Marianne Williamson
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Marianne Deborah Williamson (born July 8, 1952) is an American author, speaker, and political activist. She began her professional career as a spiritual leader of the Church of Today, a
Unity Church Unity is a spiritual organization founded by Charles Fillmore (Unity Church), Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1889. It grew out of Transcendentalism and became part of the New Thought movement. Unity may be best known for its ''Daily Word'' devot ...
in
Warren, Michigan Warren is a city in Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Warren borders Detroit to the north, roughly north of downtown Detroit. The population was 139,387 at the ...
. Williamson has written several
self-help Self-help or self-improvement is "a focus on self-guided, in contrast to professionally guided, efforts to cope with life problems" —economically, physically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. When ...
books, including '' A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles'' in 1992, which became a ''New York Times'' Best Seller. She rose to prominence through frequent appearances on Oprah Winfrey's show, and becoming known as her "spiritual advisor". Williamson ran unsuccessfully as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
for
California's 33rd congressional district California's 33rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by . From January 3, 2023, following the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district centered on San Bernar ...
in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
in 2014, finishing fourth with 13.2% of the vote. She ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, eventually dropping out and endorsing
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
. She ran in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries, challenging incumbent President
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
. Williamson's presidential platform calls for an end to the war on drugs, a federal minimum wage increase, reparations for racial injustice, addressing
climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
, and creating a U.S. Department of Peace. On February 7, 2024, she announced she had suspended her campaign after receiving 2.9% of the vote in the Nevada Democratic primary, but on February 28, 2024, Williamson re-entered the presidential race after placing third in the Michigan Democratic primary, receiving 3% of the vote. However, on June 11, 2024, Williamson suspended her campaign. On July 2, 2024, Williamson re-entered the presidential race amidst calls for Biden to drop out after his June 27 debate performance, before later dropping out again on July 29. She announced her bid for DNC chair on December 26, 2024. Williamson has been actively involved with charity work, founding such organizations as Center for Living in 1987,
Project Angel Food Project Angel Food is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Los Angeles County which provides free meals for people too sick to shop and cook for themselves. Project Angel Food serves the majority of Los Angeles County; South Los Angeles and Metro ...
in 1989, and the
Peace Alliance The Peace Alliance is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that works on domestic and international peace building. The organization organizes Peace Alliance Action Teams within state congressional districts and also a Student Peac ...
in 1998. She sits on the board for
RESULTS A result is the outcome of an event. Result or Results may also refer to: Music * Results (album), ''Results'' (album), a 1989 album by Liza Minnelli * ''Results'', a 2012 album by Murder Construct * "The Result", a single by The Upsetters * "The ...
, a nonprofit group which is dedicated to finding long-term solutions to
poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...
.


Early life and education

Marianne Deborah Williamson was born in
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, on July 8, 1952. She is the youngest of three children of Samuel "Sam" Williamson, a
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
veteran and immigration lawyer, and Sophie Ann Kaplan, a homemaker and community volunteer. Williamson was raised in an upper-middle-class family that practiced
Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, also known as Masorti Judaism, is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish religious movement that regards the authority of Jewish law and tradition as emanating primarily from the assent of the people through the generations ...
. Her family attended Congregation Beth Yeshurun. She learned about world religions and
social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
at home and became interested in public advocacy when she saw her rabbi speak against the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. In 1965, after Williamson came home from school in the seventh grade, she recounted to her parents that her teacher supported the Vietnam War. Her father reacted by taking the family to Vietnam to help explain to Marianne why he thought that the war was wrong. She has said that through travel she "had an experience, at a young age, that people are the same everywhere." Williamson attended Houston ISD's Bellaire High School. After graduating, she spent two years studying theater and philosophy at
Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists ...
in
Claremont, California Claremont () is a suburban city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of Los Angeles. It lies in the Pomona Valley at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census it had ...
, where she was a roommate of future film producer Lynda Obst. In 1973, Williamson dropped out of college and lived "a nomadic existence" during what she calls "her wasted decade". Williamson moved to
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, where she took classes at the
University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; ) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's second oldest university, a flagship university in th ...
and lived in a
geodesic dome A geodesic dome is a hemispherical thin-shell structure (lattice-shell) based on a geodesic polyhedron. The rigid triangular elements of the dome distribute stress throughout the structure, making geodesic domes able to withstand very heavy ...
with her boyfriend. The couple broke up a year later. Marianne then moved to
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, where she took classes at the
University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...
. After leaving Texas, she went to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, intending to pursue a career as a
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
singer; however, she has stated that she was distracted by "bad boys and good dope". ''Vanity Fair'' wrote that Williamson "spent her twenties in a growing state of
existential despair Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and valu ...
." In New York, Williamson suffered from deep depression following the end of a relationship. She has said that this experience gave rise to a desire to spend the rest of her life helping people.


