We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sharon Bennett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sharon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Both of my parents were from the country. Small towns between Houston and San Antonio, Texas. Both, within ten miles of each other. They went to the same single country high-school and both played sports.

My father was the football quarterback and captain of the basketball team. He graduated Magna-cum Laude and was the Valedictorian for the class of 1953. He was the youngest of twelve children, whose father died when he was only six-years-old. Both parents were stern Christians who didn’t believe in sparing the rod and participated in church. His mother, my grandmother, played the piano and led the children’s choir.

My mother was the oldest of eight siblings whom she had to cook and care for at an early age while their parents left with the sunrise to work the fields. She played basketball in high-school and loved math. She told my father to drop dead when he first asked her out and mother was on the usher board at church.

Both of my parents remained consistent diligent members in church no matter where we lived. That became the backbone of their lives and a necessary ingredient for the life my father headed into as a civil rights leader. They raised my siblings and I in the church and with a firm hand. We never went hungry, were always clean and well clothed, with a soft bed to sleep in and plenty of love. Though my father was the one who’d hug and say he loved us, my mother only showed it by caring for us. Regardless of the religious dogma that drove me away from church, our upbringing was about as right as it could be.

Especially, since there were no booklets, guidelines, nor doctors speaking on the subject. I was the second of four children, two boys and two girls. When we messed up, the discipline was harsh and swift. So, you best believe we tried not to. My brothers learned that lesson at a slower rate. However, my parents did a great job building a strong foundation within us. I’d say they got it right! Christ and church are a mainstay in my life.

Sharon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Sharon Bennett, a native San Antonian, the author of two women’s novellas, a self-help book, and the new civil rights biography.(<removed the title) Growing up in the 1960s as a person of color proved emotional and, at times, turbulent as the daughter of Rev. Dr. L.E. Bennett. Because he took the selfless step forward to integrate the significant telecommunications company of Southwestern Bell/AT&T. Pressures that a civil rights activist endures also affect his family. The newly released book entitled Jewel of the South: Civil Rights Biography of Rev. Dr. L.E. Bennett is telling of inner turmoil that outsiders rarely get to see with such honesty.

I developed a deep desire to research our family history in the 1980s. My father, the late Rev. Dr. L.E. Bennett had long studied the family’s history. I’d gained a new appreciation for his sacrifices to change the world during his genetic swab. I worked on his story and did interviews for several years. As the daughter of L.E. Bennett, in addition to interviewing him, I explored family archives and Southwestern Bell/AT&T records to piece together this man’s remarkable journey from janitor and civil rights pioneer to second-level management over five states. He was the first African-American to achieve each rung in the ladder.

During college at Sam Houston State University, I was a college representative for Mademoiselle Magazine, earning gifts, a letter of appreciation, and distinction. Also, I got involved in participating in fashion shows and writing event programs. During college, I pledged a “Lil Sister’s Sorority but due to illness, I didn’t finish pledging with the big sisters, and I was active with their community volunteer programs. I earned my first bachelor’s in 1979, with coursework in fine arts and writing. I declined initial six month offers from Ebony Fashion Fair and Cover Girl of Dallas, choosing to marry and raise a family.

After a painful divorce, relocating back to my parents, I began working in my father’s church by teaching young adults Sunday School and singing in the choir. I started working for a military insurance company. During those years with USAA, I worked in numerous volunteer programs and foundations to raise funds for the community. In addition, I participated in Toastmasters and gained a financial payment for an idea to improve USAA’s housing computer program. But, I was bored!

Searching my heart, I returned to school to study nursing. While raising a young family, working full-time, and attending school part-time, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Incarnate Word University. And, continued taking extra-curricular courses in English composition, piano, and art. As a registered charge nurse in intensive care units, case manager for a major insurance company, and in hospital administration for over forty years, I loved the help and support given to families in their time of need. In retirement, I started a new business for medical/health/wellness content copywriting called JoltVivoEscribo, meaning writing into life with a jolt.

I’ve since completed many curriculums involving psychology, teen and adult development, bullying, domestic violence, marriage, and relationships during my health career. I trained and became a Certified Life Coach to give personal one-to-one support to young girls and women. I also led in-service health education to the upper administration of hospitals and patients via video conference. Throughout my work career, numerous compliments and letters of appreciation from customers were gleaned.

I’ve interviewed, during the latter years, with numerous radio shows and periodical outlets and published over fifteen articles. Winning a 2001 Editor’s Choice award from the Library of Congress in poetry, Hardcore Writer’s Award, and two Reader’s Favorite Five Stars for the fiction writing. My progression in writing gleaned the publishing of three poems, one in Theatre of the Mind by Noble House.

