Culture & Literature - Our Stories Matter

Faye Palay interviews The Wonderful Sharon Davis about Reading, Writing, and Preserving Cultural Memory. Sharon Davis, is an accomplished author and speaker.

Produced by Carlos Casarez, KZFR 90.1 Chico, California

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Welcome to Building Bridges Beyond View County, a program of KCFR's Wiki Ghost Speaks initiative. My name is Faye Flay, and on this episode, we will be discussing reading, writing, and preserving cultural memory with the wonderful Sharon Davis. She is a Christian author, motivational speaker, and she's published two books. She's also the co-producer of Labam, The Runway, Living Arts, History, Fashion Show at Chico State, and she's from Vallejo, California. Can you say hi to our listeners?

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Hello. Glad to be here today.

SPEAKER_02 1:08

We're so glad to have you.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

It's an honor to be here. I just want to share my knowledge with everyone in hoping that it would be inspirational to your guests today.

SPEAKER_02 1:18

I'm sure your perspective will give a lot of insight to youth and just people in general, you know. Like you have a lot of really good information to share with everyone.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Do you want to get on with the questions?

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Yes, please. I'm ready.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Okay. Okay. The first question is: how can books help young people understand themselves and their ancestors?

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Oh, right. Books, they can see their their reflection in them. They can visualize their ancestors' pain, their their sorrows, and they can relate to it their experiences by what they have read in the book. And also reading materials about the ancestor awakens their senses to what challenges they may face on how they should respond to them. That's what it does. It awakens their senses. That alerts them. It gives them clues. And it helps them to be able to be able to navigate in a world that's set up for many challenges they may encounter. So when they can see where their ancestors have met turmoil, frustration, anger, being humiliated and still be able to stand, that gives them hope. So as they are walking on their life journey and they encounter obstacles, they can reflect back on what they have read and know that they are overcomers. If they just apply what they have read from from the books, that teaches them the skills that they need to survive.

SPEAKER_02 3:09

Absolutely. I think that like when it comes to children or just anyone in general you learning about their ancestral history, it's really important because I feel like a lot of youth is unprepared to deal with some of the challenges they may face in their day-to-day that might relate to their ancestral history and stuff like that. So I think that like it's really important to connect and see yourself and see like the uh the issues that your that your lineage has faced in the past. So then you can come you can you can come out of that with those lessons and in your day-to-day life with issues that you face that you might seem similar, like you you might think that they're similar similar or that the solution might be similar to something that you know someone someone in your ancestry has found to. You can um you can use that lesson and you know you become sensitive to what you read.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

And the words that I have here, they learn the internal messages. And what do I mean by internal messages that because they are their ancestors, you know, messages come through this come through the Holy Spirit, it comes through your conscience, your mind. And and you can connect with your ancestors by reading. You know, it's powerful. It's very powerful. So the internal message is your inner core of your soul. The soul is what you have to open up in order to receive. So when you sit down to read, that means that you're ready you're ready and you're open to receive what messages are coming forth through you through those words. Words are powerful. What you learn by reading is especially it you you learn about your ancestors being resilient. You know, that is so important. Our ancestors' life was centered around spirituality, you know. That spirituality it means being being connected by through prayer, through singing, through drumming, you know, all the elements of of music and sound. That's how we've been thriving, you know, for centuries is through through the inner core of our being. And, you know, our heart beats. You know, everything we do is has a beat to it, and that's how we survive, you know. And through that, it gives us hope. You know, and I was thinking, what is what what are some of the key elements to our ancestors' resilience? It was faith in God. It was prayer, it was singing, you know, they came from different tribes, they had their own way of expressing themselves, how they spiritually connected to their to their gods, you know, everybody had their own way of believing. And one thing when they came to our ancestors came to America, you know, we had to be honest, you know, the overseers and the masters wanted to strip us of our identity. But the the one thing they couldn't do, they couldn't take that spirit from us. And that's what we have to rely on today. That's what we have to, our youth have to learn about the spirit, because it's the spirit that's going to carry us.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

Well, due to colonization, you know, I feel like so many people have have lost their culture and their ancestry. And reading is a way to gain that, like, like gain that back and give you like some like power and agency within that. Because I feel like, you know, our culture and our ancestry is such a big part of ourselves, you know. It's it feels like without it there is a hole within us that leaves us feeling kind of like empty and we're not sure what we should be doing with ourselves, you know what I mean? So also like reading about like, you know, traditions and like I feel like that really helps fit fill that hole with like, oh, I I'm not really sure how to connect with community or connect with my culture or my history, you know what I mean? So I think that that reading is one of the main ways that youth should be connecting with like like their with their history.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

