Sabrina Sojourner

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Sabrina Sojourner

|office = Shadow Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from the District of Columbia's at-large district

|term_start = January 3, 1997

|term_end = January 3, 1999

|predecessor = John Capozzi

|successor = Tom Bryant Jr.

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|10|23}}

|birth_place =

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|education = University of California, Santa Barbara (BA)
Maryland University of Integrative Health (MA)

}}

Sabrina Sojourner (born October 23, 1952){{cite web |title=Sabrina Sojourner, Washington, D.C., 1994 · Out and Elected in the USA: 1974-2004 · OutHistory: It's About Time |url=http://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/out-and-elected/1994/sabrina-sojourner |website=outhistory.org |publisher=Out History.org |access-date=10 May 2020 |archive-date=2 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002183634/http://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/out-and-elected/1994/sabrina-sojourner |url-status=live }} is an American politician who previously served as the District of Columbia's Shadow Representative for the at-large district from January 1997 until 1999,{{cite web |last1=Benning |first1=Victoria |title=Calling for Equality to Begin at Home |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/03/22/calling-for-equality-to-begin-at-home/d69f4311-99e3-4214-8eb6-84956e1c9422/ |website=Washington Post Archive |access-date=10 May 2020 |date=22 March 1999 |archive-date=28 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828024847/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/03/22/calling-for-equality-to-begin-at-home/d69f4311-99e3-4214-8eb6-84956e1c9422/ |url-status=live }}{{cite book |title=District of Columbia appropriations for 1998 : hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, first session |date=1998 |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |isbn=9780160570261 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JsBqjE2-U0MC |access-date=2020-09-20 |archive-date=2022-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418064636/https://books.google.com/books?id=JsBqjE2-U0MC |url-status=live }} the third individual in the position, preceded by John Capozzi. She served a single term as Shadow Representative, not seeking reelection in 1999.{{cite news |title=WashingtonPost.com: D.C. Voters' Guide '98 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/dcelections/races/dcsr.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |quote=The representative is an advocate for District statehood. Sabrina Sojourner is the incumbent, but she is not seeking reelection. |access-date=2020-05-24 |archive-date=2000-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001007020041/http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/dcelections/races/dcsr.htm |url-status=live }} Sojourner is a member of the Democratic Party.

Unlike the non-voting delegate seat, held by representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, the position was created on behalf of the District of Columbia's government and thus is not recognized by the United States Congress. Sojourner was elected to the seat in 1997 at 83% of the vote.{{cite book |last1=Yeager |first1=Kenneth S. |title=Trailblazers : profiles of America's gay and lesbian elected officials |date=2019 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317712305 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zwekDwAAQBAJ |access-date=10 May 2020 |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214022752/https://books.google.com/books?id=zwekDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}

Early life and education

Sojourner was born in Texas but grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She briefly attended California State University, Stanislaus, but got married when she was 18 and gave birth to her son, Chris, at 19. Sojourner was subject to physical abuse by her former husband before they separated two years later. Upon leaving the marriage, she chose the name "Sabrina Sojourner" for herself.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-24 |title=Sabrina Sojourner: Spiritual Soprano |url=https://forward.com/news/480006/sabrina-sojourner-spiritual-soprano/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=The Forward |language=en}}

In 1976, Sojourner received a bachelor's degree in technical theater and Black theater history from University of California, Santa Barbara and a master's degree in transformative leadership and social change from Maryland University of Integrative Health.{{Cite news |last=Kahn |first=Benjamin |date=November 2, 2021 |title=Facilitating Important Conversations with Sabrina Sojourner |url=https://www.washingtonjewishweek.com/facilitating-important-conversations-with-sabrina-sojourner/ |access-date=March 4, 2025 |work=Washington Jewish Week}} She briefly attended law school in the early 1980s.

Political history

Sojourner first considered running for public office shortly after meeting Harvey Milk in the late 1970s.