For years I’d dreamt of penning a book one day. So, finally, I had put my journals together and co-authored romance novels inclusive of women’s issues, self-love, and self-empowerment. The first novella was Shoe Fetish 1: A Woman’s Love for Her Shoes and Her Men. The second book was Shoe Fetish 2: Grown into High Heels. My third solo writing was a self-help book and journal called Cracks in Your Mirror.

In 2012, I gave my first empowerment speaking event at Seton Home for Girls in San Antonio. Many more followed, with the last being for Regina Sunshine Robinson’s Awesome Girls Awards in August 2019, with continued sponsorship to the organization in 2020. Unfortunately, Covid-19 stopped many things.

As a longtime member of the NAACP, I’d participated in social justice protests, Atlanta Writers Club, and the Wellness Universe, now, as a retired ICU and medical administration nurse, I’m ready to continue immersing myself in the growth of young girls and women through mentoring with empowerment, education, self-love, and self-confidence. And I’m happily back in church and enjoying the blossoming of my Christian life.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society can best support by actually following through on their words and thoughts of support. To truly buy the product a writer or artist is promoting; especially, those who are on social media all the time. People will get online and buy everything they can from some famous artist whom they will never meet. But, they won’t support the locals or the person next door. That’s where more money needs to be invested. Put the money back into people from our own communities. I go out of my way to look up who owns certain businesses so I can support them. Folks not only come from other communities but other countries making money, but they don’t put their earnings back into the community their business is in. A prime example is the beauty supply industry. It would also be helpful if events aren’t ALL held in the main city area where there’s tons of traffic. But, that’s just my opinion on the last thing.

Like we’ll buy an actor’s book whose never written or taken courses and put them on the New York Times Bestsellers List. They pay someone else to write it called a Ghost Writer. Sure, there’s a natural curiosity to know the story of a famous person; yet, there’s tons of great stories. Many we can learn and improve our lives from. We’ve slipped into this mindless coma from lack of knowledge and growth. History is important–All History, mainly the ones they try to write people of color out of.

During the 1st civil rights movement, many foot soldiers had to rise up to get the dream pushed through. Do you think that because Former President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the hard work was over and women along with people of color were allowed to step into whatever they could earn? Heck No! My father stepped up in 1960 to become President of The Colored People’s Union and fought for integration with Southwestern Bell/AT&T in their Southwestern District. There was a lot of heartache and pain. Some he had trouble verbalizing, and some that affected the family. He had to run for his life at the train station after he dared go to the 1962 company convention in Kansas City and wanted to speak on integration.

I was heartbroken as a ten-year-old when the principal told me I couldn’t represent our school in city-wide Spelling Bee because I was a “N.” I had no experience to process the hurt felt after such a statement. I still haven’t forgotten it. There’s more, but you get the idea.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, my goal is to educate others on the real contributions my father made to our history and the civil rights movement. There was a lot of groundwork that had to be done. Any real change had to take effect in all states, not just Atlanta or New York. But, even after the 1964 signing the struggle didn’t go away. Today there’s still subconscious bias, hidden racism. Even people that say they aren’t racist have certain things they believe about people of other ethnic groups or cultures, whether true or not. That’s because they were slowly taught and given beliefs planted over years. Even the news is biased as to whose pics they do or don’t show, what stories or how they’re told.

You’ll clutch your purse tighter or cross the street if you see black youths coming, but you won’t for white youths. Because of the images you’re shown over and over. They’re rarely positive, even though there’s tons of positive people and stories.

So, that’s my mission, to continue to tell the story of a strong and positive black male who gave everything to seek equality in the workforce and his part of the world. Certainly, I was angry with him for a while and had to not only deal with those issues but to also research and gather more information to support his biography. I wish I hadn’t taken so long to tell the full history of his struggle. My sticking to it shows my resilience and determination. People can support the mission of this journey by getting a book and leaving a review of their experience. But, be ready because it will elicit strong emotions. I’m preparing to travel to speak on civil rights and social justice mostly during the upcoming Black History Month or anytime.

The Bullock Museum of Texas History in Austin, TX deemed Bennett’s life as impactful and worthy of acknowledging. They are opening an exhibit in honor of Rev. Dr. L.E. Bennett Spring of 2023.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SharonKBennett.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jolt_copywriting/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-bennett-53747b52
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@seniorgrayempowerment?lang=en

Image Credits
DC Designs Photograph —authors photograph Rev. Dr. L.E. Bennett—Family Photo Album