''A Course in Miracles''

Although initially uninterested due to her Jewish faith, Williamson developed an interest in
Helen Schucman Helen Cohn Schucman (born Helen Dora Cohn, July 14, 1909 – February 9, 1981) was an American clinical psychologist and research psychologist. She was a professor of medical psychology at Columbia University in New York City, New York from 1958 ...
's book ''
A Course in Miracles ''A Course in Miracles'' (also referred to as ''ACIM'') is a 1976 book by Helen Schucman. The underlying premise is that the greatest "miracle" is the act of simply gaining a full "awareness of love's presence" in a person's life. Schucman ...
'' in 1976. She explored spirituality,
metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of ...
, and
meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...
as she began reading the ''Course'' "passionately". She also reconciled the ''Course'' with her
Jewishness Jewish identity is the objective or subjective sense of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. It encompasses elements of nationhood, "The Jews are a nation and were so before there was a Jewish state of Israel" "Jews are ...
; in her view, "A conversion to Christ is not a
conversion to Christianity Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person that brings about changes in what sociologists refer to as the convert's "root reality" including their social behaviors, thinking and ethics. The sociol ...
. It is a conversion to a conviction of the heart". Williamson said the book was her "path out of hell", as she had been "mired in a series of unhappy love affairs, alcohol and drug abuse, a
nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...
, and endless sessions with therapists." The ''Course'' has often been described as a
religion Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...
or pseudoreligion. Williamson disagrees, describing it as a "spiritual psychotherapy" instead of a religion.


Career

In 1979, Williamson returned to Houston, where she ran a
metaphysical Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of h ...
bookstore coffee shop, sang Gershwin standards in a
nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...
, got married and
divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...
d "almost immediately", and underwent a "spiritual surrender". In 1983, Williamson had what she has called a "flash" to close the coffee shop and move to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. She got an apartment in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
, where her roommate was 17-year-old
Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born ...
. Dern has stated that Williamson "held prayer groups in our living room." Williamson's teachings stemmed from an inspirational message: "Divine love is the core and essence of every human mind." She saw this message as a remedy to misinterpretations of
the Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writte ...
that, through an emphasis on
sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...
and guilt, could lead to
harm Harm is a morality, moral and law, legal concept with multiple definitions. It generally functions as a synonym for evil or anything that is bad under certain moral systems. Something that causes harm is harmful, and something that does not is har ...
(e.g.,
slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
, depression, self-loathing). As word spread about "the young woman talking about a God who loves you, no matter what," she had to rent church space to accommodate the demand to hear her speak. In 1987, she began lecturing monthly in New York. Eventually, she was invited to speak throughout the U.S. and Europe. Williamson did not charge for her lectures but had a "suggested donation" of $7 and a policy of not turning people away for lack of money. Williamson's style has been described as a "trendy amalgam of Christianity,
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
,
pop psychology Popular psychology (sometimes shortened as pop psychology or pop psych) refers to the concepts and theories about human mental life and behavior that are supposedly based on psychology and are considered credible and accepted by the wider populac ...
and 12-step recovery wisdom".


Unity Church Pastor

Williamson became the spiritual leader for the Church of Today, a
Unity Church Unity is a spiritual organization founded by Charles Fillmore (Unity Church), Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1889. It grew out of Transcendentalism and became part of the New Thought movement. Unity may be best known for its ''Daily Word'' devot ...
in
Warren, Michigan Warren is a city in Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Warren borders Detroit to the north, roughly north of downtown Detroit. The population was 139,387 at the ...
, where she had 2,300 congregants and 50,000 television viewers. Her position also included administrative leadership; her actions as leader included booking Aerosmith's
Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, h ...
, expanding the bookstore, and increasing the congregation's racial and sexual orientation diversity. As a result, the Church grew rapidly. Williamson resigned from the Church Renaissance Unity Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship in 2003. For a time, she lectured at Methodist, Episcopal and Unitarian churches.


Author

Williamson has written 14 books . Seven have appeared on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list, with four reaching number one. She has sold more than three million books. Williamson's most popular work is '' A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles'' (1992). The book appeared on ''The New York Times'' bestseller list for 39 weeks in the "Advice, How To and Miscellaneous" category; it teaches that practicing love every day will bring more peace and fulfillment to one's life. The following quotation is the most famous quotation from the book (it is often misattributed to
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
):
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...
said of the book, "I have never been more moved by a book than I am by this one." Winfrey bought 1,000 copies and encouraged her audience to purchase it, telling them that after reading it, she experienced 157 miracles. Williamson was a frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and became Oprah's spiritual advisor.


