Quick Facts
| Field | Details |
| Full Name | Karima Jackson |
| Born | February 17, 1994 |
| Place of Birth | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Age | 32 years old (2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Education | Rutgers University — B.A. Sociology; Montclair State University — M.A. Child Advocacy; Rutgers University — M.A. Public Administration; Doctoral candidate at Rutgers University-Newark (Public Administration) |
| Profession | Doctoral candidate, researcher, nonprofit founder, entrepreneur |
| Father | Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Sr.) — rapper, actor, filmmaker |
| Mother | Kimberly Woodruff |
| Siblings | O’Shea Jackson Jr. (actor), Darrell Jackson, Shareef Jackson |
| Relationship | Reportedly dating Horatio Joines (unconfirmed) |
| Nonprofit | Organize Change, Inc. (founder and executive director) |
| Business | Exquisite Property Services, Inc. (owner) |
| Film Appearance | Straight Outta Compton (2015) — played her mother Kimberly Woodruff |
| Net Worth | Estimated $50,000 – $3 million (sources vary widely; unconfirmed) |
| Social Media | Inactive — prefers complete privacy |
Who Is Karima Jackson?
Karima Jackson is the only daughter of O’Shea Jackson Sr. — the rapper, actor, and filmmaker universally known as Ice Cube — and his wife Kimberly Woodruff. Born on February 17, 1994, in Los Angeles, she is 32 years old in 2026 and is, by almost every measure available, one of the most deliberately private celebrity children in American public life.
She is not in the music business. She is not an actress, though she made a single notable film appearance. She is not a social media personality. She is a doctoral candidate at Rutgers University-Newark, researching public administration and social justice. She is the founder and executive director of Organize Change, Inc., a nonprofit focused on civic engagement and community development. She is the owner of Exquisite Property Services, Inc. And she has built all of this, quietly, while carrying a last name that the entire world recognises.
That combination — substantial professional achievement, complete personal privacy, and the deliberate choice to remain invisible despite having every available resource to be otherwise — is what makes Karima Jackson genuinely interesting. She is not private because she has nothing to show. She is private because she has decided that showing things is not the point.
Early Life and Background
Karima Jackson was born on February 17, 1994, at a moment when her father’s career was in an unusual pause. Ice Cube had taken a hiatus from music following the release of The Predator in 1992, though he would soon return to collaborate with Dr. Dre on “Natural Born Killaz.” Karima grew up, therefore, not with a father permanently embedded in studio sessions and tour schedules, but with one who was actively building a film career — appearing in Boyz n the Hood, Trespass, The Glass Shield, and the Friday franchise during her early childhood.
Her parents — Ice Cube and Kimberly Woodruff, who married in 1992 — made a conscious and sustained effort to give their children a childhood insulated from the extremes of celebrity. Ice Cube has spoken frequently in interviews about the centrality of family in his life, describing fatherhood as the experience that transformed him from a young man defined by public confrontation into an adult defined by private responsibility.
Karima grew up in Los Angeles alongside her brothers: O’Shea Jackson Jr. (born 1991), who followed their father into entertainment and played Ice Cube himself in the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton; Darrell Jackson (born 1993); and Shareef Jackson (born 1995). The siblings maintain a close bond and have been photographed together at family events, film premieres, and public occasions throughout their adult lives.
She has described her childhood as normal in the ways that matter: school, family dinners, sports, and the gradual understanding that while her father’s face was everywhere, their home was a place where fame was not the primary currency.
Education
Karima Jackson’s educational record is, by any standard, remarkable — and it is the clearest evidence that the choices she has made in adult life are not the result of limited options but of genuine conviction.
She attended high school in Los Angeles, graduating in 2012. Her parents marked the occasion with a brand-new car — a gesture that reflected their emphasis on celebrating academic milestones meaningfully rather than assuming entitlement.
After high school, she enrolled at Rutgers University in New Jersey, one of the United States’ oldest and most respected public research universities. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology — a discipline directly relevant to the community-focused, systems-oriented work she would later pursue.
She then completed a Master of Arts in Child Advocacy at Montclair State University in New Jersey, deepening her expertise in the intersection of child welfare, family services, and public policy.
She subsequently earned a second Master’s degree, this time in Public Administration, from Rutgers University — adding analytical and administrative skills to the advocacy knowledge she had already built.
As of 2026, she is a doctoral candidate at Rutgers University-Newark, pursuing advanced research in public administration, social justice, and leadership. Her doctoral work represents not just another credential but a sustained commitment to becoming a genuine expert in the systems she is trying to change.
Three university degrees, active doctoral candidacy, and a career that uses all of them. That is Karima Jackson’s educational story — and it is entirely self-directed.
Career
Child Protection and Family Services
Karima began her professional career working directly with families and children who needed public support and protection. She worked as a Family Service Specialist in New Jersey — a role involving case management, family intervention, and direct support for children in vulnerable circumstances. This frontline experience gave her the practical knowledge and emotional depth that classroom study alone cannot provide.
Organize Change, Inc.
The most significant professional achievement of Karima Jackson‘s career to date is founding Organize Change, Inc. — a nonprofit organisation focused on social justice, civic engagement, and community development. She serves as its executive director, overseeing its programming, partnerships, and community relationships.
The organisation’s work reflects the same values that shaped her educational choices: a belief that systemic change requires both grassroots community involvement and institutional understanding, and that the people most affected by social problems are often best placed to lead the responses to them.
Horatio Joines — reportedly Karima’s partner — is also associated with Organize Change, having worked alongside her in the organisation’s community initiatives.
