Poet Rashaunea Ambers-Winston wants her writing to give others a voice.
Ambers-Winston, a St. Thomas junior, uses poetry as a way to express herself and get her feelings out, writing about her life and the personal struggles and triumphs she has experienced.
“I felt like it was just a really good way for me to just express my deepest emotions,” Ambers-Winston said. “It’s a chance to like, just be me, and it’s just limitless.”
Until recently, Ambers-Winston used poetry as a way to get her thoughts out of her head. Her poems were a place where she could say what she wanted, without being judged.
However, while quarantining during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided that her poetry could be more than just a vessel for her thoughts; Ambers-Winston realized she could use her poems to speak up for herself and those around her.
Now, her poems are meant to inspire others to use their voices to make an impact.
“I want to influence others to share their truth, to share their story,” Ambers-Winston said.
Ambers-Winston has been sharing her poetry online on “Raw Life Poetry” for about a year. Her writing is also featured in the book “Lake Street Speaks,” which is filled with Ambers-Winston’s poems alongside photos of artwork from the Lake Street area that was created after the murder of George Floyd.
“Lake Street Speaks” was a collaboration between Ambers-Winston, a 20-year old Black college student, and Susan Shields, a white baby boomer. The two connected through Ambers-Winston’s mother when Shields was searching for a poet to help create the book. They both wanted to make a difference and inspire change in their community.
“It’s about bringing awareness to social injustices and just showing others that they make a difference,” Ambers-Winston said. “We are just two women who want to make a difference.”
Ambers-Winston said many people think that she is being taken advantage of by Shields. However, Ambers-Winston said that she and Shields have built a trust together, saying their different backgrounds have benefitted their partnership.
“We have these two different backgrounds to help us create these ideas. She couldn’t make this book without me, and she helped me with a lot of opportunities I wouldn’t have,” Ambers-Winston said.
After being in the works for around a year, “Lake Street Speaks” was finally released on Sept. 3. Ambers-Winston says that the book has changed her life and presented her with opportunities that she can use to help others.
“I’m able to be closer to my community to share my voice,” Ambers-Winston said. “It’s brought my dream to come true.”
All of the profits from “Lake Street Speaks” will be donated to four nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities area. The nonprofits all work for the benefit of Black and indigenous people of color and are run by women.
Ambers-Winston hopes to one day open a nonprofit of her own. She grew up working in nonprofits, including Cookie Cart, where she helped to get African American teens off of the street and start a career.
“That’s the first introduction to me really being a part of a community,” Ambers-Winston said. “I was doing community events, talking to people just trying to spread love to the community.”
That experience has helped inspire Ambers-Winston to start her own organization. She wants to provide African American youth with the resources she never had growing up. Her goal is to create a safe space for them, a space with school support, career support and a place for them to express themselves.
“It’s part of making a difference for youth, so I’m glad to have the opportunity to live my dreams and to do what’s important to me,” Ambers-Winston said.
Ambers-Winston lives to make a difference in her community and her writing inspires people of all colors and ages across the state and she strives to inspire those who are silent to use their voices to make a change.
“What’s important to me is fighting for criminal justice and making a difference and showing people that they can do it too,” Ambers-Winston said.
Derek Badger can be reached at badg7629@stthomas.edu.