Childhood & Early Life
Donna was born on January 7, 1958, in Louisiana, US, to Miriam Carter and William Homer Jr. Her family lived in Tallahassee, Florida, until she turned 13 and then moved to Irmo, South Carolina, a small suburb of Columbia.
Donna was the head cheerleader and a member of the 'Phi Beta Kappa' society at the 'University of South Carolina,' from where she earned her bachelor's degree in biology, with a minor in business.
Growing up, Donna actively participated in church youth activities. She was part of missionary groups and the church choir. Donna was a “Girl Scout,” too.
Donna worked at a pizza parlor. Even though she aspired to become a doctor, she started receiving modeling offers while she was in her early teens. She featured in several commercials when she was 13, including one for 'Pizza Hut.'
She participated in the 'Miss World Contest' in 1980 and was crowned 'Miss South Carolina.' Donna then moved to New York to pursue modeling and acting.
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Career
Donna wasa marketing representative at 'Wyeth Laboratories' in South Florida and simultaneously featured in commercials. In 1986, she made appearances in 'Miami Vice' and the soap opera 'One Life to Live.' Donna played a secretary in the 1983-released feature 'The Last Plane Out.'
From January 1994 to December 1999, Donna served as the communications director and vice president for 'Enough Is Enough' (EIE), a secular and independent non-profit organization that focuses on making the internet safer for families and children.
She became the president and CEO of ‘Enough Is Enough’ in 2003. She created the 'Internet Safety 101SM' program with the ‘Department of Justice’ and other partners, as a contribution to her organization.
Along with working for ‘Enough Is Enough,’ Donna supported the 1996 'Communications Decency Act' (CDA), the 'Child Online Protection Act' (COPA), and 'Children's Internet Protection Act' (CIPA). Senator Trent appointed her to serve on the ‘COPA Commission’ and made her the co-chairperson of the ‘COPA’ hearings.
In 2006, Donna served on the Virginia Attorney General's ‘Youth Internet Safety Task Force' and the 2008 'Internet Safety Technical Task Force,' formed in collaboration with 'MySpace' and the US Attorney General.
Donna co-wrote the May 2000 season finale episode of the 'CBS' drama 'Touched by an Angel' that showcased the adversities of cyberbullying. She earned an 'Emmy' nomination in 2012, for the 'PBS Internet Safety 101 DVD' series that she produced, hosted, and instructed. The series, too, won an 'Emmy' in 2013.
Donna was the producer and host of 'Alica's Story, Confessions of a Predator, Grooming, Risky Behaviour,' which received an 'Emmy' nomination in the information/instruction and the program/special category. She, too, received an 'Emmy' nomination in the program host category, for the same project.
Donna has spoken about the same cause on several shows and channels, such as 'The Today Show,' the 'Oprah Winfrey Show,' 'CNN,' and 'Dateline NBC.'
Donna launched the 'High Road Campaign' as part of her activities related to ‘Enough Is Enough.’ The campaign promoted civility, common decency, and kindness to oppose cyberbullying. The campaign included Donna's hour-long 'C-SPAN' interview and an op-ed titled 'Cruel Attacks on Melania Trump Obscure Her Positive Role' on 'CNN.com.'
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Under Donna, ‘Enough Is Enough’ rolled out the 'Random Posts of Kindness' campaign to promote their causes. The campaign includes a special initiative called 'Sweet Tweets.'
As an attempt to oppose the 'Teen Vogue' magazine article 'Anal Sex: What You Need to Know/How to Do it the Right Way,' Donna and ‘Enough Is Enough’ initiated an online petition called 'Say No to Teen Vogue.' She once summoned 'The Walt Disney Company' to disable unauthorized 'Disney' porn on the internet.
From 1999 to 2013, Donna was the founder and president of the consulting company 'DRH Enterprises, LLC.' The organization serves various IT companies.
In October 2017, Donna was one of the 120 world leaders to attend the internet safety event 'Child Dignity in the Digital World' in Rome, Italy. The following month, she joined businesswoman Candy Carson and others at the grand opening of the 'Museum of the Bible' in Washington, DC, where she rang the ‘Liberty Bell’ replica and launched the mission 'Let Freedom Ring!'
Donna supported Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.
In March 2018, Donna joined the 'HomeMakers for America'-organized 'Moms March Movement' in Washington, DC, to share the 'Declaration of Mothers.'
Donna has authored the book titled 'Kids Online: Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace' and is the founder of 'ProtectKids.com.' Many of her commentaries have been published in journals such as the 'Los Angeles Times,' 'Politico,' 'USA Today,' 'FOX News,' 'CNN,' and other media outlets.
Her outstanding contributions to protect children and the young generation from the hazards of cyberbullying and other evils on the internet have earned Donna the 'National Law Center for Children and Families Annual Appreciation Award,' the 'Media Impact Award,' and the 'Protector of Children Award.' In 2013, she was honored with the 'Women in Technology Leadership Award for Social Impact.'
Scandals
Donna met former senator Gary Hart at a New Year's Eve party in Aspen, Colorado, in 1986. The party was hosted at the home of her then-boyfriend, rocker Don Henley. Eventually, the two built up a professional relationship, as Donna put forward her wish to get into fund-raising. Soon after, Gary announced his presidential candidature.
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The rumors of their alleged relationship started making rounds shortly after he was labeled as a womanizer in the media. The 'Miami Herald,' vehemently stalked Donna when she flew from Miami to Washington, DC, and reported that she had spent the night at Gary's home.
Both Gary and Donna denied having any sort of relationship with each other. They claimed that they were good friends and had had no sexual intimacy with each other.
On June 2, 1987, weeks after Gary withdrew his presidential candidature, celebrity tabloid 'National Enquirer' published a cover photo of Donna sitting on Gary's lap, alongside the headline “Gary Hart Asked Me to Marry Him.” It was widely spread that the relationship could be one of the reasons for Gary’s withdrawal. However, many indicated that the photograph could have been a political conspiracy by the opposing ‘Republican’ Lee Atwater.
The alleged relationship generated numerous lucrative offers, of which Donna rejected most. However, she did an interview with 'Playboy' magazine, appeared in an 'ABC' movie of the week, and was also featured in the 1987 commercials and advertisements for 'No Excuses' jeans.
Donna had to quit the pharmacy job due to the stirred publicity. A month after the scandal, she reconnected with her Christian faith. Following this, did not make a single public appearance for 7 years.