Exquisite Property Services, Inc.
Alongside her nonprofit work, Karima is the owner of Exquisite Property Services, Inc. — a business venture that reflects the entrepreneurial dimension of her professional identity. The company operates in the property services sector, adding a commercial income stream that complements and supports her nonprofit work.
Film Appearance — Straight Outta Compton (2015)
In 2015, Karima made a notable single appearance in Straight Outta Compton — the F. Gary Gray-directed biographical film about the formation and rise of N.W.A., the group that launched her father’s career. She played the role of her own mother, Kimberly Woodruff — a casting choice that was both creatively unusual and personally meaningful. The film won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture and was a massive commercial success, grossing over $200 million worldwide.
Karima’s appearance was a family contribution rather than a career launch. She has not pursued further acting work.
Doctoral Research (Ongoing)
Her active doctoral candidacy at Rutgers University-Newark places her within the academic community as both a researcher and an emerging scholar in public administration and social justice. Her research focuses on the intersection of community leadership, civic engagement, and the systems that either enable or obstruct equitable outcomes for underserved populations.
Personal Life
Karima Jackson has kept her personal life almost entirely private. There are no confirmed relationship disclosures, no social media presence to mine for clues, and no public statements about her romantic history.
She has been linked in various sources to Horatio Joines, a community worker and member of Organize Change, Inc. The two were noted together during a 2016 incident at Woodland Cemetery in Newark involving a disagreement between their organisation and the cemetery board. However, Karima has never publicly confirmed any relationship, and the connection remains unverified.
She is not married as of 2026.
Her social media accounts exist but are inactive — a choice so consistent with her overall approach to privacy that it barely requires explanation. In a world that assumes public figures will maintain public profiles, Karima’s silence is itself a statement.
Ice Cube: Her Father
For readers discovering Karima through her father’s career: Ice Cube — born O’Shea Jackson Sr. on June 15, 1969, in Los Angeles — is one of the most significant figures in the history of American music and film. He was a founding member of N.W.A., the group whose 1988 album Straight Outta Compton reshaped hip-hop and American cultural conversation. After leaving N.W.A., his solo career produced landmark albums including AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992).
His film career produced Friday (1995), Boyz n the Hood (1991), Three Kings (1999), and the Barbershop and Are We There Yet? franchises, among many others. He has served as writer, director, and producer on multiple projects. His net worth is estimated at $160 million as of 2026 — wealth accumulated across music, film, and business over more than three decades.
Ice Cube married Kimberly Woodruff in 1992, and they have been together for more than thirty years — one of the more enduring partnerships in entertainment. Karima is their only daughter and their third child.
Karima Jackson’s Net Worth in 2026
Karima Jackson’s net worth is not publicly confirmed and estimates vary widely across sources — ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 (reflecting her salary-based income as a researcher and nonprofit director) to as high as $3 million (which some sources attribute to her broader professional activities and business ownership, combined with family support).
The most credible conservative estimate, based on her known professional activities — doctoral research, nonprofit leadership, and property services business ownership — places her net worth in the lower six figures. She is not wealthy by comparison to her family, and she has given no indication that financial accumulation is among her priorities.
Her father Ice Cube’s $160 million net worth belongs to him and her mother Kimberly, and is not directly translatable into Karima’s independent financial position — though it clearly provides a security context that shapes her ability to pursue public interest work on the compensation that nonprofit and academic careers typically provide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Karima Jackson?
Karima Jackson is the only daughter of rapper, actor, and filmmaker Ice Cube and his wife Kimberly Woodruff. Born February 17, 1994, in Los Angeles, she is 32 years old in 2026 and works as a doctoral candidate, researcher, nonprofit founder, and entrepreneur.
How old is Karima Jackson?
Karima Jackson was born on February 17, 1994, making her 32 years old as of 2026.
Who is Karima Jackson’s father?
Her father is Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Sr.), the rapper, actor, and filmmaker. Her mother is Kimberly Woodruff.
What does Karima Jackson do for a living?
She is a doctoral candidate at Rutgers University-Newark, the founder and executive director of Organize Change, Inc., and the owner of Exquisite Property Services, Inc. She previously worked as a Family Service Specialist in New Jersey.
Did Karima Jackson appear in Straight Outta Compton?
Yes. She appeared in the 2015 biographical film Straight Outta Compton, playing the role of her own mother, Kimberly Woodruff.
Is Karima Jackson on social media?
She has social media accounts but has been inactive for years, consistent with her preference for complete privacy.
Is Karima Jackson married?
No. Karima Jackson is not married as of 2026.
What is Karima Jackson’s net worth?
Karima Jackson’s net worth is not publicly confirmed. Conservative estimates based on her professional income range from $50,000 to $100,000. Some sources suggest higher figures up to $3 million based on broader business activities.
Does Karima Jackson have siblings?
Yes. She has three brothers: O’Shea Jackson Jr. (actor), Darrell Jackson, and Shareef Jackson. She is Ice Cube’s only daughter.
Summary
Karima Jackson grew up in one of American entertainment’s most prominent families and made a deliberate, sustained choice to build her life as far from that prominence as possible — not out of rejection of her family, but out of a clear sense of her own values and purpose. Three university degrees, doctoral candidacy, a nonprofit, and a business: these are not the achievements of someone coasting on her father’s name. They are the achievements of someone who decided, early and consistently, that the work mattered more than the visibility. In 2026, at 32 years old, Karima Jackson is exactly where she chose to be — and the gap between where she could have been and where she is reflects something worth admiring.