That's correct. Yes, yeah. Reading reading for me was empowering for me. It uplifted my spirit, it helped me with my fear. It my fear dissipated when I the more I read. It was very encouraging. It helped me get out of my shell, it helped me become more creative. You know, I I from I discovered my gifts and talents, you know, by by reading and and also writing. You know, it was very important. I uh I love poetry, so that was a way of me expressing myself. I did a lot of poetry writing. Well, for for me reading and writing was important. It it it was like my savor. You know, being being labeled, you know, w you know, having these different labels to being told I was never gonna make anything of myself. I wanted to prove to people that I was not going to be that person that was gonna be left behind. You know. I wanted to be achiever, you know. And because my mother took me to church, that gave me courage and faith. And the more I read, it it just enlightened my it enlightened me my to what uh what life was all about, you know. And I just I started to just grow and my confidence j just grew so much until the teachers saw a difference in me. I remember the first day I was one day I was sitting in class. The teacher walked over to me and she says, Wonderful, we wanna put you in a regular class setting. And and she says, Now if you mess up, we're gonna put you back in special training. And I knew from that day I I wasn't gonna mess up. You know, I applied myself and because I was reading and studying, I I was determined to make it. I was this was junior high school. And the more, the more I applied myself, and you know, because you know, in order to be successful to achieve, you're gonna have to read. You're gonna have to read, you're gonna have to apply yourself. More doors begin to open up for me. From reading, I I took a piano class at school, started, you know, learning about reading music, you know what I'm saying? Being able to play the piano. It literally helped so much. It did. I got into the art class, you know, I ended up working on different art projects. Then the one most wonderful thing would really took me was getting involved in drama. Drama did it for me. Drama did it for me, you know, and I began to excel in that. I I stayed in drama until college, you know, I was in plays. I was constantly reading.

SPEAKER_02 10:02

But on like the note of like how reading like really helped you, what do you think that you were like missing in the sense? Like what do you what kinds of stories do you wish you had access to when you were younger? In the sense of like, like obviously reading helped you a lot, but like what do you think like you could have had that you felt like you were missing?

SPEAKER_00 10:21

I wish that I they would have had books on black history books. I would have loved that to be able to go to the library and see a black history book with all the famous people on it, or just being exposed to it in the classroom, you know, walking in the library and seeing a book on the shelf, or having or the teacher, you know, reading from a black history book and talking about all the famous people and people that made achievements, that their struggles and their pains, and how they went through those tormoil periods, you know, and how they persevered, that really would have helped me in also with my self-esteem and confidence. That would have just gave me more made me more proud of who I was as a person. Because if they achieve, I know that I that would have helped me with my identity.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

I feel like nowadays, I feel like a lot of people, especially with social media, they they look at their their race or their culture with a uh with a frown and they don't they don't feel proud of it because they don't see like they don't see the goodness in it, if that makes sense. They see stereotypes and they see harsh comments and like all of the bad things about like their their culture and their ancestry and their own.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

But I wanted to share with you all that my mother was a great storyteller. She used to, she transitioned in 2013. But when she was a little girl, she was like a daddy's girl. And so she would sit, you know, near her dad, you know, maybe in the evening or whenever he had time to talk with her from out, you know, from coming out from the um gardening or whatever they were doing on the plant. They wasn't living on the plantation, they weren't slaves or anything like that. But uh they were sharecroppers. And he would tell her all about different stories of what what life was like, you know, with the people from the prior to the, you know, prior to the his pa uh he him being born, born. He talked about Toby. He knew about Toby, you know, and he he just shared everything about the history of the lineage of their family. So yes, it was so she shared all that with us. She did that every day. Every day she shared with us a little piece about her family and the history. When she was talking about them, that would just empower us and it we would just hold our head up and be proud. Even though we were on welfare and we were going through, it just gave us gave us hope and self-esteem to know that you know that we are somebody special.