Political campaigns


2014 U.S. House of Representatives campaign

In 2014, Williamson ran as an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
for
California's 33rd congressional district California's 33rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by . From January 3, 2023, following the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district centered on San Bernar ...
in the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
. Prominent elected and public officials endorsed her campaign, including Ben Cohen; former governors
Jennifer Granholm Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is an American politician who was the 16th United States secretary of energy from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she previously served as the 47t ...
and
Jesse Ventura Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, political commentator, actor, media personality, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), he ...
; former representatives
Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich ( ; October 8, 1946) is an American politician. Originally a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Kucinich served as U.S. Representative from Ohio's Ohio's 10th congressional district, 10th congressional district fro ...
and
Alan Grayson Alan Mark Grayson (born March 13, 1958) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2009 to 2011 and from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was defeated for reelection in 2010 by Republican Danie ...
; and
Van Jones Anthony Kapel "Van" Jones (born September 20, 1968) is an American political analyst, media personality, lawyer, author, and civil rights advocate. He is a three-time ''New York Times'' bestselling author, a CNN host and contributor, and an Emm ...
.
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, she became a cultural phenomenon during the mid 199 ...
wrote and performed Williamson's
campaign song Campaign songs are songs used by candidates or political campaigns. Most modern campaign songs are upbeat popular music, popular songs or original compositions that articulate a positive message about a campaign or candidate, usually appealing to ...
, "Today". Williamson campaigned on progressive issues such as campaign finance reform, women's reproductive rights and LGBTQ equality. She raised $2.4 million, of which she personally contributed 25 percent. Williamson finished fourth out of 18 candidates, with 14,335 votes or 13.2 percent of the vote. Republican
Elan Carr Elan Somekh Carr (born November 25, 1968) is an Americans, American lawyer, diplomat, politician, and chief executive. He is the CEO of the Israeli-American Council, Israeli American Council. Previously, he served as the United States Special En ...
finished first in the primary with 21.6 percent of the vote, but went on to lose the general election to Democrat
Ted Lieu Ted Win-Ping Lieu ( ; born March 29, 1969) is an American lawyer and politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party and has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023. He re ...
.


2020 presidential campaign

On November 15, 2018, Williamson announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee. On January 28, 2019, Williamson officially launched her presidential campaign before an audience of 2,000 people in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. She appointed Maurice Daniel, who served alongside
Donna Brazile Donna Lease Brazile ( ; born December 15, 1959) is an American political strategist, campaign manager, and political analyst who served twice as acting Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She is currently an ABC News contributor, ...
in
Dick Gephardt Richard Andrew Gephardt (; born January 31, 1941) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was House majority lead ...
's campaign for the Democratic nomination in 1988, as her national campaign manager. Williamson's campaign committee, "Marianne Williamson for President", officially filed on February 4. As of May 1, Williamson had a campaign staff of 20. A week later, she announced she had received enough contributions from unique donors to enter the official primary debates. Her campaign had raised $1.5 million (~$ in ) in the first quarter of 2019, during which it received donations from 46,663 unique individuals. Williamson subsequently met the polling criteria, with three unique polls at one percent from qualifying pollsters, on May 23. In June, Williamson confirmed that she had moved to
Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...
, in advance of the 2020 caucuses. In response to the
Iowa Democratic Party The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Iowa. The party organizes the Democratic Iowa caucuses, Iowa presidential caucuses. In recent years, the party has l ...
's proposed creation of "virtual caucuses" in the 2020 race, Williamson's campaign announced it would appoint 99 "Virtual Iowa Caucus Captains" (each assigned to a single county) to turn out supporters in both the virtual and in-person caucuses. Later that month, Williamson participated in the first primary debate. The ''LA Times'' wrote that Democratic voters were "confused" and "transfixed" by Williamson, who declared that her first act as president would be to call New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern Dame Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician and activist who was the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, leader of the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023. She was ...
and say, "Girlfriend, you are so on", a reference to Ardern's emphasis on building a country that treats its children well. Williamson also received media attention for her closing remarks:
In the closing moments of Thursday night’s Democratic debate, Marianne Williamson looked straight ahead and told the audience that her plan for her candidacy is to harness the country’s love. “Mr. President, if you’re listening,” she said, addressing Donald Trump directly, “you have harnessed fear for political purposes, and only love can cast that out. I am going to harness love for political purposes,” she continued, raising her eyebrows. “And sir, love will win.”
On July 30, Williamson participated in the second primary debate. She was the most Googled candidate in 49 of 50 states and received the fourth-most attention on X, then known as Twitter. The spike in searches was prompted by her reference to the
Flint water crisis The Flint water crisis was a public health crisis from 2014 to 2019 which involved the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan, being contaminated with lead and possibly ''Legionella'' bacteria. In April 2014, during a financial crisis, ...
and her assertion that President Trump was harnessing a "dark psychic force of the collectivized hatred," which she later described as
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
,
bigotry Prejudice can be an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived social group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classification of another person based on that pers ...
,
antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
,
homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
,
Islamophobia Islamophobia is the irrational fear of, hostility towards, or hatred against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general. Islamophobia is primarily a form of religious or cultural bigotry; and people who harbour such sentiments often stereot ...
, and
xenophobia Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...
propelled by social media. On the day of the third DNC debate, for which she did not qualify, Williamson did an interview with
Eric Bolling Eric Thomas Bolling (; born March 2, 1963) is an American television personality, conservative political commentator, author, and financial commentator. He has occupied numerous roles as a commentator on financial issues for television, most no ...
and expressed further frustration with the media when she thought she was not being recorded. Among her unscripted comments was "what does it say that Fox News is nicer to me than the lefties are?" On January 10, 2020, Williamson announced the end of her campaign and pledged to support the Democratic nominee. Many pundits treated Williamson's brief campaign as comic relief, often characterizing her as a
novelty candidate A novelty candidate (also known as satirical candidate, parody candidate or joke candidate) is a person who runs for political office in an election as a form of satire or protest, without seriously expecting to win. Novelty candidates often (but ...
due to her unconventional approach and spiritual rhetoric. However, some found her message persuasive and influential. After the July 30, 2019, Democratic debate, ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' columnist
Jamelle Bouie Jamelle Antoine Bouie (; born April 12, 1987) is an American columnist for ''The New York Times''. He was formerly chief political correspondent for ''Slate''. In 2019, writing in the ''Columbia Journalism Review'', David Uberti called Bouie "o ...
wrote, "It feels insane to say this, but Williamson out-debated virtually everyone else on the stage. She gave a compelling answer on reparations and returned again and again to the most important issue for Democratic voters, beating Trump."


