Known as ‘The Global Strategist’ and a well-known education consultant, Inglewood native Dr. La Shawn has now added author to her list. On the heels of Mental Health Awareness Month, her new memoir, “The D.I.V.A Herself: I Survived My Own Mess,” details how she ‘turned lemons into lemonade,’ detailing candid accounts of how she navigated through difficult situations in her life and is now thriving.
“It’s more than just a personal testimony; it’s a mirror, it’s a map, and it’s a movement for Black women and Black people.” She continued, “It reflects the unspoken realities that we carry silently; we carry trauma, we carry shame… It affirms that our pain doesn’t disqualify us but instead prepares us for the journey that we’re going on.”
Referring to her book as a map on how to navigate life, she began writing the book in 2017, facing her past and using the lessons she has learned to inspire others. She coined that year, “The year of 40,” a time in her life that signifies a milestone in her journey, motivating her to complete her memoir.
A native of Los Angeles, California, Dr. Witt worked in the field of education for over 22 years as a director, principal, assistant principal, middle school teacher, and more. An entrepreneur, she wears multiple hats and has diversified her skillset as she helps many educational institutions and organizations along their path.
She has earned two bachelor’s degrees from Loyola Marymount University in biology and
African American studies, a master’s degree in education including her secondary teaching credential from Pepperdine University, an administrative credential with special education leadership certification in the master of education ISLA program from Loyola Marymount University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University.
In the memoir, she discusses how, while she grew up in a two-parent home, her parents divorced when she was a preteen and how that affected her. Dr. La Shawn also discussed having to unpack the pain of that during later parts of her life, her experience with receiving charges for a white-collar crime that she did to help her ill mother, obtaining her multiple degrees, toxic relationships, depression, and more.
In her interview with Our Weekly, she also shared the tools and methods she used for her inner healing. “Those of us who know God, yes, we can go to ‘the word,’ we can fast and pray. But besides God, we absolutely have to build a foundation as well. So, I use practical tools such as therapy. I was dealing with a grief therapist. I was dealing with a therapist who really talked to me more about the abuse that I was dealing with. Talking to professionals gave me the space to process my trauma without judgment. And it helped me, you know, name those things that I had kept buried for years.”
She added, “Because I realized I had to go back to therapy, behind my parents’ divorce, who divorced when I was 12 years old almost 30 or so years ago. I also had to journal consistently and had at least eight journals that I labeled differently to focus on things such as pain, progress, and more.”
Dr. La Shawn went on to share how writing became a release for her and a record of her healing as she continued to face the paper in order to document her story and healing. She also utilized her community of friends for support.
“I surrounded myself with people who could speak life over me, people who were not just my prayer partners, but when I forgot who I was, I needed them to speak to me. I had trusted friends and mentors and even support groups who played a huge role in helping me stay accountable in my growth. And finally, I used strategy. Literally, I created routines, vision boards, affirmations, declarations, and boundaries. I treated my healing.”
Her memoir is not just a typical one in the fact that it not just offers transparency and raw truth, it also offers strategy if one catches the gems she drops.
“My memoir is a call to stop surviving, and as I’ve known as the global strategist, one can use it to start strategizing a way to get out of the place that you’re in. My hope is that readers, especially my sisters, take away this divine permission to fully live, to live fully, boldly, and unapologetically in their truth.”
“The D.I.V.A. Herself: I Survived My Mess” is now available to order on Dr. La Shawn’s website at www.drlashawndenisewitt.com and on Amazon with multiple versions such as hardback ($24.99), paperback ($19.99), and e-book ($14.99).
