Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Beasley.
Samantha, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Spoken Truth began about a year ago when I decided to begin a platform for myself and others to speak their truths. For years, I have always been someone who was an advocate for Mental Health and Mental Wellness. I would voice how I was feeling, how my anxiety made me feel and how I would pull myself out of my Manic Depression. The response was overwhelming, not just for people supporting my confessions, but stating they felt the same and never realized what it was. Or those who have always known what they were dealing with but don’t have a support system to sort their thoughts out with.
I decided to partner with a good friend of mine, Saadai Walker to start Spoken Truth. The idea was also something she had been trying to find a way to create. A video podcast where we get together to speak about different topics and be completely transparent about how we view them and what our truth is. There is power in speaking words aloud. We do online segments also where our viewers and supports can answer questions and interact in challenges to help with tough times.
Has it been a smooth road?
My journey began before we started the show. The journey to Mental Wellness has not always been easy but it has been well worth the struggles and efforts. I had to learn to understand what I was dealing with and how to get through it before I could vocalize it. It is difficult for people to understand how you can be a “fully functioning adult” and still deal with these things. I am a wife, a mother and a career woman. I had to find a way to explain how all of these things tie into one another and how others can learn to balance theirs as well.
When we begin the show, I had to overcome a lot of anxiety about speaking on camera and being honest about what I was feeling. The more honest I could be, the more people would see that they weren’t alone and help them sort their own thoughts. I don’t function as a counselor but more as a safe place to voice what you’re going through. We worked to find a way to also create that safe place with the show.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
Our show discusses Mental Health, Motherhood, Black Women in Corporate American, Feminism and much more. We invite others on to the show to give their truths on certain topics. A few of our upcoming shows will explore black men in the jail system and losing a parent. We are also going to begin empowerment panels and self-defense meetups.
In the near future, we are beginning a Mental Wellness documentary that will focus on high functioning adults who are navigating their Mental Illnesses and trying to find a balance between then and Mental Wellness. A big part of what we do is educating people on what Mental Illnesses and Mental Health really mean. These conversations help to create normality between those who have actual Mental Illnesses and those who simply need to learn to maintain Mental Health.
On top of Spoken Truth, I am also a writer. I am working on creating a line of personal Wellness Experience Journals and short novels.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
My mother played a big role in my childhood and teaching me how to be successful through my struggles. She was someone I could always count on to listen to me and see me through. As I grew and matured, I realized that not everyone had that same outlet. I began mentoring in college and just sort of took that same thought process into adulthood. Just because you have struggles, doesn’t mean you can’t learn to navigate through them and find a way to maintain through your daily stresses.
When she passed away last year, my Mental Health took a drastic decline and I had to find a way to pull myself out of my dark place. I just remembered everything she taught me and found a way to form that into a platform. Having her as such a solid role model really helped me fight for more at all times. Whether that was in the form of career goals or personal progress.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 770-906-1828
- Email: spokentruth2019@gmail.com
- Instagram: SpokenTruth2019
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpokenTruth2019/
Image Credit:
Katrina Jarrell, Donald Beasley, She Films
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