From the Crack House to the White House | Dr. Jacquala Shropshire

Deana Brown Mitchell: Hi there, it's Deana from The Realized Foundation. And today I'm here with Dr. Jacquala. And we're going to talk about her chapter in the upcoming scars to stars. Number three book. So welcome Dr. Jacquala. Glad to have you here.

Dr. Jacquala Shropshire: Thank you for the invite. It's wonderful to be with you.

Deana Brown Mitchell: Thank you. Would you share with the listeners a little more about you and your chapter in the book what you wrote about?

Dr. Jacquala Shropshire: Wow, wonderful. Listen. Well, I am Dr. Eric Wallace rumps. I am a graduate of next dimension University. I'll be graduating with my PhD as of September the ninth of 2023. So I am super excited. It's been a long road. And God has certainly been kind to me. So just a little bit on myself, my career job is I work in the mental health field for the state of California, as an independent contractor, I am contracted through the state to work with those who have physical and mental disabilities. And Dana, I've been doing that over 30 years. And but it's been a pleasure and a joy. And I look at as ministry. And because I get chance to meet all types of people and coaching them through their situations of life. And I tell you, it's helped me heal in my own life. As I started out in my youth with some trauma issues, and here I am 60 years later, and still dealing with a lot of mental health issues. But God has graced me to overcome.

Deana Brown Mitchell: Well, I'm glad that I got to meet you, and that you're writing in this book. And I know your your chapter has a lot of information for people that are trying to overcome adversity in their own lives. Yes, and and how you overcame so much. And you want to talk about that a little bit.

Dr. Jacquala Shropshire: Yes, be happy to, you know, my trauma started as a young girl. Just trying to find love in all the wrong places. And desperately wanting to be loved and not rejected. And, and so I felt like I could never be myself, Deena. And so I started trying to be what everybody presumed or wanted me to be. And that was such a great battle. And I had some behavioral issues. I remember my mom taking me back and forth to court. Because I was in corrigible. And she just couldn't understand. And my mom was the greatest mom. However, there was a great disconnect that I was so looking for, in my youth with the relationship with my mother. And here I am 60 years later. And I talk to my mom, sometimes two or three times a day, she lives on the East Coast. I'm on the West Coast, and how God has mended all those broken pieces.

Deana Brown Mitchell: That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy how, when you're young, you think you know, you have forever to live. And then, you know, we get to our 50s and 60s and beyond him. And we're thankful for every day because, you know, who knows? But it's it is those relationships that maybe we take for granted when we're younger. And as we get older, they, you know, we we really miss that and value that. Yeah. So I do have one more question for you. And that is, you know, being part of scars to stars, and writing your story. What has that meant to you?

Dr. Jacquala Shropshire: Oh my gosh, it has changed my life in so many ways. Because I actually was able to take what was in my mind and in my heart and put it on paper to let the world know. You know, a lot of times when we go through incidents, we feel isolated. And we feel like we're the only ones because we don't get to express and if we did talk to so they wouldn't quite understand where we're coming from. But this gave me a grand opportunity to put my thoughts on paper for people to read. Because I'm a believer, Dana, nothing just happens. And that when people begin to pick up this book, and they begin to read from each author's chapter, that they will start the healing processes of their own lives, and be able to identify areas in their own lives that hey, I wasn't alone. There is somebody just like me. And if God is doing it for them, and brought them out, certainly they would do it for me.

Deana Brown Mitchell: That's incredible. Thank you for sharing that. Because it it is the mission at our core is that people know they're not alone. Yes, it's so important that there are multiple ways that people get that message. And, you know, sometimes people in a bad place like me, I, I was silent for 23 years about my suicide attempt. And it was because I never felt like it was okay to talk about it. Or I never met anybody that I knew had gone through something like that. Yeah. And so I did feel all alone in the world around that. And so I think if, in that timeframe, I would have had one of these books, it would have changed everything, it would have given me a way to reach out to somebody that I related to. And that's really where this all started was like, how do we help people know, they're not the only one going through whatever it is, because there's probably 1000s, if not millions of other people that are going through something very similar. You know, and we talked about the, the big thing of depression or anxiety or PTSD. But you know, there's also just the aloneness in your own world, because you're, you're well isolated due to the pandemic, but also like feeling alone, even at your job. Like, I'm the only one that doesn't get this one thing. Everybody else seems to be good at it. And I just say I'm not. And what they don't know is probably the person working next to them is struggling with something very similar. Exactly. And so it's, it's really important that we, we help get this message out of, you know, we're all broken people. Yes. You just have different brokenness. Yeah. And how do we, how do we relate to each other in a way where we can help each other?

Dr. Jacquala Shropshire: That's right, you know, as you were talking to you, and I was thinking about some of the things that I've experienced on my job with the mental health. And a lot of times when they first meet me, they said, Oh, you sound like a preacher. Well, it's not like I'm sounding like a preacher. And sounding like the one that loves and cares about you, and your situation. And once they pick that up, it makes a world of difference, Deena that responses the interaction, and not only with them, I get to learn and know the family and build a bond with them. Because we are all a team. For the purposes of helping someone else heal.

Deana Brown Mitchell: Absolutely, that's what that's what the world should be about. Yes. Just helping each other and being kind to each other. And yeah, yeah, angry.

Dr. Jacquala Shropshire: But I gotta say, I must thank you for giving me the opportunity of being a part of what God has laid on your heart to do. And the foundation is strong, Eric, and I work here also on 99, three FM KJB, new radio station. And I tell you, I sit on the board here of the board of directors. And also, I'm the vice president of radio management. And I tell you, I'm telling my board directors, everybody about your foundation, and how you are impacting the world dena. So for that, I say, thank you.

Deana Brown Mitchell: Thank you so much, Dr. Jacquala. That means a lot. I really appreciate it. And so if for anyone listening or watching this video, we're gonna have our new book three out on September 22 2023. And we will be posting very soon how to register for that event. It'll be 90 minutes, you'll get to meet and hear from all the authors involved. And it's gonna be a great event like they always are. Nobody ever wants to leave when we do these events. So I hope to see many people there and I can't way to celebrate all the people who have poured their heart and soul on these pages. And, you know, just for exactly what we're talking about. So you and people in the world will know they're not alone in their struggle. Yeah. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for being here with me today. And I'm looking forward to getting this book in the world.

Dr. Jacquala Shropshire: Yes, yes, likewise, and I will continue spreading the good word about your foundation so that people can get involved, make donations and see where they can plug in and do what the foundation has set out to do.

Deana Brown Mitchell: Thank you so much.

Dr. Jacquala Shropshire: You're certainly welcome.