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Season 2: Black Stories Matter

EPISODE #5 | Shawaine Comes to America

Pronouns: She/Her

In our bonus episode, “Reclaiming Our Time,” Victory said, “I carry the color of my skin out into the world with me. I want to understand it more so it can be more of a badge than a burden.” In this episode, Shawaine explains how, after growing up as a confident and proud Black girl in Jamaica, dealing with the whitewashed beauty standards of the US made her Blackness feel like a burden.

Don’t tell me I’m pretty for a Black girl because – not to be arrogant – I’m pretty damn beautiful for a girl. Period. My Blackness does not dictate whether I’m beautiful or not, it just enhances it.

Episode Notes:

This is Episode 5, Season 2 of The TMI Project Story Hour: Black Stories Matter featuring TMI Project storyteller Shawaine Davis. This episode was produced by Hayley Downs and mixed by Marlan Barry. It was co-produced by Radio Kingston. Special thanks to Ida Hakkila, Nate Brogan, Kale Kaposhilin, Jimmy Buff, and North Guild Productions.

Shawaine Davis was born in Jamaica where she was in the majority but at 7 she moved to Kingston, NY, where she quickly learned that racism, ignorance, and fear are synonymous words. Shawaine wrote and performed her story during TMI Project’s first-ever all-teen production of Black Stories Matter.

Resources/Links:

Kingston High School: https://www.kingstoncityschools.org/khs

Episode Contributors:

Eva Tenuto
Micah
Hayley Downs
Blake Pfeil
Sara DeRose
Edison Woods
Dara Lurie
Marlan Barry
Lauren Gill
Shantae Howell
Clarissa Marie Ligon
Shawaine Davis

Photos:

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