|
AS MUCH AS WE APPRECIATE THE POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM
THIS STORY, WE ARE NOT SISTA SOULJAH'S WEBSITE; SO PLEASE STOP EMAILING
US, WE WILL POST THE EMAIL ADDRESS WHEN WE CAN.
Activist, Writer, and Rapper Sister Souljah was born
Lisa Williamson in 1964 in the Bronx, New York.
Born
into poverty and raised on welfare Sister Souljah knew what it was like
to be underprivileged. She decided at a very young age to overcome her
situation but never forget the circumstances that brought her and many
others in her community to this some point. As a student she was excellent
but disliked what she was being taught in school. She felt that she
was being taught very little of her history. So she took a very active
and special interest in learning everything she could about African
history. Which she felt was purposely left out of the education curriculum
in this country. While in high school, she interned in the House of
Representatives for the Republican Party.
Sister Souljah was also the recipient of several honors during her
teenage years. She won the American Legion's Constitutional Oratory
Contest, A scholarship to attend Cornell University's Advanced Summer
Program, and a chance to study aboard in Spain at the University of
Salamanca. All before the age of 18, after which she attended Rutgers's
University and double-majored in American History and African Studies.
She became a well-known and outspoken voice on campus and active writer
for the school paper. In the mid 1980's, while attending college, Reverend
Benjamin Chavis of the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial
Justice offered her a job. She spent the next three years developing,
organizing, and financing programs like a sleep away camp called the
African Survival Camp, located in Enfield, North Carolina for homeless
families. Throughout the 1990's Sister Souljah continued her commitment
to social injustice but it began to take a controversial stance.
As
a political activist, Sister Souljah became angered by the condition
of African people thought the entire world. Her strong dedication and
reputation for being opinionated about this subject tended to get her
into trouble. One such incident occurred in 1992, when Candidate for
President, Bill Clinton admonished Sister Souljah at a Rainbow Coalition
event for comments she made on her rap album 360 Degrees of Power. However,
Sister Souljah has preserved and stays an activist for the people always.
She even added the title of author to her resume having published two
books No Disrespect and the NY Times bestseller The Coldest Winter Ever.
She
is also the executive director of Bad Boy Records CEO, Sean "Puffy"
Combs, non-profit organization for kids called Daddy's House. The program
serves over 600 kids from ages 6 to 16 from the inner city neighborhoods
of New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. By providing them with educational
and mentor opportunities. She was also one of the speakers at the 1997
Million Women March in Philadelphia. At the age of 36 Sister Souljah
has come full circle and doesn't plan on turning back.
|