Elisabeth Omilami

Born in Atlanta, Williams-Omilami is the daughter of activist Hosea Williams and Georgia State Representative Juanita T. Williams. Williams-Omilami young life was spent with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.^[2] After graduating from college, she created the People's Survival Theatre, producing a season of five shows per year.^{[citation needed]} People's Survival Theatre continued to produce shows long after Williams-Omilami's journey to New York City when her husband Afemo Omilami received a scholarship to New York University. In New York, Williams-Omilami worked as an arts administrator and executive assistant.^[where?] Williams-Omilami directed and acted as much as she could, supporting her family as her husband's career grew. In 1985, Williams-Omilami left New York to return to Atlanta.^{[citation needed]} While in Atlanta Williams-Omilami continued to perform on stage and in film and television.^{[citation needed]} Williams-Omilami graduated from Hampton University with a BA in Theatre.^[1]

Williams-Omilami's parents brought her along on Civil Rights marches and movements across the South since she was young. During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Williams-Omilami attended boarding school to Wasatch Academy in Utah where she was the only African-American student.^{[citation needed]} Williams-Omilami had worked for over 15 years in the background of her father's Hosea Feed The Hungry and Homeless efforts,^[3][1] and upon his passing in November 2000 became the organization's CEO, expanding the organization from a budget of $200,000 to over $1.5 million.^{[citation needed]} Williams-Omilami worked to provide programs that would meet the basic needs of the working poor and homeless along a continuum of care leading to self-sufficiency. Williams-Omilami expanded these programs from four months to year-round services and established medical clinics, clothing distribution, barber and beautician services, children's educational programs, and home delivery of over 22,000 dinners per year.^{[citation needed]} Williams-Omilami has spoken and toured worldwide for several international relief efforts in places like the Philippines, where she has founded and operates a school for the underprivileged children of Mindanou,^{[citation needed]} and Haiti and Uganda, where she sponsors several orphanages.^{[citation needed]}

Williams-Omilami has been acknowledged many times for her humanitarian service.^{[citation needed]} Honorary membership induction into Zeta Phi Beta sorority,^[4] A Georgia State Senate Resolution in recognition of her community service,^{[citation needed]} Atlanta Business League 100 Women of Influence,^{[citation needed]} For Sisters Only,^{[citation needed]} Women In Film Humanitarian Award,^{[citation needed]} Secretary of State of Georgia Outstanding Citizen,^{[citation needed]} State of Georgia Goodwill Ambassador,^{[citation needed]} YWCA Women of Achievement Academy,^{[citation needed]} Burger King Urban Everyday Heroes,^{[citation needed]} Kraft Community Service;^{[citation needed]} Southern Christian Leadership Conference Women Drum Major for Justice,^{[citation needed]} T. D. Jakes Phenomenal Woman,^{[citation needed]} Daughters of Isis Community Service Award,^{[citation needed]} the Emory University M.L.K. Community Service Award^{[citation needed]} and The National Conference of Black Mayors Fannie Lou Hamer Unsung Heroine Award.^{[citation needed]}

Williams-Omilami founded of one of Atlanta's earliest theatre companies People's Survival Theater,^[1] as well as the "Summer Artscamp", providing arts programming for economically challenged youth for over 7 years.^{[citation needed]} Williams-Omilami is a playwright has written several plays, one of which is There Is A River In My Soul.^[1] She is a past member of both the Georgia Council For The Arts^[1] and the Fulton County Arts Council^[1] and is a passionate advocate for the arts to be instituted as permanent part of society.^{[citation needed]} She is an actress and has performed at the Alliance Theatre in A Christmas Carol and in early 2002 in Left Hand Singing at the Jewish Theatre of The South.^{[citation needed]} She can also be seen in the HBO made-for-television movie Boycott,^[1] In the Heat of the Night^{[citation needed]} and the award-winning I'll Fly Away.^[1]

• Atlanta Women's Network. (2006). About Elisabeth Omilami. Retrieved 2007-06-12 from https://web.archive.org/web/20060622074632/http://www.atlantawomensnetwork.org/Speakers/06JulyElisabethOmilami.html
• Elisabeth Omilami at IMDb
• Official Website of Hosea Feed The Hungry and Homeless