[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 110 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO SOJOURNER KINCAID ROLLE--CALIFORNIA'S 24TH CONGRESSIONAL 
                           WOMEN OF THE YEAR

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                         HON. SALUD O. CARBAJAL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2021

  Mr. CARBAJAL. Madam Speaker, each year, through the Women of the Year 
Award, my office extends special recognition to women on the Central 
Coast who have made a difference in our community. I would like to 
recognize one outstanding Women of the Year Award recipient, Sojourner 
Kincaid Rolle, of Santa Barbara, California.
  It is community members like Sojourner that make Santa Barbara County 
special, and it is hard to put into words all of her contributions to 
our community. She is a poet, playwright, environmental educator, and 
cultural and peace activist. She is known for her work raising 
awareness of our diverse cultural history throughout the county and is 
heavily involved as a guiding elder for Juneteenth Santa Barbara and 
Healing Justice Santa Barbara organizations.
  In 2015 Sojourner was named Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara and served 
a two-year term. As a selldefined ``public poet'', she is invited to 
compose and present poems for numerous special occasions. She is a two-
time recipient of the California Arts Council's Artist-in-Residence 
program and for nearly 30 years has led poetry workshops throughout the 
West Coast. Since 1997, she has engaged young poets through her ``Song 
of Place Poetry Project'' and her work with City at Peace, Speak for 
the Creeks, California Poets in the Schools, Poetry OutLoud, and the 
MLK Poetry and Essay Contest.
  She is the author of seven books of poetry and six plays, and her 
poetry is published in across social media. Her arts reviews and 
commentaries have also appeared in local and regional publications. 
Sojourner is a truthteller. She exhumes our past stories and brings 
them to life as a reminder of where we have been and where we can go.
  A founding member of Santa Barbara's Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Committee, Sojourner has also served with multiple Santa Barbara County 
organizations including the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, Santa 
Barbara NAACP, Santa Barbara Arts Council, the Fund for Santa Barbara 
Grantmaking Committee, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and the 
UCSB Center for Black Studies Research.
  Sojourner is the glue that connects community members. She holds a 
B.S. in Criminal Justice with emphasis in Juvenile Delinquency and a 
J.D., but she is a teacher at heart, always ready to teach and inspire 
the community at large. She is a worthy candidate for this honor and a 
role model for community leaders of all kinds. I am honored to 
recognize Sojourner for her continued commitment to improving our 
community and the residents of Santa Barbara County. I ask all Members 
to join me today in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 24th 
Congressional District, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, for her incredible 
service to her community.

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