Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices, a production of NPR Illinois. I'm your host, Jeff Williams. In the studio, Shatrya Smith, welcome to Community Voices.
Shatrya Smith:
Thanks for having me.
Jeff Williams:
Well, I thought I'd bring you in today. I don't have any particular topic. I just thought we could start to talk, let things kind of go where they do.
Shatrya Smith:
Authentically.
Jeff Williams:
Why don't you start off by just kind of telling us a little bit about yourself?
Shatrya Smith:
Thank you for having me here, first of all. I want to share how much I appreciate your advocacy in art and to be one of our community voices. So, thank you for all of that you do. And I've always called you the triathlon of art. (laughter) So this is perfect for your skill set. So yeah, how's your head feel? Wonderful.
Jeff Williams:
Thanks A lot. Yeah.
Shatrya Smith:
My name is Shatrya Smith, born and raised here in Springfield a little bit.
Jeff Williams:
That's what I was going to ask. I wasn't sure if you were born here also.
Shatrya Smith:
Absolutely. And I'm really, really proud of it because I hold Springfield in high regard. You make your community what you want it to be. And anywhere you go in the world, you would have to put in that same amount of effort.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah.
Shatrya Smith:
But I'm lucky enough to be in the community where I have stood up for myself for a very long time. and a lot of other people. I can remember in the 3rd grade at Jane Addams Elementary School playing in the rock garden and making sure that I stood up for my friends in the playground. So, I feel like I'm still doing the same thing that I was doing then. I'm just much bigger, older, and I have a little bit more money to play with. Not a lot, but I recognize that being in a community where poverty is the norm, I've learned how to use my money in a way that doesn't emphasize rich being THE importance. It's quality versus quantity, and that's what's really, really important to me.
Jeff Williams:
Absolutely. This person ran the record label that our band was on for a while. Business was his thing, right? He moved to Los Angeles. So, he went to this other part of the world where his girlfriend is from, he' (said)… ‘we were in this little tiny village, and I've never seen people so happy and so connected and so... They didn't have what I would consider,’ … this is him saying it, ‘(they didn’t have) what I would consider… anything. Dude, I think I want to make a plan to move there.’ He said it was just eye-opening where there was just this sense of community and it wasn't about trying to literally or figuratively step on somebody else to get there. It was just a kind of cool thing to hear him say that.
Shatrya Smith:
It's the quality of understanding how to be rich without money.
Jeff Williams:
Right. Oh, yeah.
Shatrya Smith:
The love, the community, the connection, language, food, memories.
Jeff Williams:
Will, you have been involved in the Garvey Tubman Cultural Center. Is that the correct title?
Shatrya Smith:
It's the Garvey Tubman Cultural Arts and Research Center because we do pay attention to historic reverence and understanding of where we've come from to Garvey Tubman recognize where we're going.
Jeff Williams:
So, do you have any projects?
Shatrya Smith:
Oh, we will organize events, crafts, presentations for community groups to help the students understand why black history is American history. and those are intertwined. I'm working currently doing the Mosaic Project. It's a Q&A podcast with Tony Stange. He's a local pastor here and he started up a new project to kind of get acclimated to the Springfield area and understand what's going on, highlighting businesses downtown, which we desperately need.
Jeff Williams:
How long has he been in the area?
Shatrya Smith:
He's new.
Jeff Williams:
OK, I was going to say….
Shatrya Smith:
Not too many people have heard of him yet, but his vision on community gathering and strengthening is bright and fresh. We'll be doing the Mosaic Project. You can find that on Facebook under the Mosaic Project Facebook page. I'm doing some wonderful poetry, a group at Intricate Mind on this series poetry workshop. And it's with Tiara Standage and Kelly Hurst.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, where's that located? Is that a physical location?
Shatrya Smith:
It is a physical location. It's on North Grand. I want to say between 7th and 8th at North Grand before the tracks. Tiara Standage does a lot of wonderful things in the community and especially helping with the homeless population and dealing with supporting people that have addiction issues.
Jeff Williams:
Just for a point of reference, that's kind of by like Mel-O-Cream Donuts is right in that area. Absolutely.
Shatrya Smith:
It's on the other side of the tracks of the Mel-O-Cream. Healing Illinois gave us a wonderful grant to do this. is our second turn doing this series, and I'm just looking forward to learning more about Kelly Hurst. It's like a healing retreat for poetry. really excited. At the end of this 10 series program, we'll have an open public poetry preview for the community.
Jeff Williams:
And that'll happen there also.
Shatrya Smith:
We will probably have it at a bigger location.
Jeff Williams:
Gotcha, gotcha, yeah.
