Today we’d like to introduce you to Shavanna Spratt.
Hi Shavanna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Born and Raised in mostly Saint Louis County, attended several different Saint Louis public schools but graduated from North County Technical High School and worked mostly in the Healthcare field since completing high school as a Certified Nurse Assistant. Experienced many childhood traumas including Molestation, a drug addicted father and what I now know as a mentally and emotionally abusive stepfather. Left home at 17 and spent most of my young adulthood just out here trying to survive and take care of responsibilities like an adult would. Throughout that time and over the years of having my own experiences with racism and bias, the Death of Michael Brown sparked a fire into me to need to bring change in my community not only as a Ferguson resident but also even more after birthing my own children and remembering the cry of Mike Brown mother in November of 2014 when she heard the verdict with the rest of the world pertaining to her son killing.
Even as a mother of two girls, I still feel fear for my girls and how they could be treated because of examples like Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. I wanted to get more involved in my community, I wanted to bring healing to my community, and give my community a space where they could be heard, informed and truly supported. I also felt the need to provide a solution to not having enough community voices in decision making rooms. Wanted to get more people in my community engaged with things that were going on in our local government, with policy changes and again let them be heard pertaining to the issues impacting our community and uplift their solutions, wants and desires for our own community because I believe the best experts are those most impacted. I saw how not only were there not enough diverse black people sitting at tables where important decisions were being made there were also less young people and youth being involved in the community.
Da Hood Talks Podcast was developed to help bring that change. The podcast came to me as a project idea for a program I was in called Neighborhood Leadership Academy. Da Hood Talks podcast is centered around community – the everyday person. It serves to give voice to the voiceless. It has a focus on the urban community, particularly the Black American community. The mission of the podcast is to engage the community and allow it to be a means of education and resource for the community. With hard work, dedication and community support the podcast has been featured in the Saint Louis American and funded $10,000.00 by Flourish STL just to name a few of the accomplishments we have had in our first year. We are now in our second season of Da hood talks podcast and recently celebrated our 1 year anniversary on 12/12.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has not been smooth in this process. It is not easy doing this work as a Mother of a 3-year-old and 1-year-old. The demand has grown tremendously in just a year for people to be on Da Hood Talks Podcast so it’s hard not having the manpower to assist me. I am literally the producer, host, editor and marketing team. Not always having the funds or resources to do more especially in the space of marketing as I’m offering this platform to the community for free and trying to give back. Having a lack of funds and manpower also makes it hard to reach those who I feel could truly benefit from our work. My hope is that we generate revenue by sponsorships and donations to help sustain and expand the work we do. Then comes my own personal struggle with my life long battle of low self esteem especially around my speech and how I sound. But through this platform I’m challenged to heal those fears, put myself out there and just be my authentic self because that is what I believe is going to spark something in someone else who may look, sound, can relate to my story or have shared the same experiences as me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Da Hood Talks Podcast has several different segments that we do on podcast 1. Da Hood Talks Live Shows with guest panelists where we bring all community stakeholders to the mic to discuss different topics or issues pertaining to our community 2. Da Hood Need’s Segment where we uplift nonprofit organizations (grassroots are our favorites) and some businesses that are providing support and beneficial to the community 3. Da Hood Heals Segment is where we speak with mental health specialists to discuss tools, techniques, and resources to any subject pertaining to mental health. 4. Da Hood Storytelling Segment is where we provide $50 (when funds are available) to community members to share their story and experiences living in the STL Urban community. We also do Community Shoutout Events where we go out to support and bring awareness to great community events to engage with other community members and build relationships to support the community.
We are known for having uncomfortable (what I call Real & Raw) but needed conversations about various things pertaining to urban communities. Topics include things like racism, finances, tradition, and local government etc. I don’t consider myself an expert at podcasting. I’m literally learning as I go during this process. I once had the opportunity to apply for journalism school and was looking to get in the radio personality field but I walked out on that because I didn’t like hearing my voice back when doing a voice over, so now with this podcast I’m learning and building off a passion to help my community and a calling I once hung up on but now getting the chance to fulfill. I’m most proud that my podcast is a space where people can be their authentic selves and a space where those who are silenced have a platform to be heard. What sets me apart from the others is that we truly want the community involved in this podcast and we are supporting our community and aiming to give back to our community. We are authentic, we are the community and we are changing our communities narrative!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
The community deserves credit for the success so far of Da Hood Talks Podcast. They have made these shows happen by joining me at the mic, talking about the work being done at Da Hood Talks Podcast and for seeing the passion in me for this work and supporting it in All various ways. The community is supporting me and I am trying to prove to the community that when we support each other anything is possible.
Contact Info:
- Email: dahoodtalks@gmail.com
- Website: www.dahoodtalks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dahoodtalkspodcast/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaHoodTalksLiveShows
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNBgw_oB6UB1O6E2Mq6b6Ag
- Other: https://linktr.ee/DaHoodTalksPodcast