SPEAKER_02 12:52

It gave you pride in your lineage and it did. And that's like really important. I feel like nowadays a lot of people don't like know about their lineage, and I feel like knowing people that like, you know, people of your family or people like of the same like racial background, even like hearing stories of like their success or their perseverance really gives you the confidence to keep going and push through all of the challenges that life like throws at you, you know? Even when like your self-esteem might be low.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Yes, yes, ma'am. Well, I was gonna say that because Mama was so inspired by what her dad was sharing with her, during during the war, I think it was World War II, she came out here from Texas to California, and she she was blessed to get a good job. But at the same time, because of her race, she was dismissed because she was the head cook. I think it was Camp Stallman. Camp Stallman. Yeah. And but the women there, you know, of another nationality was very jealous of her, and they just pressured her so that she had to leave, but she was the head cook. So she knows she made something of herself. She graduated from high school. You know, she was somebody special. And even though we had our challenges, you know, growing up, she still had her head high and she, you know, she carried herself like a first lady. Well, my my project at this time is that I I would like to do a fireside chat chat with the name of my organization is Wonderful Unlimited Productions, but I have a subtitle, Who's Who and Unique Names, and Who's Who and Unique Names mission is to bridge nations together through names. You know, with people, we have more things in common about ourselves than we do, than being different. You know, but when we sit down and discuss our names and the origins, and you know, there's all types of names. You got traditional names, you got revolutionary names, you you got you got all types of names. And they they are empowering, they're uplifting, and people love to tell stories about their names. You know, it's so it's a wonderful time for people to come together and be unified. I'm writing I'm writing my third book uh on how to be a first lady. And I was just sitting here making some notes, and I was thinking, people think that to be a first lady, you have to be married to a bishop, you know, be to uh to the president, you, you, you know, a pastor, yes. But no, a first lady is someone that knows how to carry herself. A first lady is someone that has pause, a first lady is somebody that's refined, someone that knows how to communicate with people, somebody that's compassionate, someone that's a listener, someone that's a giver. It's a virtuous woman. That's the first lady. It's not who you're married to, it's how you carry yourself, it's what you think about yourself. The first book, the first book that I wrote was called Pearls of Wisdom for Young Ladies, a mini manual for Christian Girls. And that was the form that you had mentioned about Dare to Dream. All right then. It's called Dare to Dream. Dream big, take a leap of faith, fly like an eagle, be bold, be courageous, be fearless, dare to dream. God gave you the intelligence and the insight to succeed in whatever you desire. Dare to be the mayor of your city, the president of your United States, a professor, a politician, a lawyer, an engineer, a role model in your community. Dare to dream. Be that shining star that stands out in love and peace, not in pride. Be a lady, be a gentleman, dare to dream. Trials and tribulations will come into your life. However, keep on dreaming. The more you push toward your goals, the stronger you get and succeed. Don't let anybody break your spirit or intimidate you. Just keep focused and pray. Your ancestors have already paved the way for you. They endured the pain, suffered beatings and death. Through it all, they kept on singing, praying, and hoping for a better day. Dare to dream. Matthew 7 and 7. Ask and it shall be given. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. Challenge yourself and dare to dream.

SPEAKER_02 17:29

That truly was really beautiful. And it reminds me of how you were telling us about how like your mom, even though she faced so like racism and she had a hard time like getting a job because of like racist employers and stuff like that. Like despite everything that she faced, she still pushed through and she and she got a job. And I think that is, but like it just really shows that, like, you know, like it it it reminds me of how you talked about how she really pushed through. And I think that is such a beautiful, important message for people nowadays, because I feel like a lot of people feel so down and they don't want to try it all. They want to just lay down and give up.

SPEAKER_00 18:07

They want to um it's a you know, you're right, because there are so many suicides. You know, when I look on YouTube, I say, why are so many young people just killing themselves? You know? And even even adults are committing suicide. I I don't know. I don't know. They just like they kind of lost their way. I don't understand.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

Of such a lack of hope of like they they see the world very bleakly and they and they don't see a better future. They they don't see a a better tomorrow. So they decide that leaving the world is better than staying in it. It's this is actually a good segment because I feel like a lot of people, like a lot of youth feel repressed. And I think that um how how can journaling or poetry or stuff storytelling help youth like heal or grow so they don't feel so so down and hopeless?