2024 presidential campaign

Williamson began "working on putting a machine together" to run for president in 2024, visiting South Carolina and New Hampshire in early 2023. On February 23, 2023, she confirmed that she would launch a run for president in the future. She started her 2024 campaign on March 4, 2023. Williamson's 2024 deputy campaign manager, Jason Call, departed from her team on May 20, 2023, a week after her campaign manager, Peter Daou, had announced similar intentions. The two gave substantially different reasons for their actions than did the campaign. Earlier in 2023, a dozen former staffers from her 2020 campaign, who remained anonymous due to having signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), described working for Williamson as "toxic," "traumatic," and "terrifying". Williamson has been accused of throwing phones and shouting at staff so intensely they were reduced to tears. According to one account, her anger over logistics in South Carolina led her to strike a car repeatedly to the extent that she had to receive medical attention for a swollen hand. Williamson has denied the phone-throwing charge, admitted to the car incident, and acknowledged that she may have room for personal growth. More staff left Williamson's team in June 2023, including her new campaign manager. In July 2023, ''
Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American political digital newspaper company founded by American banker and media executive Robert Allbritton in 2007. It covers politics and policy in the Unit ...
'' reported that Williamson had contributed $220,000 to her own campaign and that the campaign's most recent financial disclosure showed $270,000 in unpaid debts. She received 4% of the votes in the
New Hampshire primary The New Hampshire presidential primary is the first in a series of nationwide party primary elections and the second party contest, the first being the Iowa caucuses, held in the United States every four years as part of the process of cho ...
. Following the New Hampshire primary, she held a volunteer
Zoom Zoom may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''Zoom'' (2006 film), starring Tim Allen * ''Zoom'' (2015 film), a Canada-Brazil film by Pedro Morelli * ''Zoom'' (2016 Kannada film), a Kannada film * ''Zoom'' (2016 Sinhala film), a Sr ...
meeting where she announced a tentative decision to drop out of the race, but after the call was leaked to the X account OrganizerMemes, she decided to stay in, but she dropped out after receiving only 2.1% of the vote in the
South Carolina primary The South Carolina presidential primary is an open primary election which has become one of several key early-state presidential primaries in the process of the Democratic and Republican Parties choosing their respective general election nomi ...
and 2.9% of the vote in the Nevada primary with no delegates. After the Michigan primary, Williamson decided to reenter the race when she received 3% of the vote. In the Kansas primary, Greeley County experienced a tie between Biden, "None of these names", and Williamson. Williamson received approximately 500,000 votes in the primary. Williamson ended her campaign on June 11, 2024. She re-entered the race on July 2, 2024. Williamson also expressed interest in an open convention after President Biden had announced he was dropping out of the race. On July 29, 2024, she ended her campaign for the final time.


