Diddy" Combs. Daddy's House helped young people aged 10 to 16 learn about academics, culture, and managing money. Students in the program also earned support to travel around the world.
Personal Life
Sister Souljah is married to Mike Rich. They have one son.
Discography
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360 Degrees of Power
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