Daily Inspiration: Meet Princess Sarah Culberson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Princess Sarah Culberson.

Hi Princess Sarah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in West Virginia to a white American mother and a West African father. At three months old, I was placed into adoption and soon adopted by the Culbersons, a loving white family who nurtured my interest in theater and encouraged my questions about my biracial roots. I earned a theater scholarship to attend West Virginia University and received my MFA from American Conservatory Theater. After graduation, I moved to Los Angeles where I began my career in film and television.

I always had questions about my biological family, so I began the process of finding my biological mother and father. I discovered my birth mother had died of cancer when I was 11 and hired a private investigator (for only $25!) who gave me the information to write to my biological father. I learned that the address I had been given belonged to my aunt and uncle on my biological father’s side, and they welcomed me to the family. Not only that, but they told me that I’m a Mahaloi, the granddaughter of a Paramount Chief, which meant that I’m a Princess! Shortly after, I traveled to the chiefdom of Bumpe in Sierra Leone to meet my biological father, where I received a joyous welcome by hundreds of the village’s residents.

After seeing the aftermath of the Blood Diamond Civil War in Sierra Leone, my brother Hindogbae Joseph Kposowa and I founded the non-profit Sierra Leone Rising which focuses on promoting public health, technology, education, and female empowerment. The non-profit was also instrumental in distributing aid and supplies during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and 2020’s Covid-19 crisis. In 2021, Sierra Leone Rising partnered with Rotary International to build wells throughout the region, and it continues to raise scholarship and health funds for the area’s youth.

The non-profit was also instrumental in distributing aid and supplies during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and 2020’s Covid-19 crisis. In 2021, Sierra Leone Rising partnered with Rotary International to build more wells throughout the region, and it continues to raise scholarship and health funds for the area’s youth.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
There have been a number of obstacles that have appeared over the years. One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is figuring out how best to support my biological family after they experienced an 11 years of civil war in Sierra Leone. There was the need for rebuilding: establishing medical care, access to clean drinking water in rural areas, and not to mention the fact that Sierra Leone experienced an Ebola epidemic only to have the COVID pandemic closely follow.

As the co-founder of Sierra Leone Rising for the past 15 years, we have listened to the community’s most pressing needs. We’ve built wells in the provinces (rural areas) to help bring clean, accessible drinking water to thousands of people, rebuilt infrastructure, provided computer labs for students, and even funded scholarships for students to go to college.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What I’m most proud of is working on projects that help people, specifically kids, learn about cultures. There are a number of projects I’m super excited for: the Disney movie based off of the book I co-wrote “A Princess Found”, an animation show about world cultures, an unscripted show, and a Roblox game that will allow players to build and learn about cultures as well.

I’m also incredibly proud of the work we’ve done and continue to do in Sierra Leone. Being able to work with people in the community to help get clean drinking water to the provinces is so important, and it’s something that I alongside my family are passionate about.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
You don’t have to know how to do everything. You might have goals and dreams and tell yourself, “I don’t know how to do it”, it’s worth it to try as well as ask those around you (and virtually) how to do it/begin.

When starting my non-profit, I struggled with where to begin. Unsure of where specifically to start, I asked those around me if they had any advice, and I was so grateful that people were so willing to come forward to help. I discovered the power of collaboration and that we don’t have to do it alone. With Sierra Leone Rising, we found other organizations and non-profits whose goals had synergy with our mission, so we collaborated and worked together within the same communities.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: sarahculberson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamprincesssc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamprincesssc
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamprincesssc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsmZiIbsOjzmQNoiJxt18gg
• Other: sierraleonerising.org

Image Credits
Monika Sed – photographer of feathered photos