“Years ago, I wrote a self-help book based on my life experiences – being a product of rape, a minister, getting married and divorced, having three daughters – and started putting videos on social media. So many different types of people were flocking to my message, and I just didn’t understand. I thought ‘where are you people coming from? Especially all you white people. What could we possibly have in common?’”
“I realized we have more in common than we have different. And then so many things just began to open my eyes.”
“The powers that be want to keep us divided. Because, if we’re divided and we hate each other, we won’t have real, serious conversations. We won’t be worried about China because we’re worried about the black man or the white man across the street, who absolutely has no interest in hurting us. But that’s what we’ll be focused on. People profit from keeping us divided.”
“I tell people to pay attention to what they’re voting for. Investigate to see if these things line up with your values. Some people have no idea what they were talking about, and no idea what they were voting for every time they went to the polls.”
“A lot of people want to keep us divided on party lines because, if we’re just fighting simply off the name, no one is looking into policies or trying to really see if these things line up with their personal values. They want us just be angry simply by what party we’re affiliated with. It’s just like race – you’re not taking the time to get to know each other if your guard is already up.”
“The divisions are bad right now, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling like I’m gonna do what I am supposed to do.”
“Every day, people need to be genuine and authentic. They need to treat people the way that they want to be treated. You have to take time for yourself – and you need to have some type of faith. I’ve met many people that believe something different, but they have a type of morals and values and they know how to treat one another. You need a connection to something bigger than yourself.”
“If you don’t sit and recharge, you’re just going to be walking around with no energy, kind of like a robot being told by the media or other lawless groups that this is what you should do. I connect to that which is greater than myself. And I believe that I have purpose in that. And my purpose is to go out and connect with other people that are like-minded, regardless of race, regardless of skin color. I don’t have many days where I’m feeling discouraged.”
“If you don’t think you have a purpose, you do – find out what it is.”
Shemeka Michelle
Durham, North Carolina
Shemeka Michelle is an author, speaker and personal empowerment advocate. She is the creator of Naked Girlz, a group of women who live transparent lives and speak about real topics.
