WOMEN WHO INSPIRE
Opposite page photo by Tatyana Vaughn This page photo by Cartan Mosley
With the financial support of her husband , Robert , they did just that , taking S . H . E . R . A . H to the next level .
And there are so many girls in human trafficking situations - which Duncan said studies have shown African-American girls are particularly vulnerable to - who need a safe place .
Duncan said they also partner with other agencies for referrals to provide the girls with additional resources like The Covering House , Safe Connections , Provident and the St . Louis Food Bank .
“ We concentrate on girls of color , but we are open to all ethnicities , and we are committed to North St . Louis ,” Duncan said .
Hopefully , she said , when girls reach 18 , they can transition from the safe house to long-term housing programs , such as Annie Malone Children & Family Services .
S . H . E . R . A . H ., which operates with a small staff and a six-member board of directors , also came about , in part , because Duncan knows what it ’ s like to feel powerless , stemming from her own experience as a 10-year-old .
“ I have friends who are diehard feminists , but I ’ m not , and I think that ’ s because my violator was an older black woman , and I was still a pre-teen ,” Duncan said . “ She assaulted me in a closet at a friend ’ s house . I told my friend , but then I blocked it out of my mind .” That was 26 years ago . Nobody really talked about it . “ But when we hide what happens to us , that doesn ’ t help others ,” Duncan said . “ I think the # MeToo movement has really expanded our way of thinking .
“ I have forgiven my abuser , and I went through many healing and forgiving ceremonies to do so ,” she said . “ And that helps me to empathize with others .”
She believes that organizations like S . H . E . R . A . H . and other safe houses and spaces are created as places for healing , but their purpose is not to alienate men .
“ We want girls to talk about what has happened to them in order to heal , and realize that it does not define them ,” she added . “ I have known many women who suppressed their truth .”
On the heels of S . H . E . R . A . H ., Duncan extended programming to include the L . O . V . E . project , or Learning Oneself Very Extensively . LOVE promotes self-love and confidence , and is presented to 500 girls a week , aged 9 to 17 , at schools around St . Louis , including the Rockwood School District and a few private schools . LOVE sponsors an annual mother-daughter retreat , this year April 7 to 9 , with workshops , games and a safe space to relax , bond and learn skills .
“ At first , I operated S . H . E . R . A . H . quietly , but I know it ’ s no longer about me – it ’ s about the girls . They deserve an advocate , they are all so beautiful and amazing , and they need to know that ,” she said . “ I get up every day excited to do what I do , and most days , I ’ m happy , but the stories you hear will bring you to tears .”
Duncan ’ s mother was only 13 when she had her , and she said her parents did their best to provide a loving home , but there were economic and community obstacles .
Shante Duncan is a confident public speaker , as well as leader of the S . H . E . R . A . H . organization .
“ I was supposed to be a statistic ,” Duncan said . “ But I knew from the time I was a little kid that I wanted to help change the community and help others .”
She earned a bachelor ’ s degree in mass communications from University of Missouri-St . Louis , wrote for The St . Louis American , worked as a grant writer , and is a public speaker on a range of topics empowering women and girls .
Duncan ’ s 10-year-old daughter , Truth Tsenane , is also involved with the organization and assists her mother wherever possible . She also has two sons , aged 5 and 8 , and believes being a mother is the most important role that anyone can have .
For more information , visit sherahmovement . com , or email Duncan at founder @ sherahmovement . com .
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