2025 Democratic National Committee chairmanship campaign

On December 26, 2024, Williamson announced her candidacy in the election of the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...
chairperson. On January 10, 2025, Williamson shared on X that the DNC Ethnic Council informed her that she would be excluded from their DNC candidate forum that day. Williamson responded with a letter to the DNC Ethnic Council denouncing her exclusion and said, "This elitist choosing who is allowed to speak and who is not allowed to speak dishonors democratic principles and Democrats." On February 1, 2025, Williamson endorsed frontrunner
Ken Martin Kenneth Nathan Martin (born July 17, 1973) is an American politician serving since 2025 as chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Martin formerly served as chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, president of the ...
.


Political positions


Abortion rights

As a candidate for 2024 U.S. President, Williamson has stated her strong support for abortion access, services, and choice. She has spoken in favor of the abortion rights that were guaranteed under the now-overturned 1973 Supreme Court decision in ''
Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protected the right to have an ...
''. Williamson has shared her belief that it is good to expand women's understanding of alternatives; however, eradicating or limiting women's options would not reduce the number of terminations sought. Instead, it would result in wealthier women having access to safe abortions while poorer women face risks to their health.


Animal rights

In 2020 and 2024, Williamson's presidential campaign published detailed policy proposals to protect
animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...
. In 2019, Williamson stated that she supports a prohibition on the construction and expansion of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), also known as factory farms. She has stated that the mistreatment of animals is "damaging to the American soul."


Black American reparations

Williamson supports the distribution of $200-$500 billion in
reparations for slavery Reparations for slavery are reparations for victims of slavery. Reparations can take many forms, including financial compensation, legal remedy of damages, public apology and guarantees of non-repetition. Victims of slavery can refer to hist ...
, spread across 20 years for "economic and education projects", to be disbursed based on the recommendation of a selected group of black leaders.


Climate change and energy

Williamson deems
climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
to be "the greatest moral challenge of our generation." She claimed support for the
Green New Deal The Green New Deal (GND) calls for public policy to address climate change, along with achieving other social aims like job creation, economic growth, and reducing economic inequality. The name refers to the New Deal, a set of changes and ...
, immediate re-entry into the Paris Climate Accords, and has stated that she would be willing to support the
Trans-Pacific Partnership The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), or Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), was a proposed trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietn ...
if it included greater protections for workers and the environment. Williamson also supports the U.S. directing subsidies from
fossil fuel A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geolog ...
s, including coal, and re-investing them in the development of
renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...
, both in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in developing countries.


Gun control

Williamson supports gun control, and has described the issue as one personal to her. On November 4, 2018, she gave a keynote address to several hundred Muslim and Jewish women at the Sisterhood of Salaam-Shalom conference in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, eight days after 11 Jewish people were murdered the
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting On October 27, 2018, a right-wing extremist attacked Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The congregation, along with New Light Congregation and Congregation Dor Had ...
. A Jewish woman, she argued against fear being used as a political force and advocated for love in its place.


Health care and vaccinations

Williamson supports
universal health care Universal health care (also called universal health coverage, universal coverage, or universal care) is a health care system in which all residents of a particular country or region are assured access to health care. It is generally organized a ...
under a "
Medicare for All Single-payer healthcare is a type of universal healthcare, in which the costs of essential healthcare for all residents are covered by a single public system (hence "single-payer"). Single-payer systems may contract for healthcare services from pr ...
type of plan". Williamson also supports independent regulation of the
pharmaceutical industry The pharmaceutical industry is a medical industry that discovers, develops, produces, and markets pharmaceutical goods such as medications and medical devices. Medications are then administered to (or self-administered by) patients for curing ...
to prevent what she has called "predatory practices". A "both-and" approach (both prayer and medicine) to physical and mental health has been attributed to Williamson. Williamson has said, "People who are prayed for get out of the emergency room faster," and "people who have been diagnosed with a life-challenging illness, who attend spiritual support groups, live, on average, twice as long after diagnosis". Williamson has stated her support for the necessity and value of vaccinations and
antidepressants Antidepressants are a class of medications used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, and addiction. Common side effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, headaches, akathisia, sexu ...
, but has been criticized for her skepticism about the pharmaceutical industry's influence in setting guidelines for how they are administered, citing her belief that their profit motive could result in harm to patients. She has also criticized overprescription of antidepressants, questioning whether antidepressants play a role in suicide, saying that the prescriptive definition between
sadness Sadness is an emotional pain associated with, or characterized by, feelings of disadvantage, loss, despair, grief, helplessness, disappointment and sorrow. An individual experiencing sadness may become quiet or lethargic, and withdraw the ...
and
clinical depression Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Intro ...
is "artificial", and having called the process by which clinical depression is diagnosed "a scam". During Williamson's presidential campaign, several excerpts of her past comments have conflated her skepticism of the pharmaceutical industry's trustworthiness with an embrace of anti-vaccination dogma. As a result, she has been accused of being "anti-medicine" and "anti-science". She denies such accusations, saying they "could not be further from the truth." Williamson has expressed frustration that her skepticism of the pharmaceutical industry has been equated with skepticism of the science of vaccines. She has said, "Skeptical about vaccinations I have not expressed. Skeptical about Big Pharma in general I have expressed. And there is a big difference."


