Deborah Santana

{{Infobox person

| name = Deborah Santana

| image = Deborah_Santana.jpg

| alt = Deborah Santana in 2019, wearing a floral top

| caption = Santana in 2019

| birth_name = Deborah Sara King

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|01|30|mf=y}}

| birth_place = San Francisco, California, United States

| alma_mater = California Institute of Integral Studies (MA)

| occupation = {{hlist|Author|Business Manager|Activist}}

| spouse = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|Carlos Santana|1973|2007|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|Carl Lumbly|2015|2019|reason=divorced}}}}

| children = 3; including Salvador Santana

| father = Saunders King

| website = {{URL|deborahsantana.com}}

}}

Deborah Sara Santana (née King, born January 30, 1951) is a peace and social justice activist for women and people of color, business manager and author. She is the former wife of musician Carlos Santana.{{Cite web|date=1 November 2007|title=Carlos, Deborah Santana divorcing after 34 years|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2007/11/01/carlos-deborah-santana-divorcing-after-34-years/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=The Mercury News|language=en-US}}

Early life and education

Santana is the daughter of the blues musician Saunders King{{Cite web|last=Meisfjord|first=Tom|date=29 May 2020|title=The Truth About Carlos Santana's Wives|url=https://www.grunge.com/213522/the-truth-about-carlos-santanas-wives/|access-date=9 September 2021|website=Grunge.com|language=en-US}} and Jo Frances King (née Willis).{{Cite web|title=Jo Frances King Obituary (2006) Marin Independent Journal|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/marinij/name/jo-king-obituary?pid=17867520|access-date=11 September 2021|website=Legacy.com}} Santana graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies and holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy and Religion with a Concentration in Women's Spirituality.{{Cite web|title=Deborah Santana|url=http://www.ciis.edu/academics/graduate-programs/womens-spirituality/graduate-outcomes/deborah-santana|access-date=4 August 2021|publisher=California Institute of Integral Studies|language=en}}

Career

From 1994 to 2007, Santana was vice-president and COO of Santana Management, which involved working in management of her husband's band.{{Cite web|title=Deborah Santana|url=https://yourywca.org/honorees/deborah-santana/|access-date=17 August 2021|website=YWCA|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Mulrooney|first=C. Delia|title=An Interview with Deborah Santana|url=https://literarymama.com/articles/departments/2006/03/deborah-santana|access-date=17 August 2021|website=Literary Mama|language=en-US}}

=Philanthropy=

As a philanthropist, Santana founded Do a Little, a non-profit which seeks to empower children and underprivileged women, in 2008.{{Cite web|date=26 October 2016|title='My Passion, My Philanthropy': Deborah Santana Carries Forward Stewardship Tradition|url=https://womensenews.org/2016/10/my-passion-my-philanthropy-deborah-santana-carries-forward-stewardship-tradition/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=Women's eNews|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Danflous|first=Patricia|title=Do a Little, Make a Big Difference|url=https://www.mcall.com/health/mc-inspire-health-do-a-little-make-a-big-difference-story.html|access-date=4 August 2021|website=mcall.com|date=30 October 2014 }}{{Cite web|title=Interview with Deborah Santana|url=https://mariaramoschertok.com/interview-with-deborah-santana/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=mariaramoschertok.com}} Santana has also served as a trustee for ANSA (Artists for a New South Africa) and the Smithsonian Institution. She is on the board of directors of the Violence Intervention program in Los Angeles and is a First Century Leader of the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, and a Member of the Smithsonian National Education Outreach Working Group for the Smithsonian Under Secretary for Education.{{Cite web|date=16 January 2018|title=About|url=https://womenshistory.si.edu/about|access-date=4 August 2021|website=Smithsonian American Women's History|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Leadership|url=https://violenceinterventionprogram.org/about-vip/leadership/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=Violence Intervention Program|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Violence Intervention Program|url=https://violenceinterventionprogram.org/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=Violence Intervention Program|language=en-US}} Santana is also a founding donor of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.{{Cite web|date=1 July 2016|title=Founding Donors|url=https://nmaahc.si.edu/about/founding-donors|access-date=4 August 2021|website=National Museum of African American History and Culture|language=en}}