Shatrya Smith:
Our last one was at First Presbyterian Church under Pastor Susan Phillips. They have their renovated church. It's beautiful if you haven't had an opportunity to go over there. They have a labyrinth and a beautiful sunroom. They have elevators now. so you can access the entire building.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, nice. Oh, yeah, that's very important. Yeah.
Shatrya Smith:
I'm working with Motherland Garden Project for an after-school program for kiddos. The kids there are learning how to patch walls, do a little electric work, house maintenance things that, you know, most kids that live in the country get an absolute first view and accessibility because the family is doing it. It's right there in front of them. Our kids don't have access to that, so we're giving them the access to learning that. We had a little stock market class that we hope to bring back. And of course, Garvey Tubman provided the crafting. Marcus Garvey started his business off with making cards, condolence cards, thank you cards. So that's what we started the kids off, because currently right now, we can't find any Black History Month stuff for the state of the world. So we can teach the kids how to make their own. And then through that, they can become their own entrepreneurs, selling their own cards and keeping the proceeds in their pockets.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, and understanding that you can do that, giving them the opportunity to see that it is an attainable, a reachable thing, you know, so that's super, super cool. What's the location on that?
Shatrya Smith:
Oh, so excited about that. I call it inside the square between Cook, South Grand, 11th Street, in Martin King, there is a community in there. And on 15th and Lawrence, 14th and Lawrence, 15th and Lawrence is the motherland garden. What's really exciting is that my grandmother and I, my grandmother lived and I was raised on 13th and Lawrence.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, so right there, yeah.
Shatrya Smith:
And my grandmother had a garden in her backyard. So it's full circle that I'm now working at a project that has a garden right across the street from my grandmother's house. Right.
Jeff Williams:
Amazing.
Shatrya Smith:
So, I feel like I was a seed in the same soil that I'm growing seeds in.
Jeff Williams:
I love that.
Shatrya Smith:
It's wonderful.
Jeff Williams:
Well, we've worked together at DIM and some of the projects, Joe and Christy would always try to help out to be there for you and John, John Crisp.
Shatrya Smith:
Speaking of John Crisp, the oldest, amazing founder of our Garvey Tubman program, he's been doing this for 40 plus years. is the visionary of the Garvey Tubman Center. He teaches the kids how to do all of the artwork and impresses them as well with music.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, oh yeah.
Shatrya Smith:
And teaching music programs. He is now 81 and still as feisty as ever.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, yeah, he is.
Shatrya Smith:
And wants to continue to work. He's actually working on making his own Black History Month cards that we can have lasting art that we can just replicate over and over again until the end of our days to help support the Garvey Tubman Center. Currently we've done a few presentations at Trinity Lutheran, back to school, stay in school alternative program. We've helped at the ELA (Early Learning Academy) program with the Creative Reuse, which is out at the White Oaks Mall.
Jeff Williams:
Oh yeah, Creative Reuse, yeah.
Shatrya Smith:
Adena Rivas and her team out there, they have a lot of wonderful crafts that you can buy. And they also assist in helping women that have had a struggle to get a job and to grow within themselves and become more independent. I definitely support that. As far as poetry is concerned, I have an event, another event coming up with you. Absolutely. I have a couple of friends that are coming. I'm hoping to work with Richard Gilman-Opalsky again for the avant-garde poetry. Which is really sexy for me. I really like this nuance of trying language in a staccato music background that sounds just phenomenal. And I don't even know what I'm going to say.
Jeff Williams:
That one time at DIM when they (one of Richard’s ensembles) was playing and you came up. The cool thing to see was, if I remember this correctly, you said it was one of your first times… trying something like that. The look on your face though! Like, ‘Oh my! This new thing! And then (I) look back at the band as they're playing, (and you are speaking) that was cool. It was great to see that interaction and this new (thing) like, you know, this.
Shatrya Smith:
You did that… so, that was because you gave us an opportunity and a location to get that done.
Jeff Williams:
That was when you first met Richard?
Shatrya Smith:
That was my first time meeting him and bringing that to the forefront. And now anytime he calls me for that, I'm like, absolutely. Do you want more poets? Let's find people. It's an experience that needs to be cultivated, had, shared, showcased, and replicated in the Springfield area. We need this kind of newness and this nuance. But there is the Springfield Poets and Writers that happens the first Wednesday of every month, and that's over at Edwards Place, (at) the SAA building. But it's a beautiful location over there. They have a lot of art. I really appreciate Betsy Dollar. We've worked with her several times for some art critique activities through a couple of different grants, and she always gives me really a good vibe And she really does look out for the Garvey Tubman Center. So I appreciate her efforts and her thoughtfulness.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, absolutely.