Immigration

Williamson does not support open borders, but calls for what she describes as a more humane approach to border policy. In June 2019, Williamson criticized then-President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
on his immigration policies after reports of children being separated from their families and being put in a detainment center; she called these acts "state-sponsored crimes". After Trump's announcement that
ICE Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally oc ...
would begin mass-deportations, she said it is "no different" than what Jewish people faced in
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. Williamson also supports
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a Immigration policy of the United States, United States immigration policy that allows some individuals who, on June 15, 2012, were physically present in the United States with no lawful immigra ...
(DACA) and expanding protections and naturalization to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, regardless of their current age.


Other domestic issues

Williamson supports The Equality Act and an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, and has called religion a map in which "the route isn't important. It's the destination that matters."


International relations and national security

Williamson supports the creation of a United States Department of Peace to aid in her proposed redesign, which also includes a plan to establish a Peace Academy modeled after military academies. Williamson supports military engagement when a NATO ally is threatened, when the United States is under threat of attack, or "when the humanitarian order of the world is at risk". Williamson supported safe withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible and would consider the use of a peace-keeping force, such as the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
, to assist with the transition. Williamson has said she supports the U.S. vigorously using its position, i.e., through
CFIUS The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS, ) is an inter-agency committee in the United States government that reviews the national security implications of foreign investments in the U.S. economy. CFIUS, led by the U. ...
, to prevent China from buying strategically important companies, which she believes will help defend U.S. economic interests and human rights, as in the cases of the
Uighurs The Uyghurs,. alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central Asia and East Asia. The Uyghurs are recognized as the titular nationali ...
and residents of Hong Kong. Williamson supports rejoining the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA; (, BARJAM)), also known as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, is an agreement to limit the Iranian nuclear program in return for sanctions relief and other provisions. The agreement was finalize ...
(JCPOA). Williamson criticized the Trump administration for elevating tensions with Iran. Williamson supports a
two-state solution The two-state solution is a proposed approach to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, by creating two states on the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. It is often contrasted with the one-state solution, which is the esta ...
to the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...
.


Public image

Williamson has been referred to as a "
New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...
guru". The label has been associated with her for years, but she has long rejected such terms, calling them "outrageous". She has stated that she prefers to be called an author. “and ‘activist’and has been called ‘populist adult educator’, and ‘philosopher’, and ‘mystic’, she has “always viewed things through a mystical lens,” Williamson told a crowd during her 2020 presidential campaign, and invoked the David and Goliath biblical story as her own (with her followers) saying “We’re going to get him onald Trumpright between the eyes...his third eye”; she also self-identifies as a ‘metaphysician’ and concluded once declaring about the American population that “We’re hallucinating....a mass hallucination” of a distorted reality. In the context of her political campaigns, Williamson's image has polarized many, with some praising her as authentic and eloquent, while others have criticized her for lacking seriousness. Her performance during the 2020 Democratic presidential debates received praise from a number of politicians, such as Democrats
Jennifer Granholm Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is an American politician who was the 16th United States secretary of energy from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she previously served as the 47t ...
and
Ro Khanna Rohit Khanna (born September 13, 1976) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from California's 17th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (Un ...
, and media outlets like ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', for providing "surprisingly eloquent" and "meaningful" answers to questions on social issues. Others have criticized her responses, including a writer for '' Vox'' who called her answers "extremely vague" and "deeply weird", and a writer for ''
Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...
'' who called her answers "kooky". Williamson's unorthodox style led to a large response across social media platforms such as
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
, where she was the subject of various jokes and
meme A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...
s. She made headlines when she criticized ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...
'' for its "insidious influence" when it did not include her in an
Annie Leibovitz Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American Portrait photography, portrait photographer best known for her portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid ...
photo shoot of the 2020 female presidential candidates. The magazine responded that it only wanted "to highlight the five female lawmakers who bring a collective 40 years of political experience to this race." Williamson subsequently posted a fan-made picture of the ''Vogue'' photo with herself edited in.