In 1990, she accepted a position directing the National Organization for Women's diversity program and moved to Washington, D.C. and served as a lobbyist promoting women's issues.{{cite web |last1=Komaysky |first1=Andrej |last2=Komaysky |first2=Matt |title=Famous GLTB - Sabrina Sojourner |url=http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bios4/sojour01.html |website=andrejkoymasky.com |publisher=Matt & Andrej Komaysky |access-date=2020-05-24 |archive-date=2022-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418064637/http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bios4/sojour01.html |url-status=live }} She then worked as the legislative aide to Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

From 1992 to 1996, she served as a ex officio member of the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee and was subsequently elected to the committee as an at-large member. Shorty thereafter, she was elected D.C.'s Shadow congressperson, a position in which she lobbied for D.C. statehood and advocated for full Constitutional standing.

Sojourner's Congressional history primarily focused on gay and lesbian participation in the military, substance abuse, civil rights, police brutality, education, and domestic violence. She also focused on HIV/AIDS support for affected individuals in the D.C area and chaired the Metropolitan Washington Regional HIV Health Services Planning Council.{{cite book |title=Scientific Workshop on Lesbian Health 2000: Steps for Implementing the IOM Report |date=2000 |publisher=Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health |page=A-27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gKYJogVwRZQC |access-date=24 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=18 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418064637/https://books.google.com/books?id=gKYJogVwRZQC |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Sabrina Sojourner |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=61299 |website=www.ourcampaigns.com |publisher=Our Campaigns |access-date=24 May 2020 |archive-date=21 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021015310/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=61299 |url-status=live }} Sojourner's main duty as D.C.'s sole Shadow Representative was to lobby congress in passing full federal representation for the District, citing the Tennessee Plan as evidence to elevate the status of D.C.'s citizens.{{cite book |title=Successes in Urban Problem-solving, Mayoral Perspectives: Joint Hearing Before the Subcommittees on the District of Columbia of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight and the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives ... One Hundred Fifth Congress, First Session, March 11, 1997 |date=1997 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |isbn=978-0-16-055347-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_Z2D7IV0RUC |access-date=24 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=18 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418064637/https://books.google.com/books?id=D_Z2D7IV0RUC |url-status=live }}

In 1994 and 1998, she received the Bayard Rustin Political Activism Award from the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum.{{Cite journal |date=February 1994 |title=BGLLF Names Honorees, Sets Speakers |url=https://edan.si.edu/slideshow/viewer/?damspath=/Public_Sets/NMAAHC/NMAAHC_Slideshows/2018_108_40 |journal=BLK_(magazine) |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=27}}

Personal life

Sojourner is an open member of the LGBT community, who came out in 1976. She currently lives with her domestic partner Letitia Gomez.{{cite news |last1=Hamilton |first1=Martha |title=Washingtonpost.com: Retirement |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/longterm/retirement/oct99/story3.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=10 May 2020 |archive-date=12 February 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020212040952/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/longterm/retirement/oct99/story3.htm |url-status=live }} Sojourner also served as an author and poet, writing a poetry collection titled Psychic Scars and Other Mad Thoughts.{{cite web |title=Psychic Scars, and Other Mad Thoughts: Poems... {{!}} LGBTQ+ Library {{!}} TinyCat |url=https://www.librarycat.org/lib/iuglbtlibrary/item/84902647 |website=IUB LGBTQ+ Library |publisher=TinyCat |access-date=24 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=18 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418064638/https://www.librarycat.org/lib/iuglbtlibrary/item/84902647 |url-status=live }}

Sojourner is Jewish and is a chaplain and hazzan who serves as the spiritual leader at an independent living community and serves unaffiliated Jewish families in the greater Washington, D.C. area, "presiding at interfaith marriages and other ceremonies that more traditional clergy may refuse."{{Cite web |title=Sabrina Sojourner |url=https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/sojourner-sabrina |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=Jewish Women's Archive |language=en}} She received training at the Davvenen' Leadership Training Institute, part of the Jewish Renewal movement.

She lives in Rockville, MD.

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change| title=D.C. Shadow Representative Election (1996){{cite web |title=District of Columbia Board of Elections - November 15 General Election |url=https://www.dcboe.org/Elections/Election-Results-Archives/Election-Year-1996/November-5-General-Election |website=www.dcboe.org |publisher=DC Board of Elections |access-date=2020-05-24 |archive-date=2020-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922175349/https://www.dcboe.org/Elections/Election-Results-Archives/Election-Year-1996/November-5-General-Election |url-status=live }}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Sabrina Sojourner

|votes = 111,413

|percentage = 83.37

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Gloria R. Corn

|votes = 20,240

|percentage = 15.15

}}