Daughter of civil rights leader Reverend Hosea Williams, Elisabeth Omilami is a vibrant member of the National Low Income Housing Coalition and a resident of the Human Services Organization Hosea Helps, Inc. She grew up in the civil rights
movement in the South. After marrying her husband, acclaimed actor Afemo Omilami, in 1977, Mrs. Omilami relocated to New York City, where she worked with several notable figures, including Melvin Van Peebles, Woodie King, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer of the National Black Theatre, and Rosetta LeNoire. She produced plays by Atlanta playwrights, such as Ray McIver’s “God is a Guess What?”
Her experiences in New York City led her to raise her children in Atlanta, and she eventually returned to the South.
She became the only woman to be arrested, along with her father, Rev. Hosea L. Williams, in the Forsyth County
Jail during a march sponsored by a group of concerned citizens. She participated in the second march of 50,000
people one week after her arrest.
Mrs. Omilami has led international mission trips, including medical missions to Haiti for ten years, as well as to
South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda. Her trip to the Philippines resulted in her founding the first school for the Bl’aan
tribe, where many students graduated and attended college in Manila.
After a long tenure at Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless in various roles, she became CEO in 2000.
However, she recently stepped down and became president, allowing her son to fulfill her role after she grew the
company’s budget from $200,000 to over $3 million. In July 2022, she was diagnosed with stage three breast
cancer, which required her to have a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, therapy, and radiation. After getting
back on her feet, she used her experience to help educate other women about breast cancer and expanded
services to provide free mammograms and other resources with the help of her nonprofit organization. Last year
at the 2023 Pink Awards, she was honored with the Samaritan Award for her many achievements revolving
around her nonprofit organization and her efforts to help others during her personal battle with breast cancer.
Williams-Omilami founded one of Atlanta’s earliest theatre companies, People’s Survival Theater. With her
interest in theatre, she also has an acting career and co-stars in projects including “The Ray Charles Story,”
“Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion,” “The List,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “My Funny Valentine,” “The Rosa
Parks Story,” “Selma,” “Lord Selma,” “Come Back Dad,” “In the Meantime,” “The Blind Side,” and “A Raisin in the
Sun.” She hopes to get back into acting soon now that she has her health condition and nonprofit organization
in order.
Mrs. Omilami’s awards include, but are not limited to, recognition from two Governors of the State of Georgia,
The National Alliance of Church Women, The Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority, The National Council of Negro
Women, The Black Women’s Agenda, the International Masons and Eastern Stars, and the City of Atlanta’s
highest honor: The Phoenix Award. She also received a resolution from the State Legislature, recognition from
President Obama for her work through AmeriCorps, the Kaiser Healthy Food Award, and AETNA’s “Voices of
Health.” In 2024, she received the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation for Women’s History Month, the
Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism from Morehouse College awards and the Warren Memorial United
Methodist Trailblazer awards; In 2025, she received the MLK Trailblazer Award for Community Service and
Victoria Travis Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award Salute to Citizens Award.
Elisabeth Omilami is the wife of actor Afemo Omilami. She has two children, Awodele and Juanita, and five
grandchildren.