Personal life and family

Williamson's older brother, Peter, became an immigration attorney like his father. Her late sister, Elizabeth "Jane," was a teacher. Her father and her maternal grandparents were
Russian Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest po ...
immigrants. Her grandfather changed his surname from Vishnevetsky to Williamson after seeing "Alan Williamson Ltd" on a train. Williamson described herself as a "Jewish woman" in a 2022 interview. She was briefly married in 1979 to a Houston businessman. She said the marriage lasted "for a minute and a half". In 1990, she gave birth to a daughter. In 2006, a ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' poll named her one of the 50 most influential
baby boomers Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the demographic cohort preceded by the Silent Generation and followed by Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964 during the mid-20th century baby boom that ...
. In 2013, Williamson reported having assets estimated to be valued between $1 million and $5 million (not including personal residences). , Williamson lives in Washington, D.C.


Charity work

Since the 1980s, Williamson has operated charities based on the principles of the ''Course''.


Centers for Living

In 1987, inspired by a friend's struggle with
breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...
, Williamson launched the Center for Living, after a $50,000 donation from
David Geffen David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American film producer, record executive, and media proprietor. In music, he co-founded Asylum Records with Elliot Roberts in 1971 before founding Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1 ...
. Williamson co-founded the organization with
Louise Hay Louise Lynn Hay (October 8, 1926 – August 30, 2017) was an American motivational author, professional speaker and AIDS advocate. She authored several New Thought self-help books, including the 1984 book '' You Can Heal Your Life'', and founde ...
—a minister of the New Thought Church of Religious Science—who claimed to have healed herself of cancer. The Center primarily assists people afflicted with
HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
, particularly gay men, who were openly welcomed when shunned and refused help by other organizations. The Center provided services such as housework, daily chores, meditation, massage, psychological counseling, and emotional support throughout the city and county of Los Angeles. In 1989, having received another advance of $50,000 (~$ in ) from Geffen, Williamson opened a second Center for Living, this time in New York City; this location was hampered by a conflict between staff and the board regarding Williamson's management style, which an anonymous former associate described as "very controlling". Unlike in Los Angeles, the more secular New York had requested for Williamson not to pray, fueling a further disconnect. A few months later, after two of Williamson's board members told '' Vanity Fair'' that she wanted "to be famous," Williamson felt that she was being treated as "expendable". This notion would lead to the expulsion of several of her board members, including the then-head of the New York Center, as well as of film director
Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of ...
. Williamson stepped down from her role at the Centers in the summer of 1992. The New York Center was able to remain open, following a donation from
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
. Williamson gave the organization an extra $50,000 check and left, but remained an advisor to the organization. The ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that Williamson was "losing trust" in several board members and "preemptively" fired them before her own potential downfall. She disputed this, claiming that she intended to "step down as President," wishing to provide her successor with a "clean slate".


Project Angel Food

In 1989, with the Centers' success, Williamson launched
Project Angel Food Project Angel Food is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Los Angeles County which provides free meals for people too sick to shop and cook for themselves. Project Angel Food serves the majority of Los Angeles County; South Los Angeles and Metro ...
(a program operated by The Centers for Living) to support HIV/AIDS patients. By 1992, it had raised over $1.5 million and was delivering nearly 400 hot meals a day to homebound AIDS patients in Los Angeles. Williamson resigned from Project Angel Food in March 1992. Employees demanded the resignation of Williamson, reinstatement of her predecessor, and a replacement of the board, threatening unionization if Williamson did not resign. Stephen Bennett, a consultant hired to assess the situation, determined that there were more paid staff on hand than needed, but with a union vote pending, Bennett refused to lay employees off. Project Angel Food struggled for a time following Williamson's departure (Williamson had been the primary fundraiser) but remained operational. By 1998 it had over 1,500 volunteers and nearly 1,000 clients. As of 2018, with expanded food, nutrition and counseling services, it delivered 12,000 meals weekly throughout Los Angeles. As of 2019, Williamson remains a trustee of the organization.


AIDS work

Williamson has helped gay men who she said "were told that they weren't loved by their family and friends, employers, politicians, hospitals." She has officiated at funerals, driven men to their doctors, and paid for patients'
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
medication. During her 2020 presidential campaign, Williamson was accused of telling gay men not to take medication for AIDS, of implying that they were "not positive enough" to counter the disease, of telling them that they "deserved" the disease, and of telling them to "pray the AIDS away." She has repeatedly denied these accusations. Most of the accusations appeared to stem from excerpts or paraphrases of her 1992 book '' A Return to Love''.


The Peace Alliance

In 1998, Williamson co-founded the non-profit Global Renaissance Alliance (GSA) with ''
Conversations with God ''Conversations with God'' (''CWG'') is a sequence of books written by Neale Donald Walsch. It was written as a dialogue in which Walsch asks questions and God answers. The first book of the ''Conversations with God'' series, ''Conversations ...
'' author
Neale Donald Walsch Neale Donald Walsch (born September 10, 1943) is an American author of the series '' Conversations with God''. He is also an actor, screenwriter, and speaker. Biography Walsch was brought up as a Catholic by a family who encouraged his quest fo ...
. The organization established a network of "citizen salons" to pray for national growth, peace and liberal causes. According to Williamson, the GSA sat in small "Peace Circles" of fewer than 12 people every other week and prayed together. In 2004, the GSA's name was changed to The Peace Alliance and was given a new mandate focused on grassroots education and advocacy organization. The intended purpose was to increase U.S. government support for peace-building approaches to domestic and international conflicts. The Peace Alliance advocated for lobbying congressional representatives directly.