Shatrya Smith:
I am on the Purple Coalition Board, which is a new coalition. It's a community activism group. We are looking for artists that are willing to donate for an auction for the Purple Coalition. And it's a purple themed, but we are in the auspice of highlighting Sonia Massey without having to use her physical depiction.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Shatrya Smith:
Right? Because we want to hold her in a regard of peace and kindness. And there is a bit of trauma when you replay a person's face that has been so demeaned.
Jeff Williams:
Well, yeah, I was going to say, so this is more just like the essence.
Shatrya Smith:
… of her hope and her kindness and the thought of growth from the ashes.
Jeff Williams:
Right. Absolutely.
Shatrya Smith:
So. I do want to mention that I did get 2 grants this year. We did get the development block grant from the city. I'm still concerned about that because I don't know if the funding's going to be there when I need it because of the state of the world. My grandma said not all money's good money.
Jeff Williams:
Right.
Shatrya Smith:
But there's a couple of things that she's mentioned. But we got grant funding from Illinois Foundation for the Melinda Lincoln. And Deb Bandy has been very supportive to me as a human being. And she's always been my love funder. You know what I mean? She sees what I'm doing. And she's just like, yeah, you deserve it. You're worth it. I support you. And she's always been an ace in my side pocket. So I appreciate her so much.
Jeff Williams:
Well, that's the thing is having that support, that support, whatever the means is, you know, that's sometimes I don't think people realize how much it helps a person, you know what I mean? Like helps you to have that happening.
Shatrya Smith:
Paul Laurence Dunbar did poetry in Ebonics.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Shatrya Smith:
Since it's Black History Month, I was wondering if I could find the poem This is a book called Poems of a Cavern and Field. And these are all in Ebonics. I want to do When the Cone Pones is Hot. How about that?
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, oh yeah, that's totally.
Shatrya Smith:
Have you heard that one before?
Jeff Williams:
Didn't you do that at the museum?
Shatrya Smith:
Yes.
Jeff Williams:
That's, I thought, I thought that I heard that there.
Shatrya Smith:
And the reason why I do that is because it has the historic connection to Harriet Tubman, when they were fleeing enslavement to freedom, they would have these fried cornbread balls in their pockets. And then while they were fleeing, if they heard the dogs coming, right, they would throw these fried cornbread balls in one direction and go the other one. And the dogs would then go and find the cornbread balls because they were so delicious. And hence, that's the reason why they call them hush puppies. So, I love to share that story.
Jeff Williams:
Absolutely.
Shatrya Smith:
And it's always a great Black History Month. All right, you ready?
Jeff Williams:
I'm ready.
Shatrya Smith:
"When the Co’n Pone’s Hot"
by Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Dey is times in life when Nature
Seems to slip a cog an' go,
Jes' a-rattlin' down creation,
Lak an ocean's overflow;
When de worl' jes' stahts a-spinnin'
Lak a picaninny's top,
An' yo' cup o' joy is brimmin'
'Twell it seems about to slop,
An' you feel jes' lak a racah,
Dat is trainin' fu' to trot—
When yo' mammy says de blessin'
An' de co'n pone's hot.
When you set down at de table,
Kin' o' weary lak an' sad,
An' you 'se jes' a little tiahed
An' purhaps a little mad;
How yo' gloom tu'ns into gladness,
How yo' joy drives out de doubt
When de oven do' is opened,
An' de smell comes po'in' out;
Why, de 'lectric light o' Heaven
Seems to settle on de spot,
When yo' mammy says de blessin'
An' de co'n pone's hot.
When de cabbage pot is steamin'
An' de bacon good an' fat,
When de chittlins is a-sputter'n'
So's to show you whah dey's at;
Tek away yo' sody biscuit,
Tek away yo' cake an' pie,
Fu' de glory time is comin',
An' it's 'proachin' mighty nigh,
An' you want to jump an' hollah,
Dough you know you'd bettah not,
When yo' mammy says de blessin'
An' de co'n pone's hot.
I have hyeahd a' lots o' sermons,
An' I've hyeahd o' lots o' prayers,
An I've listened to some singin'
Dat has tuck me up de stairs
Of de Glory-Lan' an' set me
Jes' below de Mastah's th'one,
An' have lef' my hea't a-singin'
In a happy aftah tone;
But dem wu'ds so sweetly murmured
Seem to tech de softes' spot,
When my mammy says de blessin',
An' de co'n pone's hot.
Jeff Williams:
Woo-hoo! Yay. Pardon me, my composure. Shatria Smith, Shatria Smith.
Shatrya Smith:
Thank you, thank you.
Jeff Williams:
Thank you so much for being in here. It's crazy how time just goes fast, you know what I mean? It was quick, I was like, oh my gosh. Community Voices is a production of NPR Illinois.
