S3E15: Expanding the Narrative for Black Men Featuring Shaka Senghor

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Shaka Senghor shares his inspiring story from incarceration to becoming a two times bestselling author, influencer and one of Oprah’s “SuperSoul 100” – teaching lessons of redemption and vulnerability to the masses.

He grew up spending 19 years in prison, seven of them in solitary confinement. Through reflection and writing, he later came to understand his story of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). At age 17, he was shot multiple times, and also has two brothers who were shot, one of whom ended up paralyzed.

At the same time, he takes full responsibility for the death of another, which sent him to prison. Shaka is grateful for the many “incredible mentors” who believed in him, and offered suggested readings for moving forward.

Topics covered in this interview:

• The reflective time in solitary confinement that helped him create his first bestseller, Writing My Wrongs, Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prisonhttps://www.amazon.com/Writing-My-Wrongs-Redemption-American/dp/1101907312.
• How being a father impacted his second book that just came out in January, 2022, Letters to the Sons of Society: A Father's Invitation to Love, Honesty, and Freedom https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Sons-Society-Fathers-Invitation/dp/059323801X. Here is a review of that book by The Chicago Tribune: “If you want to peer into a heart, if you want a story of brokenness and healing and fury and redemption and humanity, if you want to envision a different, better way forward, Senghor’s letters are a beautiful place to begin.”
• Changing the narrative for Black men, into worthiness, beyond being a provider and protector. Dr. Alfiee also noted research showing that Black men are the single most present ethnic group to their children even when they are the non-custodial parent.
• Shaka being “an authentic survivor,” loved up by “brothers” who saw value in him in prison, and how he now mentors other “young brothers”--living what he talks about, and challenges them while winning.
• Shaka shares three ways to instill a greater sense of self-love:
  • Journaling, and start by asking: “How did I get here, to this point in life?”
  • ”Meditate to get it straight,” which can be “horrifying” at first to sit with one’s self.
  • Personal affirmations, to think into existence what you desire.
• Running “a unicorn startup,” that went from $0 revenue to $7 billion valuation in 20 months, by helping build culture in corporations.
• Closing words, his mantra, which he contributed to in the song “Composure” by Nas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-gYa5dk-8M): “Keep your composure. And believe in the magic of who we are. 'Cause what you believe is everything. And what someone believes about you, is nothing. Keep your composure.”

About Shaka Senghor:

New York Times bestselling author, speaker and influencer; one of Oprah’s “SuperSoul 100”

Shaka Senghor is the Head of Sales and Success Culture at TripActions. He is also the President of Shaka Senghor, Inc., and Founder of Redeemed Sole.

His memoir, Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death and Redemption in an American Prison, debuted on The New York Times and The Washington Post Best Seller Lists. Shaka’s widely anticipated sophomore book, Letters to the Sons of Society, was released in January 2022.

Shaka is a former MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow and a former Fellow in the inaugural class of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Community Leadership Network. His 2014 TED Talk was featured in their “Year in Ideas” roundup and has over 1.7 million views. In 2021, he was featured on the Nas track Composure.

Shaka is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2012 Black Male Engagement (BME) Leadership Award, the 2015 Manchester University Innovator of the Year Award, the 2016 FORD Man of Courage Award, and the 2016 NAACP Great Expectations Award. He was recognized by OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network) as a “Soul Igniter” in the inaugural class of the SuperSoul 100. He has taught at the University of Michigan and shares his story of redemption around the world.

Today, Shaka’s priority is shifting societal narratives through storytelling and developing workshops with high entertainment value and deep social impact.

Follow Shaka:

Website: https://www.shakasenghor.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaka-senghor-3b869934/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shakasenghor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shakasenghor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ShakaSenghor

Follow Dr. Alfiee:

Website: https://dralfiee.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralfiee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dralfiee

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dralfiee/

Website: https://dralfiee.com

Find out more about the AAKOMA Project here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvTKmYKi24I

Season 3 Produced By: https://socialchameleon.us

More Couched in Color: https://dralfiee.com/podcast

Music Produced by: Mark “King” Batson (Super Producer of your favorite artists and Grammy award-winner for albums with Eminem and Beyoncé)