"Sister Giant" conferences

In 2010, Williamson launched "Sister Giant", a series of conferences to "start a new conversation about transformational politics" and encourage more women to run for office: In 2012, Yale University's Women's Campaign Schoolan independent, nonpartisan, issue-neutral political campaign training and leadership program hosted at
Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...
partnered with the series, which focused on how to better address social issues like
child poverty Child poverty refers to the state of children living in poverty and applies to children from poor families and orphans being raised with limited or no state resources. UNICEF estimates that 356 million children live in extreme poverty. It is esti ...
, campaign finance reform, and high incarceration rates.


RESULTS

For several years until 2017, Williamson was a board member of Results Educational Fund (RESULTS), a
501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...
nonprofit charity dedicated to finding long-term solutions to
poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...
by focusing on its root causes, and its sister organization, Results Inc., a 501(c)(4) "social welfare" organization that encourages "grassroots advocates to lobby their elected officials" and works "directly with Congress and other U.S. policymakers to shape and advance" anti-poverty policies. The organization has 100 local chapters in the U.S. and is active in six other countries.


Biographies and critics

The biographical and critical works on Marianne Williamson and her work are numerous. Oumano (1992) published the first, and primarily positive biography on Williamson. Fisher (2021) published the first scholarly and journalistic analysis in an intellectual biography of Williamson, where he brings out extensive critiques and recommendations for improving Williamson’s leadership style and approach to activist organizing and political campaigns. A critical discussion of Marianne Williamson’s approach to the presidency campaign and her philosophy in the current context of politics appeared on the podcast site called Integral Stage in 2023. There have been in the last couple years a few other less extensive biographical works on Williamson.Young, Tim. (2019). 372 facts about Marianne Williamson (that probably aren’t true). Independently Published; Larson, Hubert (2023). Marianne Williamson biography: A journey of love and transformation: US Presidency in 2024. Independently Published; Anonymous. (2023). Marianne Williamson: The Iconic Biography of a Trailblazing Woman, a Spiritual Leader, a Self-help Teacher and a Political Icon. Iconic Press; Gragg, John. (2024). The Political Her is Just a Part of Her: The Diverse Chapters of Marianne Williamson’s Life. Independently Published. They tend to all be, more or less, Williamson fan-based works.


Books

* '' A Return to Love'' (1992, ) * ''A Woman's Worth'' (1992, ) * ''Illuminata: A Return to Prayer'' (1994, ) * ''The Healing of America'' (1994, ) * ''Emma & Mommy Talk to God'' (1996, ) * ''Enchanted Love: The Mystical Power of Intimate Relationships'' (1999, ) * ''Imagine What America Could Be in the 21st Century: Visions of a Better Future from Leading American Thinkers'' (2000, ) * ''Healing the Soul of America: Reclaiming Our Voices as Spiritual Citizens'' (2000, ) * ''Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness, And Making Miracles'' (2002, ) * ''The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for Living Your Best Life'' (2004, ) * ''A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever'' (2010, ) * ''The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money and Miracles'' (2014, ) * ''Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment'' (2016, ) * ''A Politics of Love: A Handbook for a New American Revolution'' (2019, ) * ''The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love'' (2023, )


References


External links

*
Marianne Williamson for DNC Chair website

Marianne Williamson for President website

Marianne Williamson, article and shows
at Oprah.com
Marianne Williamson
on '' Politicking with Larry King''
Sister Giant

The Peace Alliance

Project Angel Food
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, Marianne 1952 births Living people 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century American women writers A Course in Miracles Activists from Texas American anti-war activists American columnists American people of Russian-Jewish descent American reparationists American self-help writers American spiritual writers American women activists American women columnists California Democrats California independents Candidates in the 2014 United States elections Candidates in the 2020 United States presidential election Candidates in the 2024 United States presidential election Female candidates for President of the United States American HIV/AIDS activists Iowa Democrats Jewish American activists Jewish candidates for President of the United States Jewish American people in California politics Jewish American non-fiction writers Jewish American women in politics Nautilus Book Award winners New Age spiritual leaders New Age writers New Thought clergy New Thought writers Newsweek people Pantheists Pomona College alumni Progressivism in the United States Texas Democrats Universal basic income activists Washington, D.C., Democrats Writers about activism and social change Writers from Houston