In 2005, Santana published Space Between the Stars: My Journey to an Open Heart, a memoir detailing her biracial upbringing as a child of African-American and European-American parents, and her marriage to Carlos.{{Cite web|last=Lara|first=Adair|date=22 November 2004|title=With a memoir, Deborah Santana emerges from Carlos' shadow|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/With-a-memoir-Deborah-Santana-emerges-from-2634505.php|access-date=4 August 2021|website=SFGATE|language=en-US}} In 2018, Santana edited and co-published the anthology All the Women in My Family Sing: Women Write the World: Essays on Equality, Justice, and Freedom (Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God), a collection of poems and stories written by 69 women of color.{{Cite book|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/deborah-santana/all-the-women-in-my-family-sing/|title=ALL THE WOMEN IN MY FAMILY SING {{!}} Kirkus Reviews|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=12 February 2018|title=Author Talk: Deborah Santana|url=https://marinmagazine.com/arts-events/books-talks/author-talk-deborah-santana/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=Marin Magazine|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Rhor|first=Monica|date=27 March 2018|title=Anthology by Deborah Santana celebrates strength, resilience of women of color|url=https://www.chron.com/life/article/Anthology-by-Deborah-Santana-celebrates-strength-12784554.php|access-date=4 August 2021|website=Chron|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=10 May 2018|title=All the Women in My Family Sing: Interview with Deborah Santana|url=https://missheardmedia.com/all-the-women-in-my-family-sing-interview-with-deborah-santana/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=MissHeard Media|language=en-US}} She has also contributed to the anthologies Tutu As I Know Him: On a Personal Note (2006), Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God (2012), Life Moments for Women (2012), and 20 Years - Chokecherries Anniversary Edition (2013).{{Cite web|title=Works|url=https://www.deborahsantana.com/works|access-date=4 August 2021|website=Deborah Santana|language=en-US}}

Santana is credited as a producer on five short documentary films focusing on the Daraja Academy, a free secondary boarding school for high performing girls in need in Kenya, and the work of non-profit partners in South Africa.{{Cite web|title=Deborah Santana – iVOW|date=23 December 2016 |url=https://voicesofwomen.org/podcasts/deborah-santana/|access-date=9 September 2021|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=McClain|first=James|date=28 May 2020|title=Deborah Santana Goes Way Mod in Los Angeles|url=https://variety.com/2020/dirt/showbiz/deborah-santana-goes-way-mod-in-los-angeles-1234618852/|access-date=10 September 2021|website=Variety|language=en-US}} Four of these films were directed by Emmy Award-winner Barbara Rick.{{Cite web|last=Rick|first=Barbara|date=3 September 2014|title=Celebrating Kathy|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/celebrating-kathy_b_5736968|access-date=10 September 2021|website=HuffPost|language=en}} Santana continues to support the Daraja Academy both financially and by using her celebrity to bring awareness.{{Cite web|last=Yayoi|date=8 June 2014|title=Deborah Santana Host to Benefit Daraja Academy|url=http://eeworldnews.com/deborah-santana-host-to-benefit-daraja-academy/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=The Experience Magazine|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=21 August 2019|title=Donor Desk: Deborah Santana|url=https://sff.org/donor-desk-deborah-santana/|access-date=9 September 2021|website=The San Francisco Foundation|language=en}}

Santana is a lead investor of the Courage Museum, opening in San Francisco in 2025. The Courage Museum is a world-class immersive educational program that will be a bold new platform for public education, inspiration, and action, a place where individuals are informed and equipped with tools to rethink violence and advance concrete change.{{Cite web |last=Katsuyama |first=Jana |date=2023-03-02 |title=Stanford assault victim joins others in sharing stories for future Courage Museum |url=https://www.ktvu.com/news/stanford-assault-victim |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=KTVU FOX 2 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=The Courage Museum: An Immersive Learning Center to Prevent Violence - Futures Without Violence |url=https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/the-courage-museum/ |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=Futures Without Violence |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Giving List |date=2021-10-04 |title=A Bold, Living Monument to a Future Without Violence |url=https://www.givinglistbayarea.com/2021/10/04/a-bold-living-monument-to-a-future-without-violence/ |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=The Giving List |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Courage Museum Home |url=https://couragemuseum.org/ |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=Courage Museum |language=en-US}}

Personal life

Santana has three children with Carlos Santana, whom she married in 1973 and divorced in 2007.{{Cite web|last=Rees|first=Caroline|date=12 December 2014|title=Carlos Santana: my family values|url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/12/carlos-santana-my-family-values|access-date=4 August 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en}} Salvador Santana is a songwriter, band leader, and instrumentalist;{{Cite web|last=Aguado|first=E. J.|date=14 December 2016|title=Salvador Santana, Son of that Famous Guitarist, Carves His Own Musical Path|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/salvador-santana-son-of-that-famous-guitarist-carves-his-own-musical-path|access-date=4 August 2021|website=Fox News|language=en-US}} Stella Santana, a singer/songwriter/performer;{{Cite web|date=28 July 2015|title=Meet Stella, Daughter of Carlos Santana, An R&B Singer-Songwriter On The Rise|url=https://remezcla.com/features/music/stella-santana-interview/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=Remezcla|language=en-US}} and Angelica Santana, a writer, archivist, and film producer.{{Cite web|title=Meet Later Mom Deborah Santana (Interview by Robin Gorman Newman)|url=https://motherhoodlater.com/meet-later-mom-deborah-santana-interview-by-robin-gorman-newman/|access-date=4 August 2021|website=MotherhoodLater.com}}

Santana married actor Carl Lumbly in 2015 and the couple divorced in 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://www.deborahsantana.com/blog/gratitude/carl-lumbly |title=Carl Lumbly |date=January 1, 2016 |website=deborahsantana.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405073152/https://www.deborahsantana.com/blog/gratitude/carl-lumbly |archive-date=April 5, 2019}}