Ep 87: Letters to the Sons of Society with Shaka Senghor
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Ep 87: Letters to the Sons of Society with Shaka Senghor
Episode 87: Show Notes
Many of our luminaries on At the End of the Tunnel have become inspirations after some very dark times, and today’s guest is no different. Shaka Senghor spent 19 years in prison, with a total of seven years in solitary confinement.
From growing up in a loving, multicultural neighborhood, and being an honor-role student, Shaka struggled as a teenager, and ended up in the dark underworld of crack cocaine, where he was beaten, abused, shot, and ultimately convicted of murder.
To keep moving forward during his incarceration, Shaka turned to literature and writing. His first published book, Writing My Wrongs was written in just 30 days and was the catalyst to his meteoric career.
Tune in to hear the breadcrumbs throughout Shaka’s life that gave him the confidence to write, and how his prison manuscripts touched the lives of other inmates. Shaka describes the challenges he faced trying to write in prison, and the relentless hustling he did to continue as a writer after he was paroled.
We discover the importance of manifesting (and backing it up with hard work), and how being true to yourself allows others to relate to you. We find out what his latest book, Letters to the Sons of Society, means to him, and why he chose to introduce the book with a story about his father and some sneakers. Join us in this inspiring episode, with a true luminary in this tumultuous time.
Key Points From This Episode:
Welcome to today’s guest, Shaka Senghor (writer, entrepreneur, inspiring speaker, and leading voice in criminal justice reform).
Growing up in the ‘70s and the loving and multicultural community Shaka and his family were part of.
Why the Milk Crate Challenge makes Shaka and Light Watkins nostalgic.
The Senghor’s family discussions around race when Shaka was growing up.
Introducing his relationship with his Dad to the world: why the story about the sneakers was the introduction to Letters to the Sons of Society.
The breadcrumbs throughout life that lead Shaka to become a writer.
The cliff notes of how Shaka went from an honor roll student to being sentenced to 17-40 years in prison.
The books that made the biggest impact on Shaka.
Why letters from his father meant so much to Shaka.
The process of writing, and the importance of getting the thoughts out!
A little bit about the economy in prison: what inmates traded, and how Shaka hustled for notebooks.
Find out about Shaka’s first two books: what inspired them, and why they remain unpublished (for now).
Living in prison, and coping with the chaos of the environment.
Writing My Wrongs: why Shaka wrote it in 30 days and how he got feedback on it (from inmates, to his brother).
The influence of hip hop on Shaka’s writing and getting the reader to experience the story.
Coming up with a business plan to get his books published: how Shaka wrote his way out of solitary, and the hustling he did to continue his literary journey.
The power of manifesting and how, through hard work and a fierce commitment to being true to himself, Shaka was interviewed by Oprah.
Why Shaka took any writing job he could find, and how it helped build his network.
Asking yourself “How did I land here?” to change the narrative of your life.
Shaka’s sons’ responses to Letters to the Sons of Society, and why the book is for everyone, not just men!
Two things Shaka feels the public doesn’t know about him: his love of music and humor.
Tweetables:
“One of my favorite things about the book is the cover because the letters on the cover are my dad's letters that he wrote to me when I was incarcerated. To be able to memorialize that part of our experience is something that means a lot to me.” — @ShakaSenghor [0:12:31]
“It took a little bit of people asking me questions about it for me to really recognize that I had been a writer all along.” — @ShakaSenghor [0:22:02]
“We may not be able to control our circumstances, but I believe we can always control our reaction to them.” — @ShakaSenghor [0:39:45]
“I tell all my mentees that what you believe about yourself is more important than what anybody else believes about you.” — @ShakaSenghor [1:00:22]
“Inside our prisons, there is a wealth of talent, of genius. There's a wealth of creativity and entrepreneurship, and good people who, unfortunately, have either made decisions that landed them there, because of a series of things that happened in their life, or people who were falsely accused.” — @ShakaSenghor [1:05:08]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Letters to the Sons of Society