Unapologetically HER

Busi Peters-Maughn is a 1983 alumni of Texas Southern University. She grew up in the black power

movement and the boogie-down Bronx, New York.

Shew owns a non-profit organization called Women Healing and Empowering Women, infamously known as W.H.E.W. Ms.Busi, has and still is making anevolutionary impact in the community. With her intellectual views, charisma for the community, andambitious stride.

Ms.Busi speaks her mind unapologetically and truly walks in her purpose. She aims to

“bridge a gap between our people and melanin-dominated people in Africa and the diaspora through

women's empowerment.” Living in Kenya in 1994, she went into import and export, and from 1999

through 2000, Ms.Busi taught in Ethiopia. She was educated around the world and experienced

different people and harsh treatment against people who are melanated like her.

Returning to the States, Ms.Busi taught in Brooklyn, and that’s when she stumbled upon a conference

at Columbia University with an organization called Critical Resistance that addressed heavy

incarceration rates. That’s when she learned women have been outpacing men by going to prison. "At

that moment, this is that connection; this is the piece that will connect to empower women over here.”

Ms. Busi has multiple programs within her organization where she truly is being about what she talks

about." That interaction led her to start a reentry program to help formerly incarcerated people reenter

society. Ms.Busi knows that chances are more significant when they have support, which will reduce

recidivism rates. Ultimately, Ms.Busi started working with reentry in 2003, with Ms.Busi's intellect in

different countries. She mentions travel and exposure to travel as "education within itself; no education

is more valuable than travel." As individuals get influenced by the media, it is essential to see

representation through the media of people who look like us and come from where we come from.

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Seeing people in these prominent places doing these big things influences minority adolescents. Ms.Busi mentions, "It is important for melanin-dominant people to be in this industry because other

people control our narrative. As the media portrays a one-sided perspective of the way people live. ”

It is important for melanin-dominant people to be in this industry because other people control our narrative. As the media portrays a one-sided perspective of the way people live. ”

When minorities are often faced with a forced narrative placed upon us, we lose sight of our thinking.

“So with traveling, you must go to these places and see them yourself.”

The recent celebration of 50 years of hip hop just passed. Ms.Busi sheds light on how hip-hop is an

art form. “With time, the music industry has corrupted hip-hop culture.” Hip-hop was ultimately a way

to express oneself through melodic beats and rhymes that allowed P.O.C. individuals to be content. As

hip hop has evolved, it has corrupted into “gangster thug prison culture.” “The condition and

programming of promoting a prison culture and confusing the youth in that way and how disrespectful

it is to our ancestors who died and blood was shed for us to have opportunities and to see how it

evolved over 50 years”. As the youth are involved in this atrocity of thinking prisons are "cool,” it has

been normalized. Through music, adolescents listen to and through what we see on social media

.“Prison-to-school pipelines and schools are still segregated; the only thing that got integrated was our

money, which was Ms. Busi's take on the situation.”

In the same way that Ms.Busi speaks with her heart and stands by her beliefs. She defines the root of

the issues as” colonization and enslavement of our ancestors, exploitation of our bodies, and abuse of

labor.” She is unapologetic about talking about these issues, shining light on them despite them being

uncomfortable, how these damaging things are the root of mental health issues, and how the world

around us has made it an unsafe space for people to be content. Hypermasculinity, especially in people

of color communities, creates pain in these men and young boys. "Layered issues that we as a people

do not want to address; we're unapologetic, were bold, and were going to talk about the things and what

it’ll take to heal." She entirely backs up what her motto is for her organization. W.H.E.W., which is

unapologetic, unconventional, and uncompromised; "she is not in business solely for capitalism she is

going in business to make money while also helping and shifting people’s quality of life."

Birthing a world I want to live in, to be about it and not just talk about it. Ms. Busi has multiple programs within

her organization where she truly cares about what she talks about!

Within her organization, Ms.Busi has a program called "Extraordinary Elders Flim Project," where

she bridges the gap between elders and adolescents—having guests like John Wilkerson and

Dr.Freeman. Ultimately, the Extardionary Elders Flim Project “is a project that was designed to create

a safe space for intergenerational relationships. ” Taking a closer look, the black community has always

been in touch with creating intergenerational relationships. As people of color adapt to family, no

matter their blood or relationship. ”All too often, our elders have done extraordinary things, and we are

letting them transition and take all this knowledge with them to the afterlife. It's like, What! They're

taking the recipes, the food, the family stories, all that information that is so valuable and needed.”

“When women come from families that have strong intergenerational relationships. Having an

unhealthy person in their life or making unhealthy choices is much less when we have elders in our life

who are checking on us, sharing information with us, sharing their wisdom with us, guiding us and

gearing us, and helping us come into ourselves, and vice versa." A healthy balance between elders and

youth is important because we need them as much as they need us. "Showing casing the medicine for

the solutions to come back our women going to prison and being in unhealthy situations and being

unhoused; unhoused, the medicine is intergenerational relationships.” Honoring elders because they are

extraordinary.

Connecting the Dots workshops is another focus Ms.Busi has within her program of reentry into

society. Her goal was not just to show up and give them what they needed. But to be by their side

through reentry, guiding them through healing. Looking at the root of why they wind up in prison.

"Often, when people go to prison, they come out even more traumatized."; Connecting to the root cause of "why you are in your situation.” Shedding light on these problems and Ms.Busi ultimately helps aid the solution.

She also has a Second Chance Conference program along with the Connect Dots Workshops. The

Second Chance Conference pertains to people who dealt with abuse, domestic violence, and being

unhoused. “Often enough, people discount them and give up on them.” When speaking on the

disadvantage of how society treats men going to prison as opposed to women, there is always a

common disconnect. “ When you educate a man, you educate an individual. When you educate a

woman, and you educate a nation.” Her passion for women and prison reform speaks through her

intelligence about changing the agenda that is pushed on society.

Exploring the triumphant legacy Ms.Busi is creating, she becomes knowledgeable about her

passion. With Women Healing and Empowering Women, she has changed people's approach to

reentry. Pushing towards a movement and not staying silent. “Coming to a historically black college

was a blessing; doing this work has opened my eyes to many issues in this country.” Ms. Busi fights for

what’s right. Ms.Busi even strategized a movement called #STMD (Shut the Money Down). By

shutting the money down, she wants people to regain their power from this cooperation by stopping

supplying their cash. January 11 was National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. It is essential to

research the treatment of minorities and how generations of abuse and a lack of empathy stimulate a lot

of trauma in people of color communities. But to remember that, to be pretentious about our societal

actions.” The only way through this is to shift things through women. Women are the first teachers.”

Written By: Johnjuana Fisher, Reporter