SPEAKER_00 18:58

You know writing and journaling, it it's an it's an outlet for for young people, and it it helps them to to process their thoughts and and and help them understand what they are feeling. You know, a lot of times they a lot of them are afraid to tell someone what they're going through. But as you're writing, sometimes what happens is the answer is right there. The answer is right there. And that's when I say, you know, opening up your heart, opening up your heart and because the core, you know, is there, the inner soul is there. And it's just it's just awaiting for you to come. Come and sit down. And it's because it's a sacred time. Make it your sacred time, you know. It's like when you know you're gonna take a test and and you're preparing yourself for a test and you don't want to fail. So you apply yourself, and that's what you have to do. You you make this a special time just for you. You know. If you a lot of times you're sharing your room with two or three other people, or maybe, you know, your brother or sister, it just depends on who it is. Maybe you cannot write right there in your room. Sometime when you go to the restroom, you may have to take, you know, you may have to just take your pencil and pad and go in there and write. You know, and it and just let let you know, just open up your heart. Don't don't be afraid to to f to cry. Because, you know, messages, messages come through crying. I notice that when I write, it seems like my heart just opened up and I just start crying because that's healing. Let that's crying is healing. You're it's like a catharsis, you're purging yourself. So, you know, it you don't have you you're not writing a textbook, you know. Just take your index card or whatever, just a tablet, whatever, and just if it's one or two words, write it down. If someone wants to write me and have any questions about, you know, how to start writing in a journal or what to say, or you know, you just want to learn more, learn more, you know, what life is all about. I'm here, I'm I'm open. I, you know, I call myself just the godmother for children, you know. That's what I'll say. I'm the godmother for children. That means I'm you I'm compassionate about helping people and sharing my knowledge. And I have a I have a a love for people that have disabilities, you know. So if you're having a challenge when it comes to learning, please reach out to me and I'll be willing to listen to you, give you some pointers and some tools to help you grow. So you can reach me at Sharon Davidson S-H A-R-O-N-D-A-V-I-D-S O-N 79 at gmail.com. If you want to learn more about me to see who I really am, you can find me on LinkedIn under Wonderful Davidson. You can find me on

SPEAKER_02 22:03

As we wrap up, what's one message you want young people listening to this podcast to carry with them this week?

SPEAKER_00 22:13

Literature is important. It becomes a mirror. It becomes a mirror. A mirror you take a mirror and you look at it because you're looking to see the imperfection. And if you see an imperfection, you know, maybe your clothes are not looking right at you, or maybe your hair is out of place, something isn't correct, you want to correct it. So in in literature, in in writing, when I write, I'm wanting to show people how they can navigate life. That's what literature is all about. How to move and how to move and navigate. So looking in the mirror and shows you the pros and cons. You see the good, you see the bad. So literature is so important. Like I say, the inner core, when you when you when you are open yourself up so you can hear, so you can receive. And the last thing is as I say, dream being, don't let no one intimidate you. Prosperity and favor can come your way through writing. Some of the greatest achievers in our country started out just by using a pen or pencil. I encourage you to believe in yourself. You may stumble, but get up and start again. Most importantly, I'll leave with you all today. Keep God as the forefront of your life. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

Exactly. And as you were saying earlier, like just like I feel like a lot of youth they don't know how to express themselves or anything like that, and they're scared to express themselves. So writing is like an opening. It's an opening to sit there and start that thought process and to to finally like get that moment to express themselves, to feel and work through any any sort of situation that they're having a hard time dealing with in their lives at the time. And I think that it also like helps them get more confidence in themselves when they when they're able to overcome their issues and come to the conclusions they need to come to with writing. That and the writing helps them think. And I think that I think that more youth nowadays should be definitely trying to at least journal.

SPEAKER_00 24:33

Yeah. I just got a thought here, dear. That writing is medicine. It's medicine, it's healing, it's restoration. That's what it is.

SPEAKER_02 24:41

And thank you so much for being here. I really and I hope that at some point we could do this again. All right. And also, I want to give a big thanks and big thumbs up to KZFR 90.1 FM for the continual support to Game Ant Play and our youth crew. But on like the note of like how reading like really helped you, what do you think that you were like missing in the sense? Like, what do you what kinds of stories do you wish you had access to when you were younger? In the sense of like, like obviously reading helped you a lot, but like what do you think like you could have had that you felt like you were missing?

SPEAKER_00 25:52

I wish that they would have had books on black history books. I would have loved that to be able to go to the library and see a black history book with all the famous people on it, or just being exposed to it in the classroom, you know, walking in the library and seeing a book on the shelf. Or having all the teacher, you know, reading from a black history book and talking about all the famous people and people that made achievements at their struggles and their pains and how they went through those tormoil periods, you know, and how they persevered, that really would have helped me also with my self-esteem and confidence. That would have just given me more, made me more proud of who I was as a person. Because if they achieved, I know that that would have helped me with my identity.

SPEAKER_02 26:59

This program has been made possible by funds from the City of Chico Arts Commission, the California Arts Council, Game Amp Play, and by KZFR 90.1 FM. Extended episodes can be found on the Game Amp Play Patreon or on our website, gameamp.org, spelled G A M E A M P dot O R G.

SPEAKER_01 27:44

Nope, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no.