“It’s hard to look at y’all in those orange jumpsuits,” the imposing muscle-bound man told young members of Free Minds as they filed into the jail’s chapel on Friday, December 12th. Hard because just four years ago, Shaka Senghor was behind bars in a prison jumpsuit himself. “I can see all of your potential so clearly. But then I see you in here facing the outcome of the bad decision you made,” Senghor told the young men.
Senghor had traveled from Detroit to DC to speak with several groups of youths. Following sessions with students at DC’s Phelps High School through the PEN/Faulkner Writers In Schools Program, Senghor came for a dose of “real talk” with the members of Free Minds. The group had just finished reading Senghor’s memoir, Writing My Wrongs—an account of his early life on the streets, followed by 19 years in prison for murder. Senghor is now a university professor, motivational speaker and the author of six books. It was in prison that Senghor discovered the power of books and writing to transform his life.
Shaka Senghor (center) with Fred Rogers, Program Manager with the Department of Corrections, and Kelli Taylor, Free Minds Co-founder and Book Club Facilitator
Senghor related his early struggles, from the break up of his parents’ marriage to the murder of a childhood friend, and the shootings of both brothers. He told them how he was shot multiple times at the age of 17. Senghor said ER doctors never asked him how he was, or attempted to help him overcome the emotional trauma of his experience. Instead, they patched him up and sent him back to the streets.
“I decided the next time, I would shoot first. I did. And that person died. I had a choice that day. I could have just walked away,” Senghor said. “You can’t replace a life. You can’t undo that. You can’t reimburse someone for their loved one,” he said.
Senghor did not stop there. He told the young men that they were doing exactly what was expected of them by getting locked up.
“Are you all living your own life? Or are you living the one someone else wrote for you?” he asked a room full of solemn-faced teens.
Senghor described how reading helped him to free his mind while he was serving his sentence. Reading books inspired him to begin writing, and he discovered he had real talent.
“I realized I had a skill that I could use to devise a dream for my life. Even though I was in prison, I could start planning my future. You all have to decide if your future is worth fighting for,” he said. He challenged them to figure out what talents they had at their disposal and then use them to find a legitimate way to succeed in life.
When one of the young men asked Senghor, “Did you ever feel like your life was over when you were in there?” he replied that he had spent years being depressed, angry, and blaming others for his situation. He said were three things they need to remember: “First, get rid of every excuse you have for your situation. You put yourself in here. Nobody wants to hear your excuses; Second, educate yourself. Master your thinking. Learning is what you do for yourself; And finally, believe that you are worthy. Because when you start believing, there is nothing you can’t do.”
As the session closed, Senghor signed copies of his book for the young men. One member read his poems to Senghor, who was impressed and asked the teen to mail him some more of his work. Another told him proudly that he was determined to go back to finish high school when he was released. “I’m going to master my thinking,” he said smiling. Your message really sunk in.”
By Kelli Taylor