Sister Souljah: The Coldest Woman Ever

Souljah is known for many accomplishments starting with the power of her voice and the knowledge she has conjured from years of struggle and studies. A powerful African American woman who is not talked about often, although she has had so many life changing effects on young black children and families in and out of this country.

She is mostly known for her best sellers, starting with her biography ‘No Disrespect’. But, really got the attention of urban literature readers after publishing and manifesting the character Winter with the book ‘The Coldest Winter Ever’. Me being someone who was truly inspired to take story telling seriously, I could go on a long time about her books. But first, I would like to start with her outrageously well achievements she accomplished early in her age.

Sister Souljah was born in the Bronx of New York City. In college, she attended the Cornell University in the Advanced Placement Study Program, as well as studied abroad in Europe at the University Of Salamanca.

In my opinion, this is where she began to evolve into what she would become along down the line. Expanding your sight and mind onto things outside of where you come from can help mold you into something else. It gives you a different perspective of the way you think, live, and learn(I bet Europe had a different vibe than New York).

In Bindura,Zimbabwe Souljah worked to build a medical center for families, and also worked with children from Mozambique. On top of that, helped create a movement which liberated Nelson Mandela which brought the divestment of millions of dollars from corporations doing business with apartheid South Africa. Believing it is essential for African professionals to work together, invest in, and help save and further develop our continent, resources, families, and children. This woman obviously puts her mind to something and gets it done. Puts her beliefs to use, and make things happen.

While being a highly bright student activist, she created and financed the African Youth Survival Camp. The camp was a six week summer sleep away academic and cultural camp for two hundred children of homeless families, running it for over 3 consecutive years. Souljah was the one to inspire big celebrities to start their own camps and charities to give back. I’m pretty sure this is when people began to pay close attention to Souljah and making sure she couldn’t keep being the only one looking to help the helpless. Another reason why I admire this woman so much. She’s a trend setter and the one who’s actions speak the loudest.

Along with all those other outstanding achievements, she began organizing against serious issues in the world including the miseducation of urban youth, racial crimes, and police brutality. Major issues we continue to face even in today’s time. I can only imagine how bad things were in the 1980s and so on. Anyway, she went on to produce and promote outdoor rallies and concerts in Harlem, New York. Drawing almost 30,000 youth to her rallies and concerts each time. And of course Hip-Hop and R&B celebrities participated in her great cause. Who wouldn’t want to be involved in something so powerful and positive for the black community? And trust me, you look better with Souljah on your side.

It wasn’t a surprise to me when Sean P. Soddy Combs(A.K.A. P. Diddy)selected Souljah to become Executive Director of his charitable organization named Daddy’s House Social Programs in 1995. If I was P. Diddy, I would’ve done the same thing...probably wouldn’t have called it Daddy’s House though.

She build the organization and created academic programs housed at Columbia Records, servicing thousands of youth throughout the country. Her work was meaningful, powerful, and most likely life changing for many youth who probably felt they had no chance to succeed in society. She directed the program for seven years before she finally stopped.

I, and probably most people, began to know her from her being voiced on so many platforms, especially radio and television shows like Oprah Winfrey, Larry King, and Million Woman March. She spoke to the hip-hop audience about politics, business, culture, and social injustice. Who else better to speak to the urban community other than someone who was raised in it and manifested from the struggle? Someone who’s words hit you right where she intended to throw them. Someone who’s going to tell it like it is rather than sugar coat what needs to really be said. Without her being so bold about her knowledge and beliefs, Souljah probably would’ve never accomplished as much as she has over the years. Hell, she even recorded her own rap album(named ‘360 Degrees Of Power’)! A truly multi-talented human being. Who wouldn’t be inspired by such a strong woman such as herself? But, she inspired me in a different way. A more...literate way.

I was very young when I read her second book ‘Coldest Winter Ever’ based on the character Winter Santiaga’s life story. I instantly fell in love with the character, as well as the others in the book. Knowing that this is what I meant when I said I wanted to be a writer. To have millions of readers captivated on the fictional stories I create as if they were real people telling their real stories.

She goes and publishes a string of novels from characters in ‘Coldest Winter Ever’ starting with the mysterious and handsome Muslim man named Midnight with ‘A Gangsta Love Story’, ‘Midnight & The Meaning Of Love’, to Winter’s sister Porsche L. Santiaga in ‘A Deeper Love Inside’, to making another Midnight story named ‘A Moment Of Silence’, which is probably my favorite after ‘A Deeper Love Inside’.

Such an inspirational woman for my teenage years, even now. She published ‘Coldest Winter Ever’ in 1999 and have people still talking about it in 2021! Her fans loved the story so much they begged her to put it into a movie, and to even write a second book on Winter’s life when she is finally released from prison. Finally announcing a few months ago that her book ‘Life After Death’ will be publishing in early March of this year! And of course it’s going to be about your girl, Winter. I truly aspire to be a writer with that type of lingering energy with my words in my books. To have people crave more of my stories even after 22 years. I know I keep saying it, but she is truly my inspiration and is very admired by me.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my short article of my inspiration. I hope you’ve all enjoyed. Please don’t be afraid to tap the heart and give me a like! Also feel free to go read my short stories and poems I have on my profile.

I am currently in the making of my first novel(editing at its finest, lol)! I hope to gain loyal fans who love my work. Follow me on my Instagram page @thejayyroom_ for more of my thoughts on life and stories for my readers. Thank you !!