Discover the profound inspiration behind Silent Cry Inc. as Shawanna Vaughn recounts her life’s challenging journey, born in a prison and navigating the foster care system. Motivated by personal tragedies and triumphs, she founded Silent Cry Inc. to give a voice to those silently crying. Join us on this transformative path from pain to advocacy, where every tear is heard and healing is a shared journey.
What inspired you to start Silent Cry Inc. and become an advocate for the disenfranchised?
Shawanna: What inspired me to start Silent Cry Inc, and be an advocate for the disenfranchised? My life. From the beginning starting April 15, 1978 I was born in conditions that were less than subhuman in a prison called Corona State Prison For Women, which is the plantation that helps people to do free labor. From there, I entered the foster care system, which wants to bury Black children and feed them back to the prison and for me it did what it was supposed to do. At 17 I arrived in Chowchilla, California at Valley State Prison For Women. And in between that my brother was murdered December 24, 1986, it will change my life as well. My father would die August 20, 1986 and I think this was the year I learned what silent cries were all about and it’s been one catastrophic thing after another, that made me realize no one heard my tears but I was always screaming out and crying in pain. These are the reasons I advocate for those who are silently crying to know that I hear their tears. It was out of my own tragedies, my own experiences, and my own success is to bounce back that I birthed this organization.
What is it about this career path that has given you the most sense of purpose?
Shawanna: This career path is giving me the most sense of joy because it’s what I can do for free. For the better part of 20 years, it’s been a labor of love, but the money has not been great. The sacrifices have been many with the payoffs having been amazing because of legacy.
How do you envision the Shawanna W76337 bill making a difference in the lives of incarcerated individuals suffering from post-traumatic prison disorder?
Shawanna: I envision post traumatic prison disorder being a piece of legislation that changes the lives of millions of Americans affected by incarceration in their families. I see it helping guards because they are not mandated to therapy but under this legislation they would be, and not only would we for the first time get vendor therapy in prison, but trauma informed therapists that look like the people who were incarcerated. I’m also asking for alternatives to medication because pharmaceutical companies are the biggest drug dealers behind the prison walls and nobody ever deals with the fact that they too are $1 billion business behind the walls and medication does not heal my hashtag is birthing pain is like birthing baby with an aesthetic, and sometimes you just have to go through it. There’s healing if this legislation has passed for the multitude.
In your experience, what are some common misconceptions or stigmas surrounding mental health in the prison system, and how do you work to address them through your advocacy work?
Shawanna: The common misconception about mental health in the prison system is that there are mental health services. I finally believe nothing without us is about us, and if you didn’t ask incarcerated people what their traumas were then you have no solution on how to fix it. My advocacy work is designed for individual service plans for a path to mental wellness to break the stigma. The Black communities don’t need therapy if we can heal our childhood trauma along with our adult pain, we can reduce recidivism in this country and create healed people.
What can we be on the look out for from Silent Cry Inc in 2024?
Shawanna: Be on the lookout for Silent Cry Inc. in 2024 to step into another state and do advocacy work and build out our brand, but also to create a stronger brand in the cities that we have. We’re looking to partner more internationally than we ever have before, especially in Canada. We would definitely like to create more community partners and long-term sustainable funding to keep this organization running long past its Founder. We’re looking for Brand ambassadors to represent Silent Cry. We are also looking to create and collect data. That’s for us and about us.
What is your long-term vision for Silent Cry Inc. and how do you plan on achieving it?
Shawanna: My long-term plan for Silent Cry Inc. is to be a national brand that is sustainable, that people respect, and they know. As well as one that has the ability to help one person at a time, clear the eels and isms of poverty, because poverty is the main reason behind mass incarceration, mental health issues and violence .
Do you have a call to action you can leave our readers with at this time?
Shawanna: My call to action is to please go to our website, subscribe, donate, volunteer and become an advocate for change with Silent Cry Inc. Support our legislative work. Https://SilentCryInc.org
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Facebook: Silent Cry Inc Nonprofit
