Shaka Senghor

Yeah, where it's very, it can be very just kind of like,

I can cut things off and keep it moving and not even blink.

And I don't like that.

So I'm constantly working on that part of my healing journey.

And I think that's probably the biggest one is that prison hardens you.

It's one of the things I tell people.

I'm like, Chris and I, I think we look like two lovely gentlemen and you'll probably have a great time hanging out with us.

And then...

There's a language that only he and I understand that's real, that's true, that's like you can, the way that you orient to the world is very different than what people would imagine when they see the smile and they see the laughter, they see the joy.

And then there's this other part of us that comes from that experience.

And part of it is that you have to disassociate from your body so much while you're in there.

Wow.

You know, the first arrest and someone strips you naked.

Like there's, in order to normalize that level of depravity and that dehumanization, you have to disconnect.

And then you're in this very volatile environment where there's constant violent eruptions and you have to start emotionally hardening yourself toward, oh, this is just life on the yard.

This is just what it is.

You know, a guy get into an argument over $2 that leads to bloodshed.

Oh, this is a normal day in prison.

And so when you experience that for year after year after year after year, it hardens you emotionally in a way to where...

The work that it takes to embrace your humanity and to be compassionate and empathetic when you see someone that is hurting or who's been hurt or, you know, someone who's having that, you know, that adult temper tantrum that's directed towards you.