Marianne Deborah Williamson was born on July 8, 1952, in Houston, Texas, into a Jewish family as the youngest of three children. Her father, Samuel Williamson, was an immigration lawyer, and her mother, Sophie Ann (née Kaplan), was a homemaker. She studied theater and philosophy for two years at Pomona College in Claremont, California, but dropped out during her junior year. Williamson began her professional career as a spiritual leader at the Church of Today, a Unity Church in Warren, Michigan, before gaining prominence as a New Age self-help author and speaker. Her 1992 book, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, became a New York Times Best Seller, boosted by frequent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she was known as Oprah's 'spiritual advisor'. In 1989, Williamson founded Project Angel Food, a Los Angeles-based non-profit that has delivered over 20 million meals to ill and homebound patients. She has authored several self-help books and established herself as a peace activist and philanthropist. As an author and Democratic political candidate, Williamson entered politics by announcing a presidential exploratory committee on November 15, 2018, officially launching her 2020 Democratic presidential campaign on January 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. She sought the Democratic nomination again for the 2024 election. Throughout her career, Williamson has been recognized for blending spirituality with activism, though her political bids have highlighted her unconventional approach to policy, emphasizing consciousness